Maidenhead United beaten by champions Chesterfield despite valiant second-half fightback

Tristan Abrahams was on target for the Magpies.

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Chesterfield 3, Maidenhead United 2

Maidenhead United rounded off their season with an entertaining if unsuccessful 3-2 defeat to the champions Chesterfield on Saturday.

The outcome of the game mattered little to the Magpies, who’d secured their survival the previous weekend with a 2-1 home win over Gateshead.

But Alan Devonshire’s side were keen to go out on a high with a positive result and achieve their highest league finish since the side was promoted to the National League back in 2017.

This slipped through their fingers in the end, but they more than played their part in an exciting final day fixture against the Spireites.

At half-time, it looked very much like the Spireites would cruise to a comfortable victory as goals from Tom Whelan in the 29th minute and Joe Quigley just a couple of minutes later gave the hosts a stranglehold on the game.

However, that grip on the game was loosened when Tristan Abrahams reduced the deficit in the 52nd minute and Kevin Lokko levelled matters three minutes later.

Their first goal back saw a strike by Reece Smith parried by Tyrer and Abrahams slot the ball into the empty net, while there were scenes in the away end when Lokko fired home after the ball was nodded back to him from a free kick.

Craig Ross pulled off an inspired save to prevent Quigley restoring Chesterfield’s lead in the 64th minute but there was nothing he could do to keep out Ollie Banks’ winner in the final minute. There might have been one further twist when a Chesterfield player almost turned a dangerous Maidenhead cross into his own net in injury-time, but the champions held off to win their final game before taking up their place in the Football League.

United also didn’t disappoint in their final game of the season and neither did their fancy-dress wearing supporters who added a dash of colour and plenty of noise to a day which had a celebratory feeling for both teams.

It was also only the Magpies second defeat in 11 matches against the Spireites in the National League.