This Thursday night at Arbour Park, Maidenhead United Women will play host to the women of Queens Park Rangers in the Combined Counties League Cup quarterfinals.
It looks like the senior men’s team’s National League season is over, and they will play at the highest level of non-league football for the eighth straight year.
However, Ed Jackson-Norris and his players still have a few weeks, and ideally a few more matches, left in the women’s season.
They’ll play relegation-threatened Southampton Women away on Sunday (May 5) to cap off another fantastic league season in which they’ve shattered records for the most points and goals.
However, prior to that, they will have the chance to go to the cup final four. The game will begin at Arbour Park at 7:45 p.m.
Despite their impressive 23 goals in the competition’s previous stages, United knows they must perform at their peak, especially on the defensive, to defeat their tier 4 rivals, QPR.
QPR Women, who are presently ranked fourth in the FA Women’s National League Division 1 South East, have lost their previous four games despite scoring ten goals in those contests. They should therefore allow the Magpies a few opportunities, even though they’re an interesting team to watch. United has won three of their past four games, so they are also in excellent form.
Despite the fact that the game is being played at Arbour Park, season ticket holders for QPR and MUFC Gold Members will receive free entrance upon presenting their appropriate cards at the Arbour Park gate.
If not, adult entry is £5 and student entrance is £2. Please be aware that the turnstiles only accept cash.
Niall Irwin, the coach, has also given some thought to a difficult season after the Maidenhead United Women’s Development squad finished the regular season with a third straight win.
Last Sunday, April 21, the Magpies defeated London Seaward 2-0 away on the road with to crucial goals from Raissa Jauad-Taborda (87) and Molly McKeever (44).
It was sufficient to move the Magpies up one spot, above Rugby Borough Development, from the bottom of the Reserve South East & Central Division table.
The club lost their first ten games without a point, but they turned things around in their next three games, scoring eight goals and recording two clean sheets to catch up to and surpass Rugby.
“I’m absolutely delighted with the performance and result today,” Irwin declared. Even though we knew going into the game that we would succeed, it was still fantastic to demonstrate that point.
It was a difficult game for a number of reasons, but the players’ ability and the amount of work they have put in this season are what made the outcome possible.
“Considering how the season started, I believe we got what we deserved out of it.
“It was a difficult beginning, but we were aware right away that there would be some favorable outcomes. We could see it right away, therefore we had faith in their abilities. We continued to grind until we finally achieved the desired outcomes. I’m happy for them and consider it a fortunate that they’ve functioned so well together.
“All praise is due to the players. At this point, every member of the team is working together. We’re maintaining clean sheets and scoring goals. The players were unable to recognize that during the early part of the season. They can now see it on paper, but we still had faith in them. It’s a dream come true for the players and me, and full credit to everyone involved.”
Before the match against Seaward, Niall told the players and the club that he was leaving his position as team manager after the victory.
“I’m going to miss Maidenhead terribly. I’ve been a member of the club for around eight years. But we’ll have to wait and see. I recently purchased my first home, therefore I’m relocating south. I will miss everything the club has done for me, which makes me incredibly sad. It feels like a whole family, the players and the staff alike.
However, this won’t be the last. I will continue to attend workouts and sporting events. The club will always hold a special place in my heart, and I hope for its continued success since it has provided me with a great deal and numerous possibilities. They are deserving of everything and more this season.
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