Magpies Earn Victory in an Unusual Pre-Season Match-Up

18 Jul 2019 By Oliver Osborn

Maidenhead United maintained their excellent start to pre-season with a win in one this year’s most uncommon pre-season fixtures.

A first-half penalty from recent addition Danny Whitehall saw the Magpies hold out for victory against the Kuwait National Football Team.

The visitors to York Road, who won the Asia Cup back in 1980, have been on a London-based training camp in preparation for the start of Asian World Cup Qualification in September.

Speaking after the match, boss Alan Devonshire shared his thoughts on proceedings, having achieved three wins from three during pre-season.

After not being able to transfer pre-season form into early League fixtures in the previous campaign, the former West Ham United midfielder is eager not to allow the same mistake to happen again this time around.

Devonshire said: “They were a good side, they passed the ball around well.

“I was just pleased that we made lots of subs; we made nine changes throughout the game, in the last 20 minutes they didn’t really test our keeper. It was a good work out for us, it’s about monitoring the players’ fitness and sharpness.”

“It is pre-season and I’m not going to get carried away, we did well last pre-season and then had a shocking first half of the season. I don’t think we are in that position so it’s pleasing to know that.”

“Danny (Whitehall) signed today, him and Jake (Cassidy) alongside Josh (Kelly) means we now have three strikers up there. With the games Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday we need that in our squad.”

Maidenhead United face a trip to Stockport County in the opening match of the Vanarama National League season, live on BT Sport.

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