Staines Town’s hopes of reaching the Blue Square South play-offs were dashed at near neighbours Maidenhead United on Saturday.
Although their defender Rose played the whole game with a bandaged round a head stitched in last week’s game, the home side began in lively fashion.
Barney lobbed an early chance just over, but Staines responded with John Marquis wriggling away from a defender and shooting into the side netting.
The weekend’s hat-trick hero soon opened the scoring for Staines, beginning the move by finding Ali Chaaban, whose angled shot was parried out by keeper Carter, but Marquis fired the rebound from six yeards.
But Staines suffered a set-back on 28 minutes , when Yado Mambo, who has been hugely impressive since joining on loan from Charlton, sustained a leg injury, necessitating his replacement by Ifura.
Both sides found it hard to play neat football on the bumpy surface, but Maidenhead seemed to adapt better to it, and a long spell of pressure finally brought them level on 41 minutes with a stunning shot from outside the box by Sam Collins that clipped the inside of the near post and nestled onto the opposite corner.
There was an incident on the terraces at half time, with stewards and ambulance crews mobilised to assist an elderly spectator who had fallen.
Seven minutes after the restart, Maidenhead had the ball in the net again, but Andy Smith’s strike was ruled out for a foul on Wells.
Then Staines enjoyed a spell on top, with Howard Newton firing just over, Marquis denied from a fine volley, Leroy Griffiths playing a tantalising ball into the box, and Domic Sterling heading over from a deep cross by Jackson.
In the 64th minute, the ball was rocketed at Newton, who planted a snap header just over.
A few minutes later, Staines decided to sacrifice Jackson to add Charles-Smith to the attack.
Soon afterwards, Thomas planted a header too close to keeper Carter, but gaps were also starting to appear as Swans pushed up from the back, Maidenhead sending two crosses across the face of goal.
Then, in the 83rd minute, Staines knew the game was up, when sub Wall blasted a free kick which Wells blocked, but was powerless to prevent Jamal Fyfield following in to smash home the rebound – by this stage rather against the run of play.
The tiring Chaaban was withdrawn for Taylor for the final 5 minutes plus – as in the 1st period – an additional three. There were chances at each end: a header for Staines, a cross-shot for United, but the score remained 2-1, and the match ended with the Staines fans disappointed but nevertheless warmly congratulating their favourites on a valiant attempt in the first season of Conference football.
Staines: Wells, Jackson (Charles-Smith 68), Sterling, Gordon ©, Mambo (Ifura 28), Scarlett, Newton, Thomas, Marquis, Chaaban (Taylor 85), Griffiths; unused Kamara, D Brown.
Maidenhead: Carter, Rose, Fyfield, Behzadi, Nisbet ©, Baddeley, Smith (Jones 64), Quamina, Barney (Knight 79), St. Aimie (Wall 68), Collins; unused Ochoa, Tardif (g).
Ref: Anthony Coggins (Bicester); ARs: Jonathan Livingston (Middleton Stoney, Oxon), Daniel Leach (Eynsham, Oxon); Att 296.
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