You just couldn`t script this!

How can a team make nine changes from their previous game, give league debuts to reserve players Jesse Atiase, James Blackshaw and Dean Inman, recall Elliott Brathwaite and Jack Francis, give rare starts to Nana Badu and Steve Tyson and then, to cap it all, have their keeper sent off and have to play a central defender in goal for 50 minutes and still beat the current form side, Maidenhead United, 3-0.

It was unbelievable, as Hampton & Richmond tied up second place and pole position for the Blue Square South play-offs.

With confirmation having come through that the Beavers were in the play offs (for the second successive season), it was only a question, on the last day of the regular season, as to whether or not the team would finish second or third.

Hampton had to deal with a significant number of injuries, Manager Alan Devonshire doesn`t shirk making difficult decisions, but it has to be said that many supporters seeing the line up for the day were, in their minds anyway, already conceding the points to the Magpies.

The first 41 minutes of the contest passed quietly enough on a lovely sunny spring afternoon, with the Maidenhead pitch was very dry and bumpy.

Hampton`s re-shaped, patched-up side settled down very quickly, Atiase looked particularly sharp and pacey, Blackshaw and Inman both fitted into Hampton`s system of play comfortably.

Matt Lovett made a couple of saves and the game seemed to be falling into the category of a typical end of season affair.

Then came an incident totally out of character with the rest of the game.

Lovett and Richard Pacquette, Maidenhead`s ex-Hampton striker, clashed when both going for a cross, and after a scuffle both were dismissed by Referee Simon Knapp.

Hampton skipper Dean Wells has donned the keeper`s gloves for Hampton before (a heavy defeat 5-0 loss to Heybridge Swifts three years ago, he allowed three goals past him when Lovett went off injured).

Wells was on the bench, so the unlucky Atiase had to be sacrificed. On this occasion Wells kept a clean sheet, made a couple of saves and set up two goals, Maidenhead failing completely to take any advantage from the situation. Hardly had play restarted when Hampton took the lead with a neat move.

Ryan Lake played the ball up to Badu, his ball inside found Tyson who rolled the ball into the path of stand-in skipper Marcello Fernandes, his sweet 25 yard drive found the bottom corner to send the Beavers in at half time a goal to the good.

Within twelve minutes of the second half starting Hampton had built up a 3-0 lead. Both times it was Wells, in his role of stand-in keeper, who found Yaku racing through.

In the 54th minute Yaku also had the help of Maidenhead`s comedy duo of keeper Shane Gore and defender Dominic Sterling, who managed to run into each other rather than tackle Yaku, leaving the ex-Maidenhead striker to guide the ball into an unguarded net.

The second three minutes later, a strike from the edge of the penalty area, gave Yaku his 15th goal of the season, cementing his position as leading scorer for the third time in four seasons.

In the 65th minute Badu fired a rocket of a shot which flashed a fraction wide. Hampton`s dominance for the remainder of the game was such that Graham Harper came off the bench to replace Yaku with some twenty minutes to go and played up front alongside Kieran Knight and enjoyed himself so much he almost scored twice!

Credit the maidenhead fans who were generous in their applause for ex-Magpies Yaku and Devonshire, how they might wish to have them back!

For the sixth successive season Hampton have improved on their position in Non League football, now once again, its the lottery of the play offs with a place in the Blue Square Premier at stake.

Cautions ; Matt Lovett (sent off)

Man of the Match ; Lawrence Yaku

Team Line-up;- Matt Lovett; Jack Francis, Ryan Lake, Dean Inman, Elliott Brathwait, Jesse Atiase (Dean Wells, 41), Steve Tyson, Marcello Fernandes, Nana Badu (Kieran Knight, 69), Lawrence Yaku (Graham Harper, 69), James Blackshaw. Subs not used ; Barrie Matthews & Shaun McAuley