Shaymen slump to miserable home defeat against Maidenhead

Ashley Nathaniel-George's early goal earned Maidenhead the victory on another sobering afternoon for The Shaymen, who were passive rather than aggressive, aimless rather than fearless.

It's another unremittingly miserable chapter in an increasingly depressing season at The Shay.

Another case of a little progress being wiped out by a cold, hard dose of reality.

Halifax were a rarity this season - unchanged - but another thing to stay the same was Town falling behind, which seems to be wedged between kick-off and half-time like clockwork at the moment.

And for the fourth time in their last five home games, while it's still just three first-half goals at home all season.

The Town defence was carved open after Mani Dieseruvwe lost the ball, as Maidenhead found a route to goal far too easily, with Nathaniel-George cutting back on his right and blasting into the roof of the net from just inside the box.

That was flanked by some flat, featureless football from The Shaymen, who failed to build on their improved second-half against Solihull in midweek.

Instead, they reverted to type once more; unconvincing, struggling to create or gain control, too easy to defend against.

A good move 20 minutes in ended with Dieseruvwe setting up Gilmour, but he blazed his shot way over from the edge of the box.

A few minutes later, a cross from the left eventually fell to Tylor Golden but he fired over at full stretch near the penalty spot.

And chances-wise, that was pretty much it until half-time.

Chris Millington wanted greater ruthlessness. He wasn't getting it.

He also wanted Town to impose themselves on the game and dominate play, but that didn't happen either.

Yes Halifax saw more of the ball and the contest was increasingly played in the Maidenhead half as the opening 45 went on.But the visitors' defence was rarely stretched or under severe pressure.

Maidenhead had Town exactly where they wanted them.

Town spent too long either trying to build from the back and getting nowhere, or knocking it long and getting nowhere.

The game was bordering on soporific at times, reflected in a quiet atmosphere undercut with impatience from the home fans.

The Shaymen's plight was encapsulated towards half-time when Jack Hunter and Harvey Gilmour gave the ball away inside their own half within seconds of each other.

Dieseruvwe had a thankless task against a tall, physical Maidenhead defence with very little support or service, while Milli Alli and Max Wright were peripheral, rarely seeing the ball in dangerous areas.

They were hooked at the break, replaced by Jamie Cooke and Fidel O'Rourke.

Halifax's first shot on target arrived a few minutes after the break, a header easily saved from Dieseruvwe, prompting ironic applause from a home support that were groaning at their side's timidity and lack of adventure in possession.

Cooke and O'Rourke were at least involved in the game more than the two they replaced, but Town were still making hard work of mounting a fightback.

The ball wasn't sticking with Dieseruvwe, while Town weren't playing with enough tempo, aside from a dearth of quality on the ball.

The like-for-like final change of Rob Harker for Dieseruvwe elicited further anguished cries from the terraces.

Town's malaise continued though; Golden seemed to take an age to take their first corner, then failed to beat the first man.

Maidenhead keeper Alexis Andre then dropped a Golden free-kick, but the hosts failed to take advantage, with Jamie Stott sending the ball off target with the keeper stranded.

Maidenhead were able to hold Halifax at arm's length most of the time, with only comfortable saves from O'Rourke and Stott to worry about.

A cross fell to Harker inside the box in added time but he missed his kick, which kind of summed it all up, before the full-time whistle was greeted with boos and chants of "we want Milly out".

Halifax: Johnson, Debrah, Stott, A Senior, Golden, Hunter, Gilmour, Capello, Alli (O'Rourke 46), Wright (Cooke 46), Dieseruvwe (Harker 66). Subs not used: Summerfield, Keane

Shots on target: 4

Shots off target: 8

Corners: 4

Maidenhead: Andre, Asare, Massey, Odutayo, Nathaniel-George (Leathers 90), Clerima, Adams, Ferdinand, Smith (Panayatiou 74), Barrett (McCoulsky 82), Acquah. Subs not used: Beckwith, Sparkes.

Scorer: Nathaniel-George (10)

Shots on target: 2

Shots off target: 2

Corners: 1

Attendance: 1,559

Referee: Ben Wyatt

Town man of the match: Angelo Capello. At least gave it everything he had.