A 98th minute Aaron Cosgrave goal helped FC Halifax Town to get all three points at home to Maidenhead with a 2-1 win.
Former FC Halifax Town man Tobi Sho-Silva cancelled out Adan George’s first Shayman goal before substitute Cosgrave’s late strike wins the game
The Shayman came into the midweek fixture on the back of their first win of 2024, a 3-1 away victory against Dorking Wanderers three days prior. Having ticked that milestone off, the side set their sights on their first home win since facing Wealdstone in November.
Alan Devonshire’s side trailed Town by five points prior to the game, suffering a 1-0 loss to Boreham Wood at the weekend courtesy of a Erico Souza penalty. The Magpies’ recent form has been a mixed-bag; winning two, drawing two and losing two of their previous six games.
Tylor Golden began the game brightly, chopping in onto his left foot from right-back and curling an attempt just wide of Craig Ross’s net in the 5th minute.
Adan George then got his Town career up and running with a goal in the 7th minute making it 1-0 to the home side. Jack Evans drove into midfield and played through George, who poked it through a Maidenhead defender’s legs and placed it in the bottom corner for his first goal for the club.
George followed his goal up with another effort on target, breaking quickly from a United free-kick, side-stepping past his man before his shot was turned away by Ross. The centre-foward was signed in January from Rushall Olympic F.C in the Vanarama National League North, where he scored 3 goals in 7 appearances before moving to the Shayman.
Town came close to doubling their lead just after 40 minutes as Thompson-Sommers and Golden both got shots off at goals from inside the box. The ball didn’t sit up nicely for either player meaning Maidenhead were able to get men back and in the way of the attempts.
Goalkeeper Sam Johnson was tested for the first time of the game 50 minutes in. Maidenhead centre back Remy Clerima made a burst from deep, flicked the ball over Evans and laced the ball at goal.
Chris Millington’s first change of the evening was a like-for-like swap, taking Luke Summerfield off for Jack Hunter in the 59th minute. His second change came shortly after, this time defender Adam Senior replaced midfielder Jack Jenkins.
Devonshire replaced Kane Ferdinand, the only goal scorer in the reverse fixture at York Road, for Bradley Keetch with 67 minutes played. Shawn Mccoulsky who’d previously played for Halifax then came on for Sam Barrett a minute later. Maidenhead were forced to bring off an injured Zico Asare for Alan Massey for their final change.
Maidenhead United then equalised in the 78th minute with former Town striker Tobi Sho-Silva claiming the goal. Following a United corner, Sam Beckwith whipped in an inswinging ball that Senior couldn’t quite intercept leaving Sho-Silva free to slide and turn it in for 1-1.
Millington brought on striker Aaron Cosgrave in the 83rd minute for his side’s last substitution of the match replacing Oluwabori in an attempt to win the game.
The assistant indicated an additional seven minutes due to a handful of Maidenhead injuries giving Thompson-Sommers time to play a one-two with Hunter and force Ross into making a brilliant save low to his left.
The game looked dead and buried deep into injury time when in the 98th minute, super-sub Cosgrave converted from yards out for a dramatic late 2-1 victory. Town floated a free-kick into the box, Senior nodded the ball down to George who pulled it back to Cosgrave, with his finish sending fans in the Shay into ecstasy.
The Shayman saw the game out and celebrated their first home win of the year to follow up a successful trip to Surrey this past weekend. Milly’s men now look forward to playing 21st placed Woking FC on Saturday at the Shay Stadium.
FC Halifax Town
1 Sam Johnson ©, 2 Tylor Golden, 6 Jamie Stott, 16 Jordan Keane, 12 Jack Evans, 14 Kane Thompson-Sommers, 4 Luke Summerfield (8 Jack Hunter 59), 28 Jack Jenkins (5 Adam Senior 63), 22 Andrew Oluwabori (19 Aaron Cosgrave 82), 17 Max Wright, 27 Adan George
Subs: 20 Jimiel Chikukwa, 21 Tom Wilson
Maidenhead United
13 Craig Ross ©, 2 Zico Asare (24 Alan Massey 74), 3 Sam Beckwith, 5 Kevin Lokko, 8 Ashley Nathaniel-George, 10 Kane Ferdinand (12 Bradley Keetch 67), 14 Tobi Sho-Silva, 16 Casey Pettit, 17 Reece Smith, 20 Remy Clerima, 25 Sam Barratt (9 Shawn McCoulsky 69)
Subs: 21 Chanka Zimba, 27 Charlee Adams
Referee: David Mcnamara
Goals: George 7, Sho-Silva 78, Cosgrave 90 + 8
Yellow Cards: Summerfield 57, Golden 86, Pettit 87, Keane 89, Lokko 90
Red Cards: None
Attendance 1357 (36 away)
FC Halifax Town 2 Maidenhead United 1
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