Holyport vs Maidenhead

Holyport's goal early in the second half could have sparked a different narrative, but Maidenhead's response was instant. Ragguette's finish from a tight angle within minutes of the restart killed any momentum the hosts had built, restoring the two-goal buffer and effectively ending the contest.

• Trialist A — opened the scoring with an excellent half-volley and won the penalty. The trialist's movement and finishing across the two pre-season games so far will have given manager Ryan Peters plenty to consider.
• Josh Coley — missed a penalty but immediately produced a moment of quality with a pinpoint assist for Pendlebury's goal. His willingness to take responsibility after the miss was notable.
• Alfie Pendlebury — followed up his goal against MK Dons (10 July) with another well-taken finish here. The forward is building momentum in pre-season.
• Dan Nkrumah — opened his account for the club with a simple tap-in, exactly the kind of poacher's finish a striker wants early in a new chapter.

Maidenhead's 4–1 win follows the same pattern as their previous outing against MK Dons — plenty of goals at both ends. The Magpies created four clear-cut chances and converted them all bar the penalty miss. Holyport, playing a division or more below their visitors, had their moment with a second-half goal but were unable to sustain pressure. The 2–0 half-time scoreline accurately reflected Maidenhead's first-half dominance, and the eventual 4–1 margin was a fair reflection of the gap in quality.

This was Maidenhead's first win of pre-season after a 4–1 loss to MK Dons on 10 July. Manager Ryan Peters will have valued the 90-minute run-out and the spread of goalscorers, with Ragguette and Nkrumah joining the scoresheet alongside Trialist A and Pendlebury. The Magpies face Southampton U21 at York Road on Saturday, 18 July (3pm KO) in their next pre-season fixture.

Holyport, who play in the Combined Counties League Premier Division North (Step 5 of the English pyramid), used the fixture as valuable preparation for their upcoming league campaign. The hosts have now lost all three meetings with Maidenhead across all competitions since 2022.

A routine pre-season workout for Maidenhead against lower-league opposition. The Magpies were clinical in attack and, barring a brief wobble at the start of the second half, controlled the game comfortably. The penalty miss and the conceded goal offer small talking points for the coaching staff, but the broader picture is one of building fitness and sharpness ahead of the National League South season.