Maidenhead United had to come from a goal behind, to draw 1-1 with Boreham Wood, at Meadow Park.
Morgan Ferrier opened the scoring inside an exciting first five minutes, when he glided an effort into the top corner, with real power.
Desperate for a reaction, following a 7-1 defeat to Gateshead at the weekend, Maidenhead responded in impressive fashion, when Moses Emmanuel pulled a goal back on the half hour.
Tom Champion came into the midfield in place of Keiran Murtagh, as Alex Davey slotted into the back three and Ricky Shakes came in at left-wing-back.
Bruno Andrade nearly got the Wood off to the perfect start, when he latched onto a long-ball forward inside the area, but he lashed his effort narrowly wide.
Finding himself in a similar position just a minute later, Ferrier would make no such mistake. The forward had seared through the middle of the away defence and spun a sizzling effort around Carl Pentney and into the top corner.
The Magpies had been rattled and it showed, as a shaky back-pass from James Comley struck the chest of Andrade, and nearly caught Pentey off-guard, but he managed to claim the ball.
However, the away side would grow into the game and found confidence as Harold Odametey was released by Ryan Upward, but Jamie Turley charged back to make a timely interception.
On the edge of the Magpies area, Andrade whipped a ball into the box, which curled towards Pentney, but he backtracked to claw from his line.
The subsequent corner was hooked towards goal by Turley, but Sean Marks was able to clear it off his line.
Pritchard came up with his side’s best effort of the opening 25 minutes, when he slid the ball marginally wide of Grant Smith’s goal.
The away side would net the opener just minutes later, after the Wood defence had failed to deal with a goal-line scramble. Several had stabbed the ball away, but Emmanuel crept in at the back post, to head home.
They may have grown into the game, but the Maidenhead backline continued to look nervous, with Marks kneeing behind Davey’s long-throw.
Angelo Balanta met the subsequent corner with his head, but couldn’t steer the effort on target.
Andrade then leapt to meet Kane Smith’s curved cross, but he was beaten to it by the fist of Pentney.
A rare lapse in concentration from the home defence nearly afforded Odametey a golden opportunity, but Turley recovered well to the battle the ball from the forward and pump clear.
A mixture of the goal-scorer Emmanuel and the dangerous Odametey linked up to release Upward, but Smith was down quickly to save the striker’s effort.
Balanta got in-front of his marker to meet Smith’s cross, but his headed effort was blocked wide.
The attacking midfielder then turned provider, as he swept the ball low across the box, but Massey cleared.
Michael Folivi had been brought on to spark the attack into life, and nearly made an instant impact, when he weaved his way through the defence, but when he cut back, he was crowded out and unable to get his shot away.
Smith then had to come to his side’s rescue, after Upward won the ball high up the pitch and drove a shot at the back-peddling stopper, who was able to push wide.
With little of the game left, Andrade’s corner found its way to Mark Ricketts on the edge of the area, but he volleyed over the woodwork.
The Wood: G Smith, K Smith, Ricketts ©, Stephens, Shakes, Champion, Andrade, Turley, Balanta (Folivi 72’), Davey, Ferrier
Subs not used: Woodards, Harfield, Quigley, Doe
Maidenhead United: Pentney, Clerima, Steer, Odametey, Massey ©, Osho, Emmanuel (Hyde 84’), Comley, Marks, Pritchard, Upward
Subs not used: Barratt, Clifton, Goodman, Smith
Goals:
The Wood: Ferrier 4’,
Maidenhead United: Emmanuel 29’
Attendace: 401
