Any worries that City would produce an “after the lord mayor’s show” type performance following last week’s FA Cup heroics were quickly dispelled as City raced into a three goal lead, subsequently demolishing Maidenhead, with Dave Sadler and Robbie Simpson grabbing a brace apiece in a 5-1 romp.

There was only one absentee from the City line-up from the previous week. Lee Summerscales came in for Lee Chaffey who suffered knee ligiament damage against Leigh last weekend. Having had his operation on Friday, the City defender hopes to be back in contention in around eight weeks.

Eyes on the ball - Dale Binns and Brian Connor

There was little to choose between the sides during the opening quarter of an hour on a very cold and damp afternoon in Berkshire. Lanky striker Simon Patterson was first to show for the home side, firing the ball high over the bar when well placed. Dale Binns responded for City, heading Richard Scott’s free-kick a couple of feet over the bar. Maidenhead again threatened when the ball broke for busy striker Craig O’Connor. he cut inside and made space for a shot. Matt Langston produced a fine block that provided Duncan Roberts with a simple catch as the ball ballooned skywards. That was as good as it got for the home side as City took control with a devastating double strike.

With seventeen minutes on the clock City produced a move that cut through the home side. Scott picked up the ball in centre field, his raking pass finding Simpson who turned and played a slide-rule ball into the run of Rob Miller who had made a good supporting run. His cross found Sadler who threw Andy Goldman in the home goal a dummy before slotting home.

A minute later and City doubled their advantage. Receiving the ball on the left touchline, Binns cut infield at speed leaving his marker Daryl Elford for dead. Spotting Simpson in space on the edge of the area, he played a perfectly weighted pass with the outside of his foot, Simpson spun and in the blink of an eye placed a cracking shot past the dive of Goldman.

With City’s defence imperious against the home attack and their passing football making light of a very wet pitch, it looked only a matter of time before they added to the scoreline. They did exactly that just after the half hour mark with the best goal of the game. Scott played a one-two with Miller before setting Summerscales away on the left. City’s full-back delivered a glorious cross to the back post where Carl Williams arrived to volley home past a stunned Goldman who failed to even produce a token dive as the ball whistled past him.

Maidenhead really had no answers as City attacked at will. A quick throw from Sadler sent Simpson steaming in on goal easily outpacing centre back Rob Parris. Fortunately for the Magpies, Goldman was on hand to beat way the strikers effort at the near-post at the expense of a corner. From the flag kick Binns hit a low shot that lacked any real power and Goldman got down to gather comfortably.

City continued to force the pace and Simpson and Sadler combined to good effect after thirty seven minutes, Sadler producing a dangerous cross that Goldman could only divert into the penalty area, luckily for Maidenhead the ball evaded an inrushing Williams and the defence scrambled the ball away.

Simpson gets well above the home defence

Just before the interval, Sadler was again involved as his excellent awareness saw him head a long clearance expertly into the path of Binns who was surging up the wing. The former Hendon man produced a lovely cross that looked to have picked out Sadler, however, he was denied a scoring chance as Paris got the slightest of touches on the ball to divert it way.

Maidenhead upped their workrate after the break but it was City who still looked the most likely to add to the scoring.

Williams was denied a second goal soon after the restart by the referee’s whistle. Simpson’s run past two hard tackles gave him the chance to play in Craig Pope on the right. Pope delivered into the box where Goldman attempted to gather at full stretch, colliding with Williams as he did so, the ball ran free and was popped into the net by the City winger only to see it chalked off for a foul on the ‘keeper. Minutes later and good possession football from City saw Scott provide Williams with another opportunity, this time, his shot flashed narrowly wide.

City eased off a little after this and allowed Maidenhead to get forward and a long ball down the middle caught out the City back-line for the first time in the afternoon. Elford nearly profited from it but Summerscales was on hand to nick the ball off the winger’s toe as he looked to have got the better of Matt Langston.

On the hour, the home side created their first true opening since the early minutes of the first half. O’Connor picked out the run of Patterson as he splatted down the by now, waterlogged centre of the pitch, as he bore down on goal he elected to try and lob the imposing figure of Roberts, it was the wrong choice, and the City ‘keeper gleefully plucked the ball out of the night sky with little trouble.

Stung into action, City hit back sixty seconds later. Breaking quickly upfield as another home attack floundered, Binns arrowed a pinpoint cross onto the head of Simpson who powered a header onto the crossbar. Somehow, the home defence managed to prevent first Sadler then Simpson from netting as the loose ball pinged around the penalty area.

City didn’t have long to wait to put the game well beyond any thoughts of a comeback, adding a fourth after 63 minutes. Maidenhead’s defenders stood watching as Scott’s free-kick dropped at the feet of Sadler, the former Hinckley hitman taking full advantage to sweep the ball home from close in.

Sadler controls the ball before scoring his second of the day

Binns was a problem to the home side all afternoon and this was underlined as he created another chance with pure electrifying pace as City broke to good effect. Brian Smith looked as though he was going backwards as Binns excellerated away before crossing low to Sadler who appeared to be felled by Kelvin McIntosh in the area, play continued and Simpson saw his shot from 12 yards turned behind by Goldman.

Soon after, Sadler left the field to generous applause from the travelling fans to be replaced by fit again Jon Stevenson as Gary Roberts began to ring the changes, City seemingly home and dry. The nap hand was completed in the 70th minute and it was Binns pace that was again instrumental. Racing upfield after McIntosh had seen his shot charged down, Maidenhead were caught short handed at the back and it was a simple task to find Simpson who had no trouble beating the advancing Goldman. Simpson then departed to be replaced by academy starlet Michael Gash.

Strangely, at five goals down, Maidenhead seemed to be spurred into producing their best spell of the game culminating in them finally getting on the scoresheet from the penalty spot, Brendan Gallen sending Roberts the wrong way after Smith had been upended by Glen Fuff. Lifted by the goal, the home side hit the post two minutes later through O’Connor, Smith curling the loose ball a yard wide of the far post. Was an unlikely comeback on the cards? well, no, and it was City who almost had the final word with Stevenson getting behind the by now very tired home defenders before forcing Goldman into a superb save to turn the striker’s attempted lob behind.

Barrie Matthews woeful free-kick with seconds left that sailed out of the ground provided the final action of the day and emphasised the kind of day Maidenhead had endured as they remained second bottom of the league. City on the other hand moved up to equal fourth, keeping touch with the leading teams in the division as they head into two weeks of cup distraction.