Liam Dulson gave the Magpies the lead in a first half dominated by the home side, and despite Worthing taking the upper hand after half time, Maidenhead did just enough to keep the points in Berkshire.

Interim manager Dean Hammond made one change to the side that started in last Saturday’s FA Cup victory over Wimborne Town; Sam Packham, who scored in the 3-1 win, took Odei’s place in the starting eleven.

Maidenhead enjoyed the better of the first quarter of an hour, with Magpies captain Matt Robinson firing the first effort of the game safely into the hands of Seb Stacey from distance after four minutes.

The hosts’ dominant start would soon come to avail for Alan Devonshire, as his side took the lead in the 23rd minute.

A wayward pass into midfield from Stacey was picked up just outside the box by Maidenhead, with Dulson cutting inside from the left before hitting a right-footed strike past the Worthing ‘keeper.

Maidenhead nearly had a second just after the half hour mark when Josh Popoola nodded Remy Clerima’s free-kick delivery back across goal from the left side of the box, but the effort landed wide of Stacey’s left hand post.

The Rebels, not helped by the strong wind blowing against them in the first 45 minutes, were limited in theirc attacking threat for the vast majority of the first period, with only a handful of unmet crosses from Nicky Wheeler providing Worthing an entry into the Maidenhead box.

Dean Hammond’s side immediately looked brighter after the restart, getting the ball forward easier with the wind now in their favour. Jack Spong was not far from finding a leveller in the 53rd minute, curling a speculative left-footed shot from the edge of the area just wide of Jordi van Stappershoef’s right hand upright.

Scorer of Maidenhead’s opener, Dulson, came close to doubling the home side’s advantage in the 60th minute, slaloming inside from the left-flank before arrowing a strike wide of Stacey’s top left corner.

The first of two significant moments of contention in the second half came in the 70th minute, as a short back pass was intercepted by Matt Burgess inside the Maidenhead box.

Trying to round Van Stappershoef, Burgess went to ground prompting penalty shouts from the Worthing contingent, however referee Scott Simpson adjudged Burgess to fall foul of simulation and gave a free-kick to the hosts.

With tensions raised on the touchline heading into the closing stages, Worthing’s comeback effort was dealt a huge blow as Harry Ransom was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Popoola in front of the dugouts.

Having deliberated on whether to initially award the foul, Simpson eventually gave the free-kick in Maidenhead’s favour, subsequently reducing the Rebels to ten.

In the final action of the game, substitute Anointed Chukwu saw another penalty shout waved away by the referee, again going down after attempting to take the ball around the goalkeeper just outside the six-yard box.

A disappointing outcome in the end for the travelling Rebels who battled hard in the second half to restore parity, however could not find the equaliser as the hosts continued their blistering league form.

Worthing are in back in action on Tuesday night as we travel to Jarvis Brook in the Sussex Transport Senior Cup/