By Adam May

Maidenhead United will be preparing their team for the crucial crunch match with 13th-placed Chelmsford City when they make the trip from Berkshire to Melbourne Stadium this Saturday (3:00pm KO).

Due to a spate of recent postponements, this will remarkably see the Clarets play for the first time in seventeen-days.

During that time two matches have been postponed – against FA Trophy semi-finalists Gosport Borough and Basingstoke Town respectively – which will allow the Clarets to enter this match invigorated and energised as a result of the lay-off.

City will be without skipper Mark Hughes however as he begins the first of his five-match suspension.

Hughes, 30, was given a three-match ban after being sent off by referee Lloyd Wood in the club’s most recent match – a 2-1 defeat by promotion chasers Ebbsfleet United.

In addition to this the former Barnet and Northern Ireland international picked up his tenth booking of the season in that same match which is an automatic two-match ban.

His ban ends on the 4th March when City travel to Bishop’s Stortford in a re-arranged fixture.

The weekend’s visitors have found life tough in the Skrill South so far this season and find themselves occupying the final relegation spot in 20th place.

They have recorded 22 points from 23 games, although a win against Chelmsford this weekend could do the world of good for Johnson Hippolyte, the Magpies’ manager, as his side have three games in hand on 21st placed Dorchester Town who only sit a single point behind Maidenhead.

The Magpies’ latest match saw them lose 2-0 to Dover Athletic and the visitors will be looking to bounce back from that defeat this weekend in a bid to beat the drop.