Casey Pettit opened the scoring after 14 minutes when he turned Will De Havilland’s knockdown beyond Pete Jameson and, while Callum Cooke handed Pools a lifeline when he volleyed home the equaliser six minutes into the second half, goals from Sam Beckwith and substitute Shawn McCoulsky ensured the three points stayed down south.
Here are 10 things we learned from Tuesday’s encounter:
1. Pools have a long way to go
Kevin Phillips has never shied away from the fact that he is planning an overhaul of his squad this summer, and he reiterated that on Tuesday night. The Pools bench was decidedly bare in Berkshire, and Phillips will need to add quality as well as quantity if his side are to be successful next season. Photo: Mark Fletcher
2. Pools were "outbattled" in Berkshire
Phillips felt Maidenhead wanted it more than his side, which is perhaps unsurprising given that the Magpies needed a win before they could feel totally safe from the threat of relegation. Photo: Mark Fletcher
3. Pools are not watertight at the back
Despite some excellent defensive performances since Phillips took charge, including three successive home clean sheets, the midweek defeat served as a reminder that Pools still have some vulnerabilities at the back. Tom Parkes and Luke Waterfall are better suited to battling with a target man than fending off a more fluid front line, such as those they came up against at Gateshead and Maidenhead. While Pools have been pretty good at dealing with set-pieces, two goals conceded from corners suggests there is still more work to be done. Photo: Frank Reid
4. Stephenson shows more promise but still has a lot to learn
It would be extremely harsh to expect the teenage full-back to be anywhere near the finished article. He was given a torrid time by Maidenhead's Sam Barratt and almost gifted the Magpies a goal when he had his pocket picked just before the break but responded well and made Callum Cooke's equaliser with a blistering run down the right flank. Photo: Frank Reid