Click here to listen to Glenn's post-match interview.

Prolific marksman Michael Bakare maintained his supreme scoring record and wide man Warren Whitely netted his first goal for the Clarets as City showed no signs of an FA Cup hangover with their 2-0 defeat of strugglers Maidenhead United at Melbourne Stadium.

 

Bakare, who joined from Bishop’s Stortford with a hatful of goals to his name, converted again just after half time and Whitely added a late second as Glenn Pennyfather’s team moved up to fourth in the table. Having exerted so much energy in competing with Football League club Macclesfield Town at the weekend, Pennyfather expressed his delight at the ability of his squad to maintain focus on their domestic targets.

 

“It was a difficult game on the back of the cup tie and the euphoria that went with that,” he summarised. “Tonight was going to be a tough slog for us physically, but mentally as well. The players really responded and gave me everything again. I know there were some tired legs out there and I was delighted with the win and clean sheet.”

 

Bakare had been the only addition to the eleven which took on Macclesfield as Cliff Akurang pulled out with an ankle injury. But it was one of his opposite numbers at the other end who threatened first as Alex Wall was allowed the time and space near the penalty spot to chest down and volley over.

 

Chelmsford then created their own opening and Bakare dribbled into the box on 6 minutes, hesitated when pulling the trigger then warmed the palms of goalkeeper Billy Lumley who had to push the ball over. Shortly afterwards an Aiden Palmer cross was nodded back by Max Cornhill but just out of Kezie Ibe’s reach.

 

The Clarets were supplying their front men with some dangerous deliveries and an 18th-minute Sam Corcoran ball was tantalisingly curled into the goalmouth where his team mates queued up to convert, though Lumley proved equal to Ibe’s eventual stab as he got down to crucially smother. A Cornhill rocket out of nothing from distance also forced the temporarily overworked custodian to collect.

 

Whitely tested Lumley again from long range, the ‘keeper diving to his left to push away, and a Corcoran dead ball saw Cornhill’s flying near-post header career wide. Meanwhile, the Magpies’ caused few concerns to Stuart Searle’s goal as Wall hacked well over near the end of the half, but Chelmsford would need to make an impact on the score sheet before long to avoid being hit by a sucker punch.

 

City’s Manager recalled: “I think we just needed to show a little more quality in vital areas. We were putting some good set plays in and deliveries from free kicks and corners, we just weren’t getting on the end of them and, when we did, we were snatching at things. We got the break through Michael and I was delighted with his second-half performance - it was the best he’s been for us.”

Bakare’s opener arrived just four minutes beyond the break. This time the Clarets did capitalise on a dead ball situation when a left-sided corner found Cornhill, who passed the ball through a crowd of players across the face of goal where Bakare was waiting to pounce and tap low into the back of the net from a few yards out.

 

There was a shortage of breaks after that, although Ibe tried his luck once more and substitute Joe Benjamin advanced into a shooting position where he tested Lumley again. Then, with ten minutes left, Whitely was in space as the play was worked from left to right and he set himself on the edge of the box before ramming low through the body of the exposed Maidenhead ‘keeper to seal the victory.

In the final few minutes, Lumley got down to his right to push away a dipping Corcoran free kick, the same player screeched wide from distance and Benjamin again struck along the floor following some excellent footwork by Bakare on the left. Chelmsford had little to do in defence and Glenn was pleased to record the three points.

 

He concluded: “I was really pleased for Warren to get the second. It rounded off another hard-working performance from him and I know he was very tired - he was out on his feet at the end. But they [the players] give you everything and that’s the honesty that they show, which is vital if we’re to do anything.”

 

City:

 

1 Stuart Searle

2 Justin Miller

3 Aiden Palmer

4 Adam Tann (C)

5 Kenny Clark

6 Craig Parker

7 Warren Whitely

8 Sam Corcoran

9 Kezie Ibe

10 Max Cornhill

11 Michael Bakare

 

12 Joe Benjamin (On for Parker, 64)

14 Jermaine Brown

15 Mark Haines

16 Ben Nunn (On for Miller, 74)

17 Tyrone Scarlett

 

Maidenhead United: Billy Lumley, Bobby Behzadi, Leon Solomon, Daniel Brown, Marcus Rose (Devonte McCain, 82), Mark Nisbet (C), Martel Powell (Jermaine Hinds, 86), Paul Semakula, Alex Wall, Reece Tison-Lascaris (Manny Williams, 82), Max Worsford. Unused Substitutes: Anthony Thomas, Jordan Clement.

 

Bookings: City: Bakare (73, unsporting behaviour). Maidenhead: Behzadi (73, unsporting behaviour).

 

Referee: Ryan Atkin.

 

Assistant Referees: Sam Lewis and Andrew Aylott.

 

Attendance: 704.

 

City Man of the Match: Sam Corcoran.