Maidstone suffered another home defeat when Solihull turned up & completely outplayed them to give them their second away victory of the season and on an artificial pitch.

Solihull came to Maidstone having not scored an away goal for 463 minutes so most people would have had a home win but they came here & buried that hatchet and could have had more whilst for Maidstone it was a bad day at the office & up to now had only won one in seven at home.

The game started with Solihull on the front foot & in the 3^rd minute Jamey Osborne moving forward saw his 20 yard shot deflected for a corner.  Ten minutes later Akwasi Asante saw his shot pushed around the post by Lee Worgan, he would later be a hat trick hero.

A minute later Ben Greenhalgh saw his 20 yard shot deflected but Nathan Vaughan saved it, then in the 20^th minute Maidstone took the lead against the run of play when Greenhalgh’s cross from the left found Liam Enver-Marum 5 yards out & his shot was pushed away by Vaughan but Enver-Marum reacted quickly & stabbed home.

In the next minute Greenhalgh tried his luck from 20 yards but it was saved by Vaughan. In the 26^th minute Moors deservedly equalised when Osborne on the right crossed to the back post where Omari Sterling-James was & his exquisite volley beat Worgan. Moors continues to attack and in the 30^th minute Asanti latched onto another poor pass from Maidstone and from 20 yards cut inside & saw his shot go past the post. Moors took the lead in the 33^rd minute when Dan Sweeney trying to run out of his own area was closed down by Asanti and fouled him and a penalty was given, up stepped Asanti who stepped up & took the penalty putting it in the bottom left hand corner.

Moors were now in total control & in the 37^th minute Sterling-James saw his free kick from 25 yards go just wide but in the next minute they increased their lead when Osborne’s through ball sent Asanti  in to the area & he coolly slotted the ball past Worgan.  Two minutes later and Maidstone found a lifeline when Greenhalgh’s free kick right by the right corner was swept into the near post where Sweeney was & his powerful header hit the back of the net.

In the 42^nd minute Captain Ryan Beswick tried his luck from 25 yards forcing Worgan to push it away. In the last three minutes including added time Maidstone peppered the Moors goal, firstly Jack Evans slid the ball through for Bobby-Joe Taylor whose shot from an acute angle was pushed over the bar by Vaughan, then from the corner Jamie Coyle saw his downward header come back of the post & in the very last minute of the half Greenhalgh 20 yards saw his shot take a wicked deflection and go out for a corner. Halt time arrived & Jay Saunders would have impressed on his side to keep the ball better & press higher whilst Marcus Bignott would ask for more of the same.

The second half saw Maidstone come out with a little more belief & Substitute Jack Paxman saw his shot from 20 yards fly past the post. Moors had their chances in the 52^nd and 53^rd minute when firstly Connor Franklin had a shot go wide of the post & then a corner to the near post saw Franklin’s header go just wide.

In the 58^th minute Taylor & Yemi Odubade combined leaving Taylor in the area & his shot went whizzing past the post. The game was getting stretched as both sides went for it, as in the 60^th minute Evans saw his free kick on the edge of the area easily saved by Vaughan. In the next minute Enver-Marum on the right cut inside and his shot was saved.

Moors increased their lead in the 63^rd minute when Asanti latched onto a loose pass & raced into the area before shooting past Worgan for his Hat Trick. Maidstone had it all to do and in the 66^th minute another Greenhalgh free kick found Coyle on the back post but his header went over the bar.

In the 72^nd minute Asanti received the ball from Osborne and tried his luck from 20 yards but it went just past the post. Time was running out for Maidstone and it seemed they were never going to score again, in the 77^th minute Enver-Marum cross to the back post found Nathan Mavila whose volley from 8 yards was pushed away by Vaughan.

A minute later it could have been five when Shepherd Murombedzi’s cross to the back post saw Sterling-James’s header from 2 yards superbly pushed around the post for a corner by Worgan. In the 81^st minute Maidstone had a penalty claim turned down when Odubade slid the ball through for Mavila who cut inside & his shot from 15 yards was blocked with everyone shouting for a penalty but the referee shook his head. The final whistle went & Moors celebrated a great victory which was well deserved.

maidstone:

1. worgan 3. t.mills  4. j.coyle  5. k.lokko  6. j.rogers (45)  8.d.sweeney  12. j.evans (70)  16. b-j taylor
2. b.greenhalgh (75) 23. y.odubade  24. l.emver-marum

subs used:   10. j.paxman (45)  25. n.mavila (70)  9. j.may (75)

subs not used:  14. t.murphy  15. a.acheampong

bookings:  6. j.rogers (36)  8.d.sweeney (68)  23. y.odubade (81)  10. j.paxman (90+1) 4. j.coyle (90+3)

16. b-j taylor (90+4)

solihull moors:

23. n.vaughan 2. s.murombedzi 3. c.franklin  4.  l.daly  6. j.gough  7. a.asante (82)  8.j.byrne
24. r.beswick 15. j.fagbola 20. j.osborne  22. o.sterling-james (85)

subs used:   19. h.white (82)  11. d.knights (85)

bookings:  none

referee:  mr a.young

assistants:  mr p.lister & mr a.parker

4^th official: mr o.jackson