Maidstone United’s Academy side showed their character to fight back from a goal down to equalise in the last 5 minutes of normal time, then emerged victorious from a penalty shootout to take their place in the Final of the Football Conference Youth Alliance League Cup.

Charley Robertson’s penalty had given the Stones’ a half-time lead, but Ilkeston dominated the second period to turn the game around with two goals in 4 minutes.  Dan Parkinson rounded off Maidstone’s best passing move of the game with just 5 minutes left, and with neither team able to create a clear chance in the eight minutes of stoppage time, the game would be decided by the lottery of a shootout.

Robertson hit the bar with Maidstone’s first attempt, but Will Godmon pulled off 2 saves to ensure that almost identically successful spotkicks from Ollie Lee, Lee Pleau and Parkinson gave the Stones’ a 3-1 lead.  Godmon went the right way on Ilkeston’s fourth penalty, which hit the outside of the left post to decide the contest.

Academy manager, Jack Parkinson, looked a relieved man, as he said “I thought we did OK.  First half we controlled the game for a twenty minute spell, but second half we’ve not got hold of the game and allowed them to get back in it.  There were three or four individuals who didn’t perform to their best, and whereas we can normally rely on Charley, Gary and Josh (Robertson, Smith and Wolley), for some reason it didn’t happen today.  They are young lads, but it’s pleasing that we are through to the final.”

“I thought we should have had a penalty before for a foul on Charley, but for the one awarded, at every corner you get pushing and shoving, at every set-piece.  I thought it was harsh, but the referee was close enough to see what happened.”

“We’ve had a few lads play last night (in Maidstone’s 6-0 win over Grays Athletic in the Ryman League Cup).  Jack Sullivan has played the 90 minutes, Dan (Parkinson) and Charley played about 45 each, and that was Rossy’s (Bassan) for 90 minutes for about 6 weeks, so we were starting to look a bit leggy.  I felt we could tighten it up in midfield, but that seemed to be one that didn’t work when the shape changed a bit.”

“We’ve played some good sides this year, but take nothing away from Ilkeston, they are a very powerful side and had more than a few good players.  They were very lively on the counter attack and caused us a few problems at times.  But we’re into the final now, and as long as they learn from this, I’ll be happy.”

“We’ve had 3 penalty shootouts this year, and I’m a believer that I want five to come over to me.  I’m not going to choose who takes them.  It’s strange that if you score a penalty in the game, you invariably miss during the shootout, but Will has pulled off two very good saves.”

As Parkinson stated, Ilkeston proved a constant threat on the counter-attack and had the first clear chance of the game as Ashley Long took too long to play the ball wide, was robbed by Rai Simons.  Simons picked up the ball in the area, but was held up by Stones’ keeper Will Godmon, forcing the Ilkeston forward to play the ball back to his strike partner Ryan Osborne.  By the time Osborne could get his shot away, Godmon was back in between the posts and cleared with his right foot.

It took Maidstone over ten minutes to settle, but once they started getting Charley Robertson on the ball, the chances came.  Robertson fed the ball wide to Dan Johnson, who swung a cross into the Ilkeston area.  Ross Bassan found space between two of the three central defenders, but glanced his header wide.

Robertson then received a ball surrounded by three Ilkeston players just outside the area.  Quick footwork saw him beat all three, drive into the area past a further challenge, but his pullback just evaded Gary Smith’s late run.

Jordy Robbins floated a ball into the area, where Smith headed back towards the penalty spot, where Bassan’s volley was blocked by the legs of Ilkeston keeper Ryan Swift.

It looked as though Maidstone may pay for not taking their chances while on top, as Ilkeston had a period of concerted pressure.  The Stones’ defence was sleeping as a low freekick was drilled along the 6-yard line.  Osborne was first to react, but miskicked, and Godmon was able to gather ahead of Jack Holt.

Gary Smith’s direct running almost brought the opener, as Akil Wright’s clearance was smashed against the Stones’ forward, and with Swift well off his line, the Ilkeston keeper was relieved to see the rebound skim off the top of the bar.

Good play down the left allowed Curtis Burrows to play a deep cross into the Maidstone area, where Luke Shaw drifted in unmarked to place a header at Godmon.  But the Stones’ keeper was a spectator moments later as Osborne latched onto Shaw’s cross and smashed a volley off the face of the crossbar.

Maidstone took the lead with three minutes of the half remaining, but it seemed to be a somewhat harsh decision, as Josh Wolley went to ground under a challenge from Ilkeston’s skipper, Akil Wright.  The referee pointed to the spot to the visitor’s dismay, and Robertson stepped up to place his kick into the top left corner, giving Swift little chance.

Moments later, Robertson used the wind to curl a corner onto the Ilkeston crossbar, but no-one was able to react to convert the rebound.

Maidstone made a chance at the break, with Sam Flisher replacing Jordy Robbins, but as the heaven’s opened, it was the visitors who gained the upper hand.  Just after the hour, a straight ball from Jake Carlisle caught the back four napping and Simons had time to bring the ball down in the area.  He clipped a shot goalwards, only to find that Godmon had advanced quickly and the chance was cleared.

Simons was instrumental in Ilkeston’s equaliser, picking the ball up on the right wing and, holding off three challenges, raced towards the area, where he was blocked off by Ollie Lee.  Callum Chettle curled the resulting freekick into the box, where it was headed to the edge, only for Che Adams to hit a volley into the ground, but with enough force to get through the crowd and beat Godmon low to his right.

With Ilkeston dominating play, Maidstone’s defence stopped expecting a whistle for a foul on Osborne, allowing Simons to drive into the box and square the ball for substitute Goran Seymour to slide home; knocking the goal from its mounting in the process.

Osborne had a chance to seal the game with 10 minutes left, as another straight ball from the back split the Maidstone defence.  Osborne raced through to the edge of the box and flicked the ball past Godmon, only to see it curl agonisingly past the post.

Jack Sullivan attempted a long-range effort, but Maidstone levelled matters with their best passing move of the game.  Robertson, Smith and Bassan combined to move the ball across the front of the Ilkeston penalty area, where Dan Parkinson swivelled to fire his shot beyond Swift into the bottom right corner.

Ilkeston had a glorious chance to steal the match, as the visitors capitalised on Maidstone uncertainty following a substitution.  Simons, who was by far the best player on the pitch, had a shot from the edge of the box, only for Lee to get a touch to deflect the effort away for a corner.

And so to penalties!  Robertson stepped up first, but his spot-kick was a few inches too high as it crashed back off the face of the bar.  Godmon kept things level saving low to his right from Chettle.  Lee, Pleau and Parkinson all stroked confident penalties to the right side of the goal, with Swift going the wrong way, while Godmon pulled off an equally good save flying to his left to deny Seymour.  Simons scored Ilkeston’s third kick, but at 3-1, Luke Shaw saw his effort hit the outside of the left post, although Godmon had guessed the right way.

Maidstone’s Academy have now surpassed last season’s efforts, which saw them lose at the semi-final stage, and now await the winners the matches between Southampton (Sparsholt) and Colchester United, who also met today, and Eastbourne Borough.  Parkinson admitted “we’re all second-years this year.  Last year we maybe overachieved a bit, but now we wanted to get to the final and its been a great effort, and the boys have something to look forward to.”

“The problem we’ve had this year is that it’s been stop-start as we’ve had so many boys with the first team and it’s been hard to get all the boys together.  We had a few of them speak before the game and they said this could be the last chance to win something as a youth team, and this is one competition we haven’t won.”

MAIDSTONE UNITED: Will Godmon, Jack Sullivan, Dan Johnson, Dan Parkinson, Ollie Lee, Ashley Long, Jordy Robbins (Sam Flisher 46), Charley Robertson, Gary Smith, Ross Bassan (Lee Pleau 88), Josh Woolley (Ben Swift 72).

Subs not used: Aiden Hayes, Josh Algar.

Goals: Charley Robertson 42 (pen), Dan Parkinson 85.

ILKESTON: Ryan Swift, Luke Shaw, Curtis Burrows, Akil Wright, Jake Carlisle, Jack Holt, Elliott Tomlinson (Goran Seymour 59), Callum Chettle, Ryan Osborne, Rai Simons, Che Adams.

Subs not used: Harry Williams, Callum Chapman-Paige, Karum Shackar, Ben Townsend.

Goals: Che Adams 67, Goran Seymour 73.

Bookings: Ryan Osborne 26, Rai Simons 45.

Referee: Mr Ian Southgate
Assistants: Mr Nick Cornwell and Mr Alex Gray