Maidstone United Ambers added the Football Conference Youth Alliance League Cup to their Kent/Sussex Division title with a 3-0 victory over league rivals Eastbourne Borough at Crawley.

That made it three wins out of three against Eastbourne, scoring nine unanswered goals in the process.

The Ambers made the breakthrough when Jack Leighton fired home from the corner of the 6-yard box on 18, and put the game beyond their Sussex opponents by the break with 2 goals in three minutes.

Gary Smith glanced home a header on 37 to double the lead, then Dan Parkinson’s drive was turned through his own net by Richie Welch on 40 to end the game as a contest; the Stones’ midfielder was claiming the goal as his 25th of the season.

Credit has to go to the defensive pairing of Ashley Long and Billy Woon, aided by the holding midfielder Aidan Hayes, who virtually nullified the 30-goal Eastbourne strikers Olutobi Adebayo-Rowling (10) and Dean Bown (20), who had a frustrating half.

Eastbourne did threaten to make a comeback in the second period, but apart from one stunning save from Will Godmon, the Maidstone defence rarely allowed the opposition into their area, restricting Eastbourne to long range efforts.

For Academy manager, Jack Parkinson, who also led Maidstone’s Under-21 side to their Ryman League title last week, this result has capped a memorable season.

He explained “I couldn’t be more proud of the boys tonight; they’ve been a real pleasure to work with.  The effort and commitment they’ve put in, even tonight when things weren’t going so well, was outstanding; they really pulled together.”

“I am very ambitious, sometimes this can come across as arrogance, but we want to get the message across to the boys that we want to try to win things and develop players for the first team; it’s not just a case of developing players, more developing winners.”

“We wanted to win our Conference division; we wanted to go after this Cup having been beaten in the semi last year, and the Under 21’s has been a fantastic achievement given the turnover of players we’ve had.”

“More important though, we’ve had Charley, Jack, and Dan playing regularly for the first team; DJ (Dan Johnson) and Lee (Pleau) playing regular first team football.  It’s been a fantastic effort from all the boys, an outstanding achievement, and I’m going to make sure those lads fulfil their ability.”

“We knew, from the League games, that they were a side we could get at if we had a fast start, and it showed early on.  It is a final, so naturally the boys were nervous in the first ten minutes and we gave the ball away quite a lot.  As soon as we scored the first goal, they seemed to go, and I thought it would be a matter of time before we extended the lead.”

“We thought a key part of tonight would be to get Charley (Robertson) on the ball, and the one time he really delivered for Gary’s goal, and it was a fantastic header.  Jack did well on his goal; a good interception and one hell of a finish.”

“We tried to get into the boys at half-time today, as when we played them in the league, we were four up and the second half was dreadful.  We’ve had games when we’ve been a bit sloppy, passes going astray, so the message was that we’d done well to be in front, but they had nothing to lose.  Will’s made an amazing save at one point and the boys haven’t switched off, so I’m really pleased with the clean sheet.”

Eastbourne showed an early threat on the counter attack inside 45 seconds as Dean Bown’s ball forward cut out Jack Sullivan allowing Max Taylor to charge to the by-line.  Tobias Clifford, running across the area from the right wing met Taylor’s cut back, but he tried a shot with the wrong foot and it was screwed wide.

Left back Dan Johnson should have opened the scoring in the fourth minute, finding himself in acres of space in the middle of the Eastbourne area to meet Charley Robertson’s freekick, but Johnson’s header down into the ground was pushed behind by Daniel Hutchins.

Maidstone had an uncomfortable moment from a Sam Smith freekick, as Aidan Hayes headed the delivery up into the air.  Will Godmon had to be strong to catch the ball at the angle of post and bar under pressure from two Borough forwards.

The Ambers opened their account in the 18th minute through lone striker Jack Leighton, who capitalised on a calamitous error from Eastbourne skipper, Ryan Worrall.  The central defender tried to clip a ball forward from deep in his own half, which allowed Leighton to intercept.  The Maidstone forward drove into the area, twice twisted past Worrall before firing a low shot across goal and in at the far post for his second goal in three Ambers’ appearances.

The game drifted along after the goal, but the evening was lit up by two goals in three minutes to apparently take Maidstone out of sight.  On 37, Robertson ghosted past Zack Kavanagh on the left wing and floated a cross into the middle of the Eastbourne area, where Gary Smith found a yard of space off his marker to glance a header over Hutchins’ despairing dive for his 15th of the season.

Three minutes later, Robertson played a corner back to Dan Parkinson 25 yards out.  Parkinson’s low drive seemed to be heading for the bottom left corner, but took a wicked deflection off Richie Welch’s leg, up and over Hutchins and in off the bar.

Jordy Robbins had a chance to make it four before the break against a disheartened Borough side.  Robertson skipped past a lunging challenge from Kavanagh, played a one-two with Billy Woon and set up the chance for Robbins, 16 yards out, but Robbins’ effort flew over the Bruce Winfield Stand.

Facing a three-goal deficit, Eastbourne’s manager must have had some strong words at the interval, as Borough came out with a greater intent in the first ten minutes of the second half.  Some sloppy play in the middle of the field allowed Olatobi Adebayo-Rowling to slip the ball through to Dean Bown.  Woon did well to force Bown wide and his shot flew wide of the left post.

This seemed to lift the Sussex side and within 60 seconds, Ieuan Strong was given too much time to waltz forward and fire in a shot that skimmed the bar.  Then, Max Taylor was given freedom to curl a shot goalward, which Will Godmon handled comfortably.

The Maidstone keeper was grateful for the woodwork coming to his aid on 56, as Sam Smith found space on the edge of the box from Elliot Levy’s cross and curled an effort over Godmon but off the face of the bar.

Just past the hour, Leighton forced Hutchins to palm his header behind, then Robertson had a volley blocked by Kavanagh as Maidstone looked to get a foothold in the half.

Godmon kept his clean sheet intact with a stunning one-handed save on 70.  Smith had time to measure a cross for substitute Alex Laing (only on the field for 3 minutes), whose first touch was a powerful header towards the top corner; only for Godmon to arch high to his left to tip the ball over the bar.

For the last 20 minutes, Maidstone seemed content to sit back and restrict Eastbourne’s attacking threat.  Alex Laing, from a 35-yard freekick; Henri Mepsted, with an overhead kick and shot from the corner of the area, and Ryan Worrall, also from distance, all had efforts at the Maidstone goal, but rarely did the Sussex side truly threaten Will Godmon’s deserved clean sheet.

EASTBOURNE BOROUGH: Daniel Hutchins, Zack Kavanagh (Henri Mepsted 73), Samuel Smith, Ryan Worrall (c), Richie Welch, Ieuan Strong, Tobias Clifford (Elliot Levy 54), Alexander Clarke, Olutobi Adebayo-Rowling, Dean Bown, Max Taylor (Alex Laing 67).

Subs not used: Wayne Giles, Baillie Rogers, Alexander Read, Harrison Hilfiker.

MAIDSTONE UNITED AMBERS: Will Godmon, Jack Sullivan (c), Daniel Johnson, Aidan Hayes (Ross Bassan 57), Ashley Long, Billy Woon, Jordy Robbins (Lee Pleau 76), Daniel Parkinson, Jack Leighton (Liam King 86), Gary Smith, Charley Robertson.

Subs not used: Sam Flisher, Harris Rodgers, Josh Wolley, Jamie Kelly.

Goals: Jack Leighton 18, Gary Smith 37, Dan Parkinson 40,

Attendance: 303
Referee: Mr Paul Howard
Assistants: Mr Jason Howard and Mr Chris North
Fourth Official: Mr Michael Webb