Catch up with all the latest match reports from Maidstone Hockey Club.

Match Reports – Saturday 22 October
Men’s 1s
Home v High Wycombe
Score:  L  1-3  (Iain Brine)
Post denies Maidstone in hard fought battle
Maidstone 1st XI were unlucky not to take away at least a point from their second home game of the season against High Wycombe.
Maidstone started brightly and exhibited real optimism in their movement on and off the ball as they sought to break down the Wycombe defence. Using the flanks well Maidstone had some good attacking possession but the final finish was again lacking. Throughout the first half both teams worked hard and protected their D’s well giving little opportunity for either team to break the deadlock. Despite this both teams did manage to win short corners providing both with their best chances of the half. Maidstone squandered theirs with poorly executed routines whereas High Wycombe didn’t, a well placed drag flick finding the bottom right of the Maidstone goal. However Maidstone kept working hard and didn’t let their heads drop as they reached half time a goal down but easily matching High Wycombe’s hockey.
Maidstone had their best spell of the game at the start of the second half as they dominated the match for 15 minutes, moving the ball swiftly and creating space throughout the pitch. Some sustained pressure from Maidstone inevitably led to short corners and this time they struck goal with a well executed drag flick from Iain Brine. Maidstone continued to press and were unlucky not to take the lead from another short corners after Will Hutchins rocket hit the left post before bouncing to safety. A real turning point in the game High Wycombe seemed to sense that luck was with them and upped their intensity. A suddenly tired Maidstone still pressing for a winner again became susceptible to counter attack. Despite a man of the match performance from defender and Captain Nick Leatherbarrow Maidstone let the game slip as High Wycombe punished their earlier inability to take advantage and scored twice to take the game 3-1.
Maidstone play their next league match away against Gore Court on 29th October.

Ladies 1s
Away v Chelmsford
Score: L  0 – 2
Refusal To Go Down Without A Fight
Keen to put last week’s performance behind them, Maidstone’s ladies travelled to Chelmsford this week and the Kent side’s positive attitude was immediately apparent. Displaying the work-rate and teamwork that Maidstone have become accustomed to over the previous two seasons, chances were created in a skilful encounter.
Player of the match Lizzie Daniels found space in the middle of the pitch to display some fine skills, and the game was an open encounter throughout the first half. Despite enjoying more of the possession, however, Maidstone were unable to convert this into goals. It was Chelmsford who struck  from a third consecutive penalty corner after 27 minutes when the ball rebounded off keeper Jenny Vincent’s initial save, spinning awkwardly on the water-based pitch and finally finding it’s way into the back of the net after a goal-front scramble.
Chelmsford created further penalty corners after the break and despite the Maidstone defence standing strong for 7 minutes, the home side were able to convert following a further lucky deflection falling to another waiting striker who didn’t hesitate to hammer it home. The goal deflated the visitors who continued to struggle to clear their lines for a further 15 minutes as a result.
Buoyed by the will to win and refusing to give up, Maidstone found an extra spark for the remaining 15 minutes of the game and stepped up the intensity to the level of the first half. Attacking play was created and penalty corners were won, but despite fighting to the end, this was just not Maidstone’s day.
A week off from competitive fixtures allows the ladies to regroup and work hard before playing joint league leaders St Albans at home at 12:15 on Saturday 5th November.
Ladies 3s
Away v Remnants 1s
Score:  L  2-3  ( Sarah Day 2)
The team got off to a slow start conceiving 2 goals early on in the first half, both from penalty corners. Remnants scoring a third shortly before half time. Maidstone had a few chances but were unable to capitalise on the crosses by Harriet Day and Helen Brown.  With a rendering team talk by manager Callum Davis, Maidstone played better in the second half.   There was more support play and eagerness to score which resulted in several penalty corners, where two were converted by Captain Sarah Day.
Maidstone then began to out play a tiring Remnants team but unfortunately were unable to equalise.
A good performance was put in by the youngsters in the squad with veteran player Lady Horton being awarded man of the match.
Men’s 2s
Away v Gore Court
Score:  1-2  (Mark Rimmer)
First Defeat
Maidstone fell to their first defeat of the season in this scrappy encounter. Gore Court controlled the play from the off and resolute defending from Mark Christmas and Richard Turner in the Maidstone defence prevented Gore Court from taking an early lead but the pressure finally told when a miss hit short corner bobbled its way in to the back of the Maidstone goal.

Gore Court continued to pile on the pressure and Maidstone were lucky to go in to the break only one goal down. The second half allowed Maidstone more possession and territory but too often they were caught in possession allowing Gore Court to counter attack, some reckless challenges in the Maidstone defence gave Court several short corners and it was from one that they doubled their lead.

Maidstone did not sit back and a surging run from Ollie Mitchell followed by an excellent cross on his reverse stick found Mark Rimmer who guided it passed the Gore Court keeper. Maidstone began to believe that they could get a result from the game but again they were caught in possession too many times to capitalise and Gore Court maintained their composure to finish the game with all three points.
Men’s 3s
Home v Burnt Ash 3s
Score:  L  0-8
Under Seige
Maidstone 3rds suffered another heavy defeat as they entertained Burnt Ash at Armstrong Road on Saturday.  Despite solid performances by joint players of the match Nigel Garood and Mark Bourne and some fine defensive work from Ed Pearson, Maidstone were unable to prevent the younger and better organised visitors from taking hold of the game.  Maidstone were unable to control the midfield and consequently found their goal under siege for most of the game.  The horror was compounded in the second half when Matt Evans received an extremely dubious yellow card reducing Maidstone to 10 men.  Maidstone have still failed to earn a point in this league campaign and travel to New Beccs next week hoping to turn the tide of their recent poor form.
Men’s 4s
Away v Gore Court
Score:  L  1-2  (Rob Clarkson)
Improving Performance
Maidstone were under pressure from the home side from the start and found difficulty in getting into the other half for a good while.  Gore Court had many short corners, which were defended well by the visitors especially man of the match Nick Cornford in goal – but did convert from a passage of open play brining the half time score to 0-1.
Again Maidstone rallied with both defence and attack much stronger, creating several chances.  Gore Court however scored again from a penalty short corner and then Maidstone replied from a short corner themselves – where Rikesh Parmar slipped the ball to Mark Biddolph who forced it through the defence to Robert Clarkson who slotted home.
Better second half team performance this week but the team must look to create chances to score and indeed must convert more goal chances to improve our position in the table.  Overall an improving performance that we need to keep moving forward into the next game.
Men’s 5s
Home v Anchorians 5s
Score:  W  4-0  (Simon Wood 40
Maidstone out played Anchorians all game, with slick passing and strong midfield tackling. New boys William Bourdillion and James Goodbody both gave strong performances on their debuts. Simon Wood opened the scoring after some great interplay down the left with Jacob Taylor, James Goodbody and Luke Clarkson. ‘Sumo’ soon added a second after a clinical pass from Luke Clarkson. Some great work from Anchorians keeper kept Maidstone at bay and despite several short corners the score at the break was 2 v 0.
The second half followed much the same pattern, and Sumo soon had his hat trick, and then a fourth. Credit to Anchorians who continued to battle, but their only real attack was kicked clear by keeper Ryan Dann. Jacob Taylor was man of the match for what was his best performance of the season.

Men’s Vets

Away v Old Williamsonians 4s
Score:  D  3-3  (Nigel Swaffer, Kirit Parmar 2)

Hard Fought Draw

The game started with a familiar pattern as Maidstone failed to convert early pressure and found themselves 2-0 down within 20 minutes from 2 rather soft breakaway goals. With Dominic Angear pushing forward Maidstone looked menacing and from a hard hit of his into the “D”, Nigel Swaffer was able to deflect it past a stranded ‘keeper. Kirit Parmar blasted Maidstone level shortly afterwards but the lead was soon relinquished with another soft counter. Thus much more commitment was requested by skipper Holkham as half time and indeed the performance was much better with the old boys being under more concerted pressure – lead from the back by Andy Parkes. A cross from Sam Boyne found Parmar on the goal line to knock the ball over to level matters mid way through the half. Despite pressing for the win Maidstone settled for draw which early doors looked unlikely
Sunday 23rd October
EHB Trophy
Men’s 1s
Away v Gore Court
Score:  L  1-2 (Mark Rimmer)
Maidstone edged out of tense cup tie
Maidstone 1st XI suffered heartache in closely fought EHA Trophy match against local rivals Gore Court on Sunday 23rd October.
The match started as a cagey affair as both teams defended well and deeply, forcing each other to adopt a long ball approach in attack. Though Gore Court had the better of the chances in the first half these were very limited and comfortably dealt with by Maidstone defence which included debutants Jeff Dummett and man of the match Richard Turner. Gore Court’s lack of ingenuity going forward belied their goal scoring record this season and they were lucky when they eventually won a short corner. Though the initial drag flick thundered against the post the rebound fell kindly to Gore Court who reacted faster than Maidstone and smartly converted to move into the lead. Maidstone’s best chance of the half also came from a corner but they put their flick wide.
Determined to give their large group of travelling supporters some thing to cheer about Maidstone again upped their play and started to dominate the second half. As players on both teams tired the gaps started to open and Maidstone were the more creative in exploiting these. The increased pressure soon told and Mark Rimmer put Maidstone back on level terms with a well taken deflection. Maidstone kept pushing for the winner that they by now deserved and broke time and time again down the left wing. Despite several threatening D penetrations Maidstone were unable to breach the goal a second time and finally suffered heartbreak as a typical Gore Court aerial for once found an unmarked forward. His lay off found a team mate who was able to squeeze the ball into the Maidstone goal. For the second time in 2 days Maidstone lost a game that they ultimately should have got something out of.