Maidstone United have been promoted to the Vanarama National League after quite simply one of the most incredible finishes to a “Cup Final” ever seen!

 

As Fourth Official Kaye signalled two minutes of additional time at the end of Extra Time, Ebbsfleet held a 2-1 lead courtesy of two of the best penalties you’ll see from Danny Kedwell against a moment of individual brilliance from Bobby-Joe Taylor leaving Maidstone consigned to a second season in the National League South.

But then a long ball fell in the Fleet box, which the home defence couldn’t clear and substitute Dumebi Dumaka lashed home the loose ball to send the near 800 Stones supporters wild with delight and an enthralling Final to the lottery of penalties, which led to the biggest irony of all.

With his side trailing 3-4, Fleet skipper Kedwell looked all set to complete a personal “hat-trick” of spot kicks, only for Maidstone keeper Lee Worgan to become the hero by standing his ground to block the kick and send his side heading towards the top flight of Non-League football.

Whilst Worgan was mobbed by his team-mates, Kedwell who just moments before looked to have been the man to take the Fleet back into the National League was crest-fallen as were three quarters of the 3,800 crowd.

After the presentations, a slightly bewildered Stones boss Jay Saunders spoke to KSN. “I had to take myself away from everyone to try and get my head around it,” he admitted.

“I couldn’t quite understand what had gone on because we were two minutes away from losing the game, and then we got a lifeline and ten minutes later we’d won it!”

“It’s a strange feeling but one I’m very proud of. When they got the second penalty I genuinely thought that that was game over – done and dusted, but then the chaos at the end – unbelievable!”

You really do have to feel for Ebbsfleet United – they were in the lead of the National League South for all but four of the forty two game regular season, and were around thirty seconds from promotion only to be denied by a penalty shoot-out – football can be so very cruel as boss Darryl McMahon clearly showed when he spoke after the game.

“It was a huge disappointment to concede a goal in injury time of extra time. Last week we won on penalty kicks – this week we didn’t; that’s football!” the Fleet boss said shrugging his shoulders.

“Listen, congratulation to Maidstone – they’ve got a terrific team and I like Jay – he’s a top manager and all the best to them. I thought we were excellent and it’s hard for me right now to dissect the game – there’s still a lot of emotion – and if I’m honest I don’t know what to say; it’s just one of those moments.”

“I’m gutted for Danny of course as he’s been unbelievable for us this season – he’s been terrific all season. He’s been a real talisman for us as well but I’m sure he’ll bounce back as that’s Danny – he’s such a strong character.”

“We executed the game plan today but it didn’t go for us, but that’s football. Take nothing from Maidstone though but we’ll be back next season I’m sure!”

McMahon deserves immense credit for getting the Fleet as close as he did as it’s often been forgotten that this has been his first full season in charge, and whilst many have said that the club had one of the larger budgets in the division, for a young manager to get this close on season one is a huge achievement and one that he must be congratulated for.

But this day was to belong to Maidstone United, and at the start of the game they flew out of the blocks and forced three corners in the opening 90 seconds and from the third Jay May was brilliantly denied by Fleet keeper Nathan Ashmore – whose penalty heroics against Whitehawk had clinched his side their place in the Final.

It took ten minutes for the Fleet to have their first attempt on goal as Matt Godden tested keeper Lee Worgan from the edge of the box as the home side visibly looked shell shocked as the way the Stones had started.

On nineteen minutes though, it was the Fleet took who the lead – in a move that was started and eventually finished by skipper Kedwell. Winning the ball brilliantly in midfield, he fed in Joe Howe down the left and as his cross wasn’t cleared, referee O’Donnell pointed to the spot and Kedwell (who didn’t take a spot kick in the Semi Final shoot out) coolly drilled the ball beyond Worgan’s dive and into the corner of the net to send three quarters of Stonebridge Road wild!

Karagiannis then came close to levelling with a cross-come-shot that Ashmore was nearly caught out by, but the Fleet keeper in the end did remarkably well to claw out from underneath the angle of post and bar.

Four minutes from the break, the same players again wriggled clear, but this time the Fleet keeper dealt with the shot a lot more comfortably.

The crowd wondered how Maidstone would respond and whatever Saunders said to his charges worked an absolute treat as within a minute of the restart they were level, with a goal worthy of any Final!

Bobby-Joe Taylor picked the ball up on the left and kept running. He beat two defenders with ease before drilling the ball across Ashmore and into the bottom corner of the net just as Saunders took his seat in the dug-out. Naturally the Stones boss immediately looked a lot happier than he had when he sat down!

As the half wore on both sides clearly began to tire and you couldn’t help but think the strains of the previous weekend were beginning to take their toll.

Then with twelve minutes left, Jordan Parkes wriggled through two tackles in the Maidstone box and as he appeared to run into to a dead-end managed to force Worgan into a good block, and the Stones keeper was then grateful to see the ball loop onto the roof of the net.

From the resulting corner, the defence cleared only as far as Stuart Lewis, whose looped header was helped on by Tom Bonner for Matt Godden who was somehow denied brilliantly by a combination of Callum Driver and Worgan when the Fleet’s top scorer looked set to add to his tally.

As the ninety minutes ticked by, Godden was again denied by a brave save by the keeper as Worgan raced from his line as the Fleet striker thought he’d broke through.

And so into the extra period the game went and it was Maidstone who threatened first as Alex Flisher should have done better when well placed. A great ball into the box from sub Dan Sweeney found Flisher, but the Stones man could only head straight at the keeper when a yard either side and the Stones would have been in front, before at the other end Worgan had an amazing escape.

As he tried to hit a clearance down field, the keeper sliced the ball straight up into the air and as he dropped, he tried to head the ball away from Godden, but Fleet striker got away from the keeper and drilled the ball across the face of goal without a red shirt in sight!

Then just six minutes into the second period of extra time came the moment when the home side thought they’d sealed an immediate return to the National League.

Lewis’ run into the box was halted either by a tug by Driver or hand ball against Parry – the referee in no doubt as for a second time he pointed to the spot. Kedwell kept his cool and his nerve and drove the ball hard straight and true into the roof of Worgan’s net.

But it was not to be as in the second minute of stoppage time came what Saunders earlier call the “crazy end” as Dumaka lashed the ball into the Ebbsfleet net with less than thirty seconds left to send those Stones fans lucky enough to get a ticket absolutely wild with delight.

And so for the second weekend in a row, a game at Stonebridge Road went to penalties. The first five were drilled home giving Maidstone a 3-2 lead before Tom Bonner had his penalty saved by Worgan only for Dumaka then to see his brilliantly turned aside by Ashmore.

Godden and Dan Sweeney then exchanged penalties leaving Kedwell having to score to force sudden death. This time though Worgan stood up magnificently and blocked the kick to send everyone in Amber and Black into ecstasy and more importantly into the National League…

Finally spare a thought for Saunders who because of a prior commitment wasn’t able to join in the celebration party. We’ll let the Stones boss explain himself…

“I’m going away with Academy at 3:00 in the morning (Sunday) – we’re taking 45 lads to Spain!” he told us.

“We’ve got no Saturday pre-season friendlies lined up and I’ve missed out on two players this week all because we didn’t know what League we were going to be in next season.”

“I haven’t spoken to the Chairman what we’re going to do about training – so if I’m honest I’ve no idea what I have no idea what’s going on at the moment…”

Here’s hoping that the Stones boss was able to get hold of a Sunday paper at the airport for a reality check – to see the result of this truly incredible finale to the National League South campaign it in black and white – Maidstone United promoted to the Vanarama National league!

What an end to this or for that matter any season – truly remarkable!

 

Ebbsfleet United line up: Ashmore, Bonner, Howe, Lewis (Sheringham 120), Acheampong, Clark, Deering (Kissock 57), Rance, Kedwell, Godden, Parkes.

Subs not used: Miles, Pooley, Shields.

Goals: Kedwell (pen 20) & (pen 109).

Booked: Acheampong (103).

Maidstone United line up: Worgan, Driver, Mills, Coyle, Parry, Rogers (Paxman 111), Karagiannis (Dumaka 81), Healy, May (Sweeney 87), Taylor, Flisher.

Subs not used: Davies, Godmon.

Goals: Taylor (47), Dumaka (120).

Booked: Mills (30), Taylor (66), May (86), Driver (87), Dumaka (106)

Referee: Mr Chris O’Donnell

Attendance: 3,800