Maidstone United moved up to third place in National South after this hard earned victory over Wealdstone.

Maidstone started the brighter of the two teams & in the space of two minutes they had half chances, firstly in the 5^th minute a corner was half cleared to Matt Bodkin whose shot from 25 yards went wide, the next minute saw Joe Healy try his luck from 25 yards but Jonathan North easily saved it.

In the 14^th minute Jay May25 yards out received the ball & tried his luck & his shot came back of the crossbar.

Wealdstone finally started to get into the game & in the 16^th minute Shaun Lucien who would be a danger every time he touched the ball, on the left passed inside to Matthew Lowe inside the area & his shot from 15 yards went over the bar.

Wealdstone for the next ten minutes dominated possession without really causing any problems then in the 26^th minute Maidstone had a chance when Bodkin on the right wing beat Dale Binns & his cross into the 6 yard box was met by May’s head but it went over the bar but two minutes later Maidstone took the lead when Jack Paxman on halfway went forward before a great through ball put May in & he ran into the area before sliding the ball under North.

What a difference a goal means as Maidstone totally dominated right up to half time, in the 42^nd minute Bobby Joe Taylor saw his snap shot whistle past the post.

The second half took a while to get going with two half chances coming in the first 15 minutes, firstly Wealdstone had there’s when a corner only partially cleared fell to Matthew Ball whose shot from the edge of the area was saved by Lee Worgan (who before the game was presented with player of the month).

Maidstone’s chance came when Healy passed forward for May who from 20 yards saw his shot saved by North. The game went quiet with both teams giving the ball away & the windy conditions didn’t help but in the 73^rd minute Paxman threaded the ball forward for Alex Flisher in the area, who had been on for two minutes & as he latched on to it his first touch took it away from him & as he stretched to shoot North rushed out & tackled him conceding a corner & from the corner by Taylor Manny Parry rose & headed goal wards from 6 yards but between them North & Binns cleared it off the line.

In the 80^th minute Wealdstone had a glorious chance to equalise when Bradley Hudson-Odoi cross from the right bounced around in the area until it came out to Lucien on his own 12 yards out but he blazed his shot over the bar.

The game became frantic in the last few minutes of the game with Wealdstone trying to get an equaliser whilst Maidstone were trying to keep the score as it was.

The final whistle went & the cheer around the ground greeted another victory for Maidstone.

 

MAIDSTONE UNITED:

1. WORGAN 2. C.DRIVER   3. T.MILLS   4. J.COYLE  5. M.PARRY   6. J.PAXMAN  7. M.BODKIN (71) 8. J.HEALY 9. J.MAY 10. A.BIRCHALL (81) 11. B-J TAYLOR

SUBS USED: 16. A.FLISHER (71)  12. J.ROGERS (81)

SUBS NOT USED:  14. A.AKROFI  15. F.COLLIN  17. R.BUTLER

BOOKINGS: 2. C.DRIVER (39)  9. J.MAY (65)

 

WEALDSTONE:

1. NORTH 2. O.DUFFY  3. D.BINNS  4.  J.McLEOD-URQUHART  5. T.HAMBLIN  6. E.GODFREY 7. J.WRIGHT (71) 8. M.LOWE (40) 9. J.HUTCHINSON (76) 10. M.BALL   11. S.LUCIEN

SUBS USED: 12. S.DAVIES (40)  14. B. HUDSON-ODOI  15. J.LOUIS (76)

SUBS NOT USED: 16. T.CHRISTIAN-LAW  17. S.McGLEISH

BOOKINGS: 6. E.GODFREY (20)  12. S.DAVIES (60)

 

REFEREE: Mr S.ALLISON

ASSISTANTS: Mr R.HILLIER-SMITH  & Mr J.ROBINSON

ATTENDANCE: 1,812