It was a frustrating afternoon for Maidstone United as a disjointed performance saw the Ryman Premier leaders fail to take their opportunity to extend the gap over their closest rivals.

Jay May’s first half stoppage time opener earned the Stones an advantage that they scarcely deserved against a fully committed Witham side.  But, they were made to pay for rarely testing Martyn Guest in the Witham goal, as the visitors levelled the game with two minutes remaining through John Watson’s thunderous volley, and had a number of Lee Worgan saves to thank for the point.

Maidstone’s manager, Jay Saunders, couldn’t hide his disappointment after the final whistle, saying “I thought Witham deserved something out of it, and we got exactly what we deserved.  It seems to be the way of the League this year, that no-one is pulling away.  But once we got the goal I thought it might kick us into life and that there might be a chance of a second one, and then we haven’t defended a freekick well enough.  We’re still in a decent position though, and we’ll carry on.”

“There wasn’t a lot of quality in the final third from either team, and it was just one of those games.  We’ve gone away from home, with three really good performances, and it’s almost like we’ve frozen out there. We’ve got a big crowd, and want to put on a performance, but we haven’t done it and I just don’t get it; that’s what frustrates me.”

“We’ve warned them about how difficult it would be, how Witham would be up for it, but it looked like no-one has given us the spark we needed. I’ve never seen a forward treated the way that Jay (May) was today, getting pulled all over the place, and not get a thing.  But we have missed the three players (Steve Watt, James Rogers and Billy Bricknell all suspended), which we shouldn’t with the players we’ve brought in.”

With the confidence of three consecutive away victories behind them, the Stones flew out of the blocks as Jay May’s flick tempted Witham keeper Martyn Guest out of his area.  George Porter nipped in ahead of the keeper, but was driven wide, but he allowed Matt Bodkin to put a cross back into the area, with Frannie Collin volleying over.

While the home side’s most profitable route to goal seemed to be crosses from Craig Stone, which May twice glanced wide in the first 15 minutes, Witham were moving the ball across the pitch with ease, but had no final delivery up to Jamie Guy.  Instead, Witham resorted to a series of long-range shots that were either straight at Lee Worgan, or flew wide of the target.

Ryan Charles finally drew a save out of Worgan on 15, cutting in from the left and playing a one-two with Danny Emmanuel before shooting low to the keeper’s left.  But the visitors were denying Maidstone time and space, and were picking up a lot of second balls in the middle of the field, with Guy effective as a target man, and Jack Paxman controlling the play.

Given the number of times that he was being wrestled by Witham defenders throughout the match, even once being held by the throat, May picked up a soft booking on 25.  As though a sense of injustice was driving them on, this led to Maidstone’s best spell of the match. Two crossfield balls from Stone allowed a chance for Collin, who beat the offside trap but shot wide, and May, who once again climbed above a static defence, but glanced his header wide.

Witham came close to taking the lead on 43, as they broke quickly from a Maidstone corner.  Emmanuel raced into the Maidstone half before releasing Jamie Guy into the right side of the area.  Guy’s shot was parried out by Worgan, striking the legs of Stone, which diverted the ball towards goal.  Fortunately, Collin, who had tracked Emmanuel’s run, had continued back to clear the ball off the line.

The deadlock was finally broken in stoppage time at the end of the half, less than 90 seconds after Witham’s chance.  Collin’s clever back flick released Matt Bodkin tight to the dead-ball line, and his cross flew across the area.  Porter did well to retrieve the ball from Paxman, with the Witham man claiming a foul.  Porter drove into the area past Conor Mead’s challenge, and his low cross found May in the 6-yard box to sweep home.

There was hardly enough time to restart the game before the interval, but the Witham bench made sure Mr Bull was aware of their feelings over the goal as they made their way across the pitch.

The second period followed a similar pattern, with Witham’s Lewis Dark taking long-range shots at Worgan’s goal at any opportunity, and Maidstone being frustrated that every attempted through-ball was being intercepted by a Witham defender.

Just past the hour, Worgan was forced to save from Paxman, who had skipped past one challenge in the area, but he had a better chance moments later.  Emmanuel’s break into the Maidstone half saw the ball moved quickly through Luke Callander to Paxman, unmarked on the left, and his curling shot was well pushed out by Worgan.

The game was crying out for someone to provide some creativity, and on 76, Tom Mills latched onto a defensive clearance to put Maidstone onto the attack.  Mills’ throughball found May in the area, who spun past Ekpiteta Marvin and forced Guest into a block.  The rebound was worked out to Porter on the right wing, whose low cross found Collin 8 yards out, but unusually, the Maidstone forward scuffed his attempted shot.

Five minutes later, May played Porter in on the right side of the area, and his low shot was well saved by Guest, with other players arriving in support.

Witham earned a point from the game with two minutes of normal time remaining, although the award of the freekick against Ben Greenhalgh appeared somewhat harsh, as did his eventual booking.  While Maidstone were still reorganising, Guest launched a long ball into the Stones’ area, Marvin won the header, which dropped perfectly for substitute John Watson to crash a volley into the top of the net.

May had one final chance in stoppage time, from a Collin corner, but couldn’t direct his header on target.

Witham’s point lifts them out of the relegation zone, and although Maidstone now have a five point lead over second placed Dulwich Hamlet, Kent rivals Margate are just two further points back; and now have a game in hand.

MAIDSTONE UNITED: Lee Worgan, Craig Stone, Tom Mills, Jamie Coyle, Sonny Miles, Alex Brown, Matt Bodkin (Ben Greenhalgh 70), Jack Parkinson, Jay May, Frannie Collin, George Porter.

Subs not used: Phil Starkey, Ollie Brown, Liam King, Will Godmon

Goal: Jay May 45.

Bookings: Jay May 25, Ben Greenhalgh 88.

WITHAM TOWN: Martyn Guest, Conor Mead, Vinnie Durrant, Taylor Hastings, Ekpiteta Marvin, Ryan Blackman (John Watson 68), Danny Emmanuel, Lewis Dark, Jamie Guy (Chris Bryan 70), Jack Paxman, Ryan Charles (Luke Callander 54).

Subs not used: Lewis Godbold, Nikki Beale.

Goal: John Watson 88.

Booking: Conor Mead 84.

Attendance: 1,865
Referee: Mr W Bull
Assistants: Mr S Graham and Mr A Steele