Maidstone United are through to the Quarter Finals of the Ryman League Cup after seeing their way past a plucky Hastings United side.

Maidstone started the quickest & in the 4^th minute Debutant Liam King only 16 years old got to the by-line & his low cross to the near post was met by Zac Attwood who actually fell on it & the ball went towards the goal before being cleared but in the 6^th minute Maidstone took the lead when King belying his age received the ball 30 yards out & went straight at goal dribbling past two defenders getting a lucky bounce but then once in the area shot past Josh Pelling.

In the 8^th minute a back header was latched on to by Attwood who went into the area but dragged his shot wide.  Maidstone were now enjoying the lion’s share of possession & in the 23^rd minute Rory Hill 25 yards out let fly & his dipping shot was pushed over the bar by Pelling.

Hastings had their first half chance in the 26^th minute when Andy Henson saw his low cross evade everyone & go out for a goal kick, another half chance came in the 39^th minute when Sean Kelly 20 yards out saw his shot go over the bar.

Half time arrived & Maidstone would have been the happier of the two teams but frustrated they were not further ahead as they had a lot of possession.

The second half saw Maidstone quickly into their stride as in the 47^th minute Alex Flisher on the left crossed low for King but his side foot effort from 6 yards went wide, then in the very next minute Hastings nearly equalised when a corner to the back post was headed back by Ben Swift into the path of Kenny Pogue but his side foot shot from 5 yards was saved by Charlie Mitten.

In the 52^nd minute Sam Adams on the edge of the area dummied to shoot which left him in space & he then saw his shot saved by Mitten.  Hastings were now having a good spell of pressure & in the 58^th minute Jordan Woodley saw his shot from 20 yards come back of the post & then the same player in the 62^nd minute blazed his shot over the bar.

In a counter attack King on the right cut inside before passing to Attwood whose shot from 20 yards was deflected for a corner. In the 67^th minute Hastings rued their bad luck when a corner into the area found ex Maidstone player Tim Olarunda as his shot came back off the post.

The very next minute Maidstone increased their lead when King on halfway ran forward passed to Flisher who crossed into the area where King was but he was fouled & a penalty given, up stepped Attwood who shot into the bottom left hand corner.

Maidstone were now in control & in the 73^rd minute they should have gone further in front when Flisher’s cross to the back post found Charley Robertson 2 yards out but his shot was saved by Pelling.

In the 74^th minute Pogue was put through & his shot was saved by Mitten.  In the 76^th minute after a scramble in the Hastings area the ball came out to Hill whose shot was saved.

In the 92^nd minute Hastings again rued their luck when a free kick 20 yards out taken by Woodley saw Mitten push it out but only to Pogue whose snap shot came back off the crossbar & then another shot was saved by Mitten.

 

MAIDSTONE UNITED:

1. C.MITTEN  2. J.SULLIVAN (45)  3. T.MILLS  4. R.ROSE  5. G.ANDREWS  6. F.SARAIVA  7. R.HILL(76)  8. C.ROBERTSON

9.  Z.ATTWOOD  10. L.KING ( DEBUT 81 ) 11. A.FLISHER

SUBS USED: 12. S.FLISHER (DEBUT 76 ) 15. B.SWIFT (45) 16. M.REMESS (DEBUT 81 )

SUBS NOT USED: 14. F.COLLIN  21. L.WORGAN

 

HASTINGS UNITED:

1. J.PELLING  2. T.GILBERT  3 A.HENSON (54)  4. T.OLORUNDA  5.  B.JUDGE  6. S.KELLY  7.D.ELLIS  8. C.CUMMING-BART (54)

9. K.POGUE  10. S.ADAMS  11. B.PACHECO (65)

SUBS USED: 12. M.DARBY (65)  14. J.WOODLEY (54)  15. C.SLOCOMBE

SUBS NOT USED: 17. J.LEE

 

REFEREE: Mr I.FISSENDEN

ASSISTANTS: Mr T.BURMAN & Mr R.JOSS

ATTENDANCE: 413