Alex Flisher’s stunning strike in stoppage time earned Maidstone United a vital three points in their chase for the National South Division playoff places; extending the Stones’ unbeaten run to five games in the process.

A largely uninspiring game burst into life in the 64th minute when Jamie Coyle powerfully headed home Vas Karagiannis’ corner.  Gosport equalised with ten minutes remaining, as a shot from Dan Wooden appeared to be flying wide left, until it struck Bobby-Joe Taylor and diverted into the bottom right corner, wrong-footing Lee Worgan in the Maidstone goal.

After Matt Bodkin scuffed a chance inside the 6-yard box, the game seemed to be petering out to a draw.  That is until Flisher’s intervention!  Picking the ball up 25 yards out, the Stones’ substitute hit a crisp left-foot shot that arrowed inside the right hand post, leaving Gosport keeper, Nathan Ashmore, clawing at thin air.

Maidstone manager, Jay Saunders, said he was confident of the outcome as soon as Flisher picked up the ball, and added “he’s got that sort of moment in his locker.  When it broke to him, in that area on the edge of the box, I don’t think there’s anyone in the club you’d rather it fall to.  It was a great strike and I’m delighted for him because few people will see how much work he’s done by himself to get back to this stage.  But we’ve just got to manage him right for now.”

“First half, I thought we were a bit off the pace, but they (Gosport’s bench) seemed happy to sit back, and even when they equalised, it was stay back and sit behind the ball.  I was a bit surprised by that, but I think it gives a lot of credit to the boys as they might have thought a point was a great result for them.  At one-nil, I couldn’t see them getting back, but the goal has come from our throw, which really disappoints me.  I felt we could have dealt with it earlier, but it’s taken a deflection and then there’s not a lot you can do about it.”

“I prefer it when we win games a bit earlier than that, but it was a big win for us & I’m delighted.  Even a draw today would have felt like a loss.  Other than that unbelievable strike that hit the crossbar, they didn’t really trouble us, and we got stronger as the game went on.  For me, we deserved to win the game.”

Gosport’s early threat came from wide positions, particularly from George Barker up against stand-in left-back Bobby-Joe Taylor.  Maidstone also tried attacking on the flanks, using the pace of Charles Banya and Vas Karagiannis, but their best opportunities came through the middle of the park.

It took 15 minutes for the first chance for the visitors with Jamie Coyle blocking a shot from the National South’s leading scorer, Justin Bennett, with the rebound falling to Barker, whose follow-up shot was deflected wide.

Dan Sweeney had two long range shots into the body of Gosport keeper, Nathan Ashmore, as the Stones started to find space.

Gosport’s quick counter attack led to a number of chances on the edge of the Maidstone box, but consecutive blocks from the two Callum’s, first Davies, then Driver, ensured there was no danger to Lee Worgan’s goal.

Moments before the interval, Maidstone finally appeared to have cracked the Gosport defence.  Good interplay between Driver and Karagiannis released Joe Healy on the right.  Healy cut inside and curled a left foot shot that skipped off the surface in front of Ashmore, forcing the keeper to parry the ball.  Adam Birchall was quickest to the ball, and stabbed wide, but would have been denied by the assistant’s flag.

The instructions at the interval, especially for Charles Banya on the left to be more positive and run at his full-back seemed to have an almost immediate impact.  Banya’s run and low cross was cleared off the toe of Karagiannis by Rory Williams for a corner, that Callum Davies met with a header that skimmed the bar.

Mike Carter had a volley caught safely by Worgan, but it was Maidstone looking the more positive in the last third.  Karagiannis and Taylor both had long shots saved by Ashmore, but it was almost Gosport who broke the deadlock on 54.  Bennett turned sharply in the area and had a shot deflected for a corner that Maidstone struggled to clear.  The ball fell to Williams at least 40 yards out, and the left-back fired an unstoppable shot that cannoned back off the angle of post and bar to Bennett, whose weak header allowed Worgan to gather.

Sweeney was denied for a third time by Ashmore when the keeper caught his header, but Ashmore was relieved to see a shot from Banya, at the end of a jinking run, evade both the right post and the sliding Adam Birchall.

Birchall, who had been ill during the week, was replaced by Alex Flisher just past the hour, and you could sense the lift from the crowd around the ground.  Flisher’s first act was a long throw, flicked on by Sweeney that caused panic in the area.  Then the substitute’s shot was deflected for a corner, from which Karagiannis picked out Jamie Coyle for a thumping header to give the Stones the lead.

Maidstone were almost undone by a run on the left from Lee Wort, who squared the ball into Bennett’s path, but the 20-goal striker scooped his shot high over the bar.  But the home side was caught out with ten minutes remaining by a quick break.  Maidstone were appealing for a foul on Joe Healy as Wort played a ball in from the left.  Dan Wooden appeared to have sliced his shot wide, but it struck the covering Taylor and was diverted into the opposite corner.

With Gosport apparently settling for a point, Maidstone drove forward, but it seemed a draw was the most likely result as chance after chance passed by.  Banya hit a volley from a Matt Bodkin cross that deflected off TJ Cuthbertson, but where Gosport’s deflection nestled in the corner, this one took the pace off the ball allowing Ashmore to pounce.

Banya then created a gilt-edged chance for Bodkin, combining with Healy and Flisher to get to the byline, where he pulled a ball back into the 6-yard box.  Bodkin seemed to be wrong-footed and could only scuff a shot into the grateful Ashmore’s arms.

Then, in the final minute of stoppage time, a quick clearance from Lee Worgan was flicked on by Jack Paxman to Flisher running into the centre from the right side of the area.  Flisher took a touch to steer the ball past Andy Robinson and arrowed his shot into the bottom right corner to seal the three points.

MAIDSTONE UNITED: Lee Worgan, Callum Driver, Bobby-Joe Taylor, Jamie Coyle, Callum Davies, James Rogers, Charles Banya, Joe Healy, Adam Birchall (Alex Flisher 61), Dan Sweeney (Jack Paxman 61), Vas Karagiannis (Matt Bodkin 74).

Subs not used: Manny Parry, Tom Mills.

Goals: Jamie Coyle 64, Alex Flisher 90+3.

Caution: Alex Flisher 76.

GOSPORT BOROUGH: Nathan Ashmore, TJ Cuthbertson, Rory Williams, Mike Carter, Brett Poate (Adam Brice 19), Andy Robinson, George Barker, Ben Harding, Lee Wort, Justin Bennett, Dan Wooden.

Subs not used: Adam Wilde, Connor May, David Jerrard, Charlie Higgins.

Goal: Bobby-Joe Taylor (og) 80

Caution: Mike Carter 57.

Attendance: 1,882
Referee: Mr Elliott Kaye
Assistants: Mr Stuart Frankin and Mr Dan RIchardson