Maidstone increased their lead over Margate to ten points with a well deserved victory over their Sussex rivals although the last 18 minutes were nervy.
The game started off quickly as Maidstone got at Lewes & in the 4th minute George Porter on the left wing passed back to Tom Mills who crossed straight away into the area where Jay May was & first time shot went just past the post.
The game went quiet for a while with both teams giving the ball away & then in the 21st minute Craig Stone crossed into the area for Billy Bricknell who controlled it & then shot forcing Rikki Banks to save it then five minutes later Maidstone took the lead when Frannie Collin’s free kick into the area saw Shane Huke beat Banks to it & his header was going towards goal & Jay May like all good strikers followed it & smacked in from 2 yards.
Lewes had their first chance in the 30th minute when a Tom Davis corner was half cleared back to Davis who from an acute angle shot into the side netting.
The last half chance of the half came in the 2nd minute of added on time when a free kick into the area was headed goal wards by Sam Cole but Lee Worgan making his 100th appearance for Maidstone saved easily.
Maidstone had dominated possession & territory with Lewes not causing any problems.
The second half started with Maidstone carrying on where they had left off & in the 48th minute Stone 20 yards saw his shot deflected into the path of Porter but his shot went wide.
In the 52nd minute Maidstone increased their lead when Porter on the left retrieved possession & passed out to Collin on the right wing & he took the defender on & his cross into the area evaded Banks but not May who from 2 yards bundled the ball into the net.
Six minutes later May could & maybe should have had his hat trick when he latched onto a loose pass went forward & went around Banks who had advanced outside his area & then he went into the area but his shot went wide, another chance for the hat trick came in the 66th minute when James Rogers retrieved possession drove forward into the area & then passing to May who from 12 yards saw his shot go over the bar.
Two minutes later it nearly became three when Collin’s free kick 25 yards out curled around the wall & forced Banks to tip it onto the bar.
In the 72nd minute the game changed where as Maidstone had been the dominant force & Lewes were doing nothing, a free kick was conceded 25 yards out & up stepped James Fraser to curl it around the wall & into top right hand corner of the goal leaving Worgan grasping at thin air.
Two minutes later & Fraser received the ball 20 yards out & his shot saw Worgan grasping at thin air but this time it went just past the post.
In the 79th minute a scramble in the Lewes penalty area saw the ball ping around before being cleared but only to Jack Parkinson whose shot from 25 yards whistled past the post.
Another close shave for the nervous Maidstone supporters & players came in the 85th minute when a throw in on the left found Fraser & his shot from 18 yards forced Worgan to push it around the post for a corner.
The last real chance of the game came in the 90+3 minutes when a Maidstone corner by Matt Bodkin saw Jamie Coyle head goal wards for Parkinson 5 yards out but his miskick found Bricknell & his shot from 5 yards was cleared off the line.
The final whistle went & the biggest cheer of the afternoon came when the PA announcer told everyone that Margate had only drawn.
MAIDSTONE UNITED:
- WORGAN 2. C.STONE 3. T.MILLS 4. S.HUKE 5. J.COYLE 6. J.ROGERS 7. B.BRICKNELL (90+1) 8. J.PARKINSON 9. J.MAY 10. F.COLLIN(81) 11. G.PORTER
SUBS USED: 12. M.BODKIN (81) 16. B.GREENHALGH (90+1)
SUBS NOT USED: 14. S.MILES 15. P.STARKEY 21. W.GODMON
BOOKINGS: 9. J.MAY (90+1)
LEWES:
- BANKS 2. S.CRABB 3. S.COLE 4. T.DAVIS (63) 5. G.ELPHICK 6. O.ROWE 7. A.HOPKINSON 8. C.BREACH 9. L.BLEWDEN (63) 10. J.FRASER 11. M.CRABB
SUBS USED: 15. G.BROWN (63) 16. C.WILLOCK (63)
SUBS NOT USED: 12. J.BADGER 14. J.MARSHALL 1. J.TAYLOR
BOOKINGS: 4. T.DAVIS (63)
REFEREE: Mr N.DUNN
ASSISTANTS : Mr R.O’SULLIVAN & Mr J.HORNE
ATTENDANCE: 2,000