Yemi Odubade came off the bench to score an 89th minute winner for a Maidstone United who, for long periods, were forced to defend by a Macclesfield Town team who started the day in eighth place in the Vanarama National.
The winner was created by Jamar Loza, who also claimed an assist for Liam Enver-Marum’s 16th minute equaliser, his 5th of the season, after Chris Holroyd had been given time and space to fire Macclesfield ahead eight minutes earlier.
Jay Saunders, Maidstone’s manager, was more relieved at his side’s first win since 25th September at Torquay, saying “we needed that. I would have preferred that goal with about 10 seconds to go, but I’m pleased the boys got the points because they are an honest bunch. I think the point in midweek was important as it was the first time we hadn’t let our heads drop when things were going against us. I could tell from the players today that they were a little bit nervous and we started slowly, which is completely different to Sutton. But we’ve shown good character and I’m delighted with three points.”
“I thought we finished the first half quite strongly, but we seemed to come out in the second concerned that we’d conceded a bad goal and sat a little bit too deep. The ball was coming back at us all the time, but we dealt with it, we kept going, and a bit of quality won us the game.”
“I was pleased for Jamar. He’s obviously used to playing at a higher level where you maybe don’t have to work back as much. First half we got him on the ball a lot, but second half, we struggled to get him into the game. When we did, he’s shown that bit of quality and Yemi’s produced the finish.”
Coming off the back of their comeback point at Sutton on Tuesday, Maidstone would have been hoping for a quick start, but it was the visitors who controlled the early minutes. Jack Sampson almost worked space inside the Maidstone area but was crowded out by 3 amber shirts, before Sampson played in a dangerous cross from the left that Kevin Lokko did well not to turn into his own net.
Macclesfield’s quick start brought the first goal in the 8th minute. A long ball from back to front drew both centre backs towards Sampson, who headed down for his strike partner Chris Holroyd. The Macclesfield number 9 had time to pick his spot and slot home beyond Lee Worgan’s dive.
Within 60 seconds Worgan had to be alert to save from Holroyd again, after he had been set up by Sampson’s layoff from Jack Makreth’s cross.
Maidstone’s first serious attack brought the reward of the equaliser on 16. Tom Mills played a ball into the path of Jamar Loza in the inside left channel. Loza did well to hold off the initial challenge from Neil Byrne and drove into the area before cutting a low ball across goal for the sliding Liam Enver-Marum to lift his shot into the roof of the net.
Following the equaliser, the game settled with Macclesfield controlling the possession and the Stones looking to hit on the counter-attack. As in recent games though, defensive lapses were hurting Maidstone. James Rogers lost the ball in midfield with Holroyd sweeping it wide to Mackreth. The winger’s run took him into the area, where Tom Mills was adjudged to have clipped the Macclesfield man. Worgan, once again this season, came to Maidstone’s rescue with a save low to his left to deny Danny Whitaker’s spot kick.
Enver-Marum tried his luck from long range, then moments later provided an inch-perfect cross for a Loza left-foot volley that flew across the face of Craig Ross’ goal.
The game was getting stretched through the movement of the respective forwards. Loza dinked a cross into the Macclesfield box, where Dan Sweeney glanced a header just past the right post. While at the other end, Holroyd released Whitaker on the left, who cut inside Twumasi before curling a shot wide right.
Despite an early shot in the second half from Sweeney that curled over, Macclesfield continued to dominate possession and looked especially dangerous from set pieces. A long ball down the right allowed substitute Danny Rowe to find Sampson, whose layoff into the path of Paul Lewis saw a shot that Worgan had to kick away. From the sequence of corners that followed, Rowe eventually put in a cross from the left that Byrne headed wide.
From a quick Worgan clearance, Taylor and Enver-Marum led a charge before Ben Greenhalgh played in Seth Twumasi on the right. The initial cross caused panic in the Macclesfield defence, but they held firm to clear when Greenhalgh miskicked Twumasi’s second cross.
Maidstone were starting to sit back with space appearing in the middle of the field. Macclesfield left-back David Fitzpatrick was given time and space to march forward from halfway before unleashing a left foot drive from all of 30 yards that Worgan tipped onto the inside of the right post and, fortunately for Maidstone, the ball ran across the goal-line and out.
With only a minute left in normal time, Maidstone hit the front for the first time through a classic counter-attack. Jack Paxman broke up play in midfield, with James Rogers releasing Loza on the right. The former Norwich forward drove to the edge of the area before swinging a cross into the path of Yemi Odubade, who buried his first-time shot into the top left corner giving Ross no chance.
Macclesfield continued pumping long balls into the Maidstone box, with Worgan punching clear time after time, but Maidstone held on for their first League win in 6, and only the 2nd League victory at the Gallagher since promotion.
MAIDSTONE UNITED: 1- Lee Worgan; 22- Seth Nana Twumasi, 15- Anthony Acheampong, 5- Kevin Lokko, 3- Tom Mills; 14- Tom Murphy (17- Ben Greenhalgh 46), 8- Dan Sweeney (10- Jack Paxman 74), 6- James Rogers, 16- Bobby-Joe Taylor; 24- Liam Enver-Marum (23- Yemi Odubade 85), 25- Jamar Loza
Subs not used: 4- Jamie Coyle, 12 Jack Evans.
Goals: Liam Enver-Marum 16
Cautions: Tom Murphy 44, Jamar Loza 81
MACCLESFIELD TOWN: 13- Craig Ross; 2- Andy Halls, 4- Neil Byrne, 5- George Pilkington, 3- David Fitzpatrick; 7- Jack Mackreth, 8- Paul Lewis, 14- Kingsley James, 23- Danny Whitaker (19- Sam Madley 87); 9- Chris Holroyd (11- Danny Rowe 50), 10- Jack Sampson.
Subs not used: 1- Ritchie Branagan, 6- John McCombe, 16- Mitch Hancox.
Goals: Chris Holroyd 8
Cautions: Chris Holroyd 45
Attendance: 2,114
Referee: Mr Carl Brook
Assistants: Mr Stephen Brown and Mr Nick Dunn
Fourth Official: Mr Graeme Ions
Images courtesy of: http://www.edboydenphotos.co.uk/p379504718