Maidstone United lost ground in their promotion push as Concord deservedly got a point when they equalised in the 1st minute of added on time.
The game took 10 minutes to get going with Maidstone probably rusty after 3 weeks without a game & Concord taking time to get into their rhythm, but then chances came for both sides.
In the 10th minute James White picked up a loose ball & saw his shot from 30 yards sail over the bar, in the next minute Vas Karagiannis free kick 35 yards out was swung into the area evading everyone & going just past the post.
In the 13th minute Sam Bantick nicked the cross field pass off Callum Driver’s feet & ran on into the area where his shot flashed across the goal going just past the post.
In the next minute another free kick from Karagiannis into the area was deflected for a corner, a minute later Lewis Taaffe saw his 20 yard snap shop easily saved by Lee Worgan.
In the 18th minute Driver on the right side went forward & across the goal & from the left side 20 yards out his shot went over the bar.
In the very next minute Maidstone could have taken the lead when Tom Mills put Charles Banya through & his low cross found Dan Sweeney three yards & his shot was smothered by Ben McNamara & then hacked away.
Two minutes later Banya was put through by Sweeney & his cross shot was smothered by the onrushing McNamara for a corner & from it Manny Parry rose & headed wide.
In the 24th minute Ben Greenhalgh playing against his old club went down the right wing & crossed into the area where Steve Cawley acrobatically volleyed wide.
Three minutes later Worgan came to the rescue when Taaffe’s cross as flicked on to Bantick who controlled it & shot at goal but Worgan got a touch to it to concede a corner.
In the 33rd minute a Greenhalgh cross from the left found Taaffe but his header went wide & then in the 35th minute against the run of play Maidstone scored when Mills down the left crossed to the back post where Joe Healy was & he headed in.
5 minutes later Banya got to the by-line & his dinked cross found Sweeney but his header was saved.
In the 41st minute Concord could or should have equalised when s loopy play at the back saw Greenhalgh nick the ball & play in Bantick, once in the area he only had Worgan to beat but Worgan parried his shot away, then a minute later Alex Akrofi latched onto a long ball & from an acute angle 15 yards out hit the side netting.
The second half saw Concord carry on as the better side & in the 57th minute they equalised when Cawley running forward saw his shot from 25 yards out go past the diving Worgan into the net.
4 minutes later Mills saw his first time shot from 20 yards parried away by the keeper & then in the next minute Healy passed to Birchall in the area & Steve King dived in & fouled him & a penalty was given, it took three minutes as Birchall received treatment for Karagiannis to step up & shoot in the left hand corner.
Concord continued to press forward & in the 70th minute Greenhalgh put Cawley in & his 18 yards shot was pushed around the post by Worgan.
With time running out & Maidstone hanging on disaster struck for Maidstone as in the first minute of added on time a corner came in & John Easterford headed in to the dismay of the team, management & supporters but reality tells you that they deserved that.
MAIDSTONE UNITED:
- WORGAN 2. C.DRIVER 3. T.MILLS 4. M.PARRY 5. C.DAVIES 6. J.ROGERS 7. C.BANYA (81) 8. J.HEALY 9. A.AKROFI (54) 10. D.SWEENEY 11. V.KARAGIANNIS (74)
SUBS USED: 17. A.BIRCHALL(54) 15. M.BODKIN(74) 16. A.FLISHER(81)
SUBS NOT USED: 12. B-J.TAYLOR 14. J.PAXMAN
BOOKINGS: 11. V.KARAGIANNIS (69) 10. D.SWEENEY (90+4)
CONCORD RANGERS:
- McNAMARA 2. J.HAMMOND 3. T.STEPHEN 4. J.DOWIE 5. S.KING 6. J.EASTERFORD 7. L.TAAFFE(90+3) 8. J.WHITE 9. B.GREENHALGH 10. S.CAWLEY 11. S.BANTICK(90+2)
SUBS USED: 14. M.CORNWALL (90+2) 12. A.LEE (90+3)
SUBS NOT USED: 15. B.NEWELL 16. A.TOPLEY 17. M.CORDEROY
REFEREE: Mr A.LAVER
ASSISTANTS: Mr T.GREAVES & Mr E.HEWARD
ATTENDANCE: 2,355