Maidstone held their nerves as they move ever closer to the Holy Grail of the Conference South title with a victory against a very good Grays side who took the game to Maidstone but unfortunately for them they go back to Essex empty handed.

Maidstone started the better of the two teams but not at the same intensity as last week and had a few half chances, in the 11^th minute Alex Brown in midfield passed out wide for Craig Stone whose first time cross was dummied by Frannie Collin for Jay May who from 10 yards volleyed wide, three minutes later Jack Parkinson latched onto a clearance and from 25 yards out his shot was saved by Lamar Johnson’s chest before he collected it.

In the 21^st minute Collin passed sideways to Brown whose shot from 25 yards was easily saved by Johnson. Grays first half chance came in the 25^th minute when Joao Carlos 25 yards out saw his shot saved by Lee Worgan. In the very next minute Maidstone could or should have scored when Collin put Billy Bricknell in the area on the right side but his shot under pressure hit the side netting.  In the next minute a free kick for Grays crossed into the area was partially cleared to Kenny Beaney but his shot went wide.

In the 29^th minute a long throw by Stone into the area was flicked on by Steve Watt and it fell to Parkinson whose rocket shot was blocked and cleared. Grays had another chance in the 36^th minute when Harry Agomber’s free kick 30 yards out curled round the wall but went just wide of the post. In the 38^th minute Maidstone nearly took the lead when Parkinson passed out wide to Stone whose cross was met by May and his goal bound header was acrobatically saved by Johnson.  The last chance of the half went Grays way the ball into the area found Dumebi Dumaka who slid the ball into the path of Bradley Fortnam-Tomlinson who from an acute angle saw his cross shot deflected for a corner. Half time arrived and both managers would want more from their players especially Jay Saunders.

Half time 0-0

The second half started with Gray’s on the attack and in the 48^th minute they were unlucky not to take the lead when  Dumaka passed forward for Fortnam-Tomlinson whose shot from 8 yards beat Worgan’s desperate dive but did not have enough power as Shane Huke got back and cleared it off the line, nervy moments for the quiet crowd. In the 50^th minute it was Maidstone’s turn as Brown dispossessed Jay Siva and ran forward and passed it into the path of Collin but his close control let him down and the ball came to Brown who forced a corner.

In the 51^st minute Maidstone took the lead when the corner into the six yard box was headed goal wards by Huke & May on the near post took two attempts but bundled the ball in score his 9^th goal in 9 matches. This should have eased the tension in the ground but Grays had other ideas as they carried on playing football & causing a few problems for the Maidstone defence. In the 62^nd minute another glorious chance came when Collin dispossessed James Stevens and knocked the ball forward for May who then put Brown in the clear on the left side of the area but his cross shot went out for a goal kick.

68 minutes in and disaster struck Maidstone as first on the halfway line Watt nearly had his headed taken off but the referee played on and then Watt committed a foul 25 yards out & Stevens hit it and it took a wicked deflection and wrong footed Worgan but this was what they deserved.

It was now game on for both sides and in the very next minute a Collin free kick into the area came back to him & his cross into the area found Matt Bodkin whose shot was blocked. In the 75^th minute Gray’s nearly took the lead when nice interplay between Dumaka & Agomber’s saw Agomber in on goal & from an acute angle 3 yards out his shot was deflected for a corner.

The game changed again in the 78^th minute when Maidstone restored their lead, James Rogers won possession and passed forward for Collin who collected it ran forward and from 20 yards his shot beat Johnson and nestled in the back of the net, relief all around.

It nearly became three when Ben Greenhalgh on the left crossed into the area for Collin whose powerful header was tipped over the bar.  The final whistle went and there was relief all-round the stadium as their team had not performed at their best but got the result which became better as news filtered in that Hendon had drawn at Dulwich Hamlet.

Maidstone United: Worgan, Stone, Mills, Watt, Huke, Rogers, Brown (Greenhalgh, 77), Parkinson, May, Collin, Bricknell (Bodkin, 45)

Subs Not Used:  Miles, Paxman, Godmon

Bookings: Worgan (90+2)

Grays Athletic: Johnson, Leader, Siva, Cronin, Parry, Stevens (Ferguson, 86), Agomber (Davidson, 80), Beaney, Dumaka, Fortnam-Tomlinson (Little, 86), Carlos

Subs Not Used:  Gough, Bentley

Bookings:  Dumaka (53)

Referee: Mr R.Smith

Assistant Referee’s:   Mr J.Wynne  & Mr B.Trinder