For the first time in the history of the FA Cup, a tie will be played on a 3G pitch, after Ryman Premier League Maidstone United held League Two Stevenage to a goalless draw at the Lamex Stadium.
Although the home side had the greater share of the possession during the game, they rarely threatened Lee Worgan’s goal, until a frantic last 5 minutes, and the Stones will look back on a number of good efforts that passed them by.
A proud manager, Jay Saunders, said afterwards “I thought the boys were outstanding today. They’ve had a few chances at the end through a bit of tiredness getting to the boys, but I thought we had the best of the chances. On another day, we might have taken one, but I thought we did well. I just wanted us to put on a performance, and we’ve done that. They are a Football League side though, and maybe our best chance would have been today, but I’m sure we’ll give them a good game back at the Gallagher.”
“When you come to places like this, you hope they won’t be on their game. Stevenage are a decent side; League One last year and Graham Westley is an experienced manager. You need everyone to be right on it and I thought we were. We defended superbly, broke dangerously at times. They had a spell in the first half where we struggled to keep hold of the ball, but we said to them to go out, enjoy it and try to have a go at them. We did that, and could have nicked a win.”
“I fancied Frannie to put his chance away, but the keeper has done well by standing big. But, we had other chances. We had a ten minute spell with Matty’s (Bodkin) chance, Watty’s header, and you start to think it’s going to be one of those days. We were under a bit of pressure at the end, but you had to expect that.”
“Watty was superb, but there’s no way I could single anyone out today. I think every single one of them did what we asked them to do, and I thought we were outstanding. But, as good as today was, I still look on Wednesday’s game (at home to Dulwich Hamlet in the Ryman League) as a bigger one. We’ve got to prepare well, as I’ve said all along that the League is our priority. Days like this – by the way our support was fantastic – will live long in my memory. The boys were talking about the support before the game, and seeing the reception at the end was amazing.”
Even Stevenage’s Graham Westley appreciated Maidstone’s efforts, adding “We knew they had a strong front four, would take the game forward and would be a threat.”
“They are a big football club and have a team that befits a club of their size. They are certainly not a Ryman Premier team, and their results show you that. They are flying high, winning matches and that gives you momentum. They came here with that momentum and we had to work hard to stifle it and the massive fan base they brought. As the first half wore on, we got into it, and in the second, we were able to stretch the game and created the chances that could have won it. But it’s nil-nil and our defenders were probably our men of the match. Up front we were not as potent as I would have liked.”
“We play every game with our heart and soul at this club, and we can’t afford to be complacent about anyone. Come the replay, we’ll give it everything we’ve got. We knew it wouldn’t be easy today. They would invade us in terms of their fan base, they would have a right go, and they’ve done that and played very well. But we didn’t take our chances and now have to put in another big performance to get into Round 2.”
With Steve Watt and Sonny Miles intercepting Stevenage’s long ball game in the early stages, it was Maidstone who were carving out the better chances. Home goalkeeper, Chris Day was by far the busier of the two custodians, coming quickly off his line within the first 10 minutes to deny Alex Flisher’s run.
Flisher did well to rob former Gillingham midfielder, Charlie Lee, inside the centre circle, allowing Matt Bodkin to drive towards the Stevenage area. Bodkin drew a defender and slipped the ball in for Frannie Collin, whose left foot shot skimmed across the face of goal.
Two minutes later, on 15, a Watt clearance landed beyond the Stevenage back line, where Collin was first to the ball. He waited for Flisher’s overlapping run and the winger put in a low cross that found Bodkin running inside fullback, Elliott Charles. As Collin closed in on the ball after Bodkin’s touch, Bodkin swept an effort towards goal, that beat Day, but Jon Ashton was covering on the line to clear for a corner.
Still inside the first 20 minutes, Watt then latched onto a Flisher long throw, but his glancing header dropped into Day’s grateful arms.
Stevenage’s first effort didn’t arrive until the 21st minute. Charlie Adams cut in from the left, and appeared to have lost the ball. Tom Mills’ sliding challenge though beat Jack Parkinson, and freed Adams to fire a shot past the right post.
Lee Worgan made his first save, holding a shot from Lee that was going wide, but as Stevenage began to get a foothold in the half, Watt had to make two timely interceptions. First, the Stones’ captain denied Lee Barnard with a powerful header, then made a perfectly executed tackle to take the ball away from another ex-Gill, Chris Whelpdale.
Whelpdale had Stevenage’s best chance of the half on 40, latching onto Tom Pett’s left wing cross, before firing a low drive that Worgan did well to save low to his right.
If Stevenage thought they had seen the best Maidstone could offer, they were quickly reminded of the threat from the visitor’s front 4 eight minutes into the second half. Watt broke up an attack on the edge of the Maidstone area, and Parkinson switched play to the other end of the field, releasing Flisher in behind Ronnie Henry. The defender did well to ease Flisher off the ball, allowing Day out to dive at the winger’s feet.
A sweeping Maidstone move saw Jay May have a shot that deflected wide off Ashton. Then, moments later, Bodkin drove through the middle of the Stevenage half, found Flisher running the inside left channel, and Flisher’s shot was well save to his left by Day.
As Graham Westley was urging his team forward, Bodkin ran in behind the Stevenage back 4, but Dean Wells was able to chase down the Maidstone winger before he could get his shot away. Henry also had to be alert to deny Collin a clear sight of goal, after Jamie Coyle had put a Tom Mills cross back across goal.
Maidstone were nearly made to pay for missed chances with 13 minutes left. Substitute Roarie Deacon drifted past Coyle and, as the Stones’ defenders were appealing that the ball had run behind, he pulled a cross back to Whelpdale, who somehow directed his header over from inside 6 yards.
The near 1,400 Maidstone fans in the South Stand were signing “Stand up if you love the Stones” with 10 minutes left, and as if inspired, Collin turned smartly past Wells and drove powerfully into the Stevenage area. With Day to beat, Collin’s shot was deflected away of the keeper’s legs.
Miles bravely blocked a Whelpdale shot from the edge of the area, and from the resulting corner, Parkinson’s towering clearance set Maidstone away on a 4-on-2 counter attack. Bodkin played a crossfield ball to Ben Greenhalgh, whose early cross was headed back across goal by Flisher, only for Day to beat Collin to the dropping ball.
Stevenage played their last card, throwing on a half-fit Chris Beardsley to use his presence, but it was Deacon who nearly broke the deadlock with 3 minutes of normal time left. Beardsley held up a long clearance, allowing Lee to sweep the ball to Deacon on the left side of the area. Deacon tricked his way past Coyle, before unleashing a left foot shot that cannoned back of the outside of the left post.
In stoppage time, Stevenage threw everything but the kitchen sink at Maidstone, although the Stones’ defensive effort would have found a way to block that as well. Darius Charles, once an Ebbsfleet favourite, saw a header rebound from Worgan’s legs, and the keeper appeared to tip a curling Lee shot behind off the left upright, only for the official to point for a goalkick.
So the two teams will take their place in Monday night’s FA Cup Second Round draw, and meet again at the Gallagher to see who will progress.
The final word though, goes to Maidstone co-owner Terry Casey who said “I have to mention the 1,400 people who’ve given us an extra half player. They’ve made so much noise, I can’t tell you how proud I am of this Maidstone team and these wonderful supporters. I don’t think Stevenage will be selling 1,400 tickets to come down to Maidstone, but we showed we deserved to be on that pitch, to get the draw, and I’m really proud of the whole team.”
STEVENAGE: Chris Day, Jon Ashton, Chris Whelpdale, Darius Charles, Tom Pett (Chris Beardsley 84), Dave McAllister (Simon Walton 59), Dean Wells, Charlie Lee, Ronnie Henry, Lee Barnard, Charlie Adams (Roarie Deacon 59).
Subs not used: Sam Beasant, Bira Dembele, Jerome Okimo, Tom Conlon.
MAIDSTONE UNITED: Lee Worgan, Jamie Coyle (Aaron Simpson 88), Tom Mills, Steve Watt ©, Sonny Miles, James Rogers, Matt Bodkin, Jack Parkinson, Jay May (Ben Greenhalgh 73), Frannie Collin (Alex Brown 85), Alex Flisher.
Subs not used: Bradley Jordan, Charley Robertson, Richard Davies, Will Godmon.
Bookings: James Rogers 22, Jack Parkinson 38, Alex Flisher 74.
Attendance: 2,935 (away supporters: 1,375)
Referee: Mr Brett Huxtable
Assistants: Mr Joe Clark and Mr Alix Pashley
4th Official: Mr Dean Treleaven