With extra time looming, a last gasp strike from Sidney Warden saw Maidstone United win the Kent Reliance Under 16s Kent Cup against an Ebbsfleet United side who played their own part in a Final that kept the spectators enthralled throughout, even if it didn’t ever explode into life!
Defeated Ebbsfleet coach Phil Miles told KSN, “It was a typical Final wasn’t it? Two sides cancelling each other out where only one goal was going to win it! Sadly today it wasn’t our day. In a game where there were so few chances, they took theirs and sadly we didn’t. It’s sad for the boys as we’ve beaten some really good teams to get here, but I wonder whether it was because it was a Cup Final – I don’t know!”
Miles added, “It’s a massive disappointment for all of us; we just couldn’t finish the run off the way we wanted to, but fair play to Maidstone!”
For the victorious Maidstone boss, Lloyd Hume, this was the culmination of some hard work.
He told KSN, “we’ve worked hard since this team was put together two years ago, so I’m delighted. We showed today that we could knuckle down and tough it out; I didn’t think it was much of a game, but to be fair when I saw the pitch was so hard and bobbly, I thought that’s what might happen. Both teams deserve a lot of credit for the game they produced, and we’re delighted to have won the Trophy!”
The game’s only goal on a way summed up the contest – gloriously simple! Yasir Sakeer sprinted clear down the left and as he pulled the ball into the centre, Warden timed his run magnificently to sweep the ball into the bottom corner of the Fleet net giving keeper Harry Potter no chance whatsoever!
Warden’s celebrations summed up just how much the victory meant to Hume’s team as he wheeled away only to be mobbed by his team mates.
There was something of an irony that Warden was to be the scoring hero as in the first half the Stones’ best chances had come from Warden set pieces.
It was from his corner that Colby Watt’s header was scrambled off the line by Charlie Grogan, and later his free kick was again met by Grogan whose header this time smacked off the Ebbsfleet bar. Sakeer was also denied by the woodwork later in the half.
But it wasn’t all Maidstone – far from it in fact, but Coach Miles was first to admit that his side just couldn’t connect in the final third at a rate they would have liked.
But just before the half hour Donvieve Jones (whose battle with Maidstone’s Oluwalayo Awokoya was a joy to behold throughout) sprinted into the box and as keeper Edward Harvey came out, the young man held his nerve and rolled the ball past the keeper only for Daniel Skinner to save the Stones with a goal line clearance.
The second half followed the same pattern as it ebbed and flowed, but with few goal scoring chances.
Warden was denied by a brave save from Potter as the Stones’ striker thought he’d wriggled clear, whilst at the other end Connor Watson thundered in a half volley which flew narrowly wide of the Maidstone left post with keeper Harvey struggling.
Warden then fired in a great drive that Potter expertly palmed over the bar with both hands, but Warden was to have the last word as he brilliantly steered in Sakeer’s cross to win the Cup for Maidstone.
At the presentations, the Stones allowed their injured skipper Tyler Docwray to collect the trophy – Docwray would have played but for an injury last weekend. A gracious touch by his team mates at the end of a totally absorbing Final!
EBBSFLEET UNITED – Harry Potter, Andrew Skinner, Charlie Grogan, Josh Dorling, Charlie Owen, Donvieve Jones, Connor Watson, James Miles, Lewis wood, Luke Smith, Tom Bond
Subs – Samuel Miles, Joe Cooper, Morgan Hendricks, Logan Mersh, Ezekiel Eboda
MAIDSTONE UNITED – Edward Harvey, Jordan Baker, Colby Wait, Daniel Skinner, Frankie Kennedy, Leyton O’Connor, Sidney Warden, Yasir Sakeer, Harrison Hume, Oluwalayo Awokoya, Owen Featherstone
Subs – Benjamin Brako, Ojani Adebayo, Lennie Laker, Tyler Dockwray
Pictures supplied by PSP Images.