Saturday 20th August 2011 // Ryman League One // Attendance: 418 // Report by Ruth Tunnell
After a successful pre-season Maidstone United were brought back down to earth after they were comfortably brushed aside by the favourites for the Ryman One South title, Whitehawk.
This was a disappointing performance from The Stones who never got going in this fixture and they struggled to adjust to the dry and bumpy Bourne Park pitch.
From the outset, Whitehawk bossed this fixture and they made sure that Maidstone never settled. With just 13 minutes played Paul Armstrong gained possession on the edge of the area but despite being in acres of space, Armstrong rushed his shot and Charlie Mitten in the Maidstone goal comfortably gathered his scuffed effort.
Then two minutes later Whitehawk got in down the right hand side and Jerahl Hughes squared the ball to Pat Harding who was close to goal but the striker wasted the excellent opportunity and hit the chance over the bar.
Shortly afterwards, Harding found himself baring down on goal again after Mitten’s goal kick had been headed straight back into the Whitehawk player’s path and with only Mitten to beat, Harding’s attempted lob sailed over.
It wasn’t until thirty minutes had passed that Maidstone began to create some chances of their own and Alex Waugh’s volley went wide before Sam Bewick’s effort from distance went in the same direction.
Unsurprisingly, Whitehawk’s dominance finally paid off on 34 minutes when Harding made amends for his earlier misses with a fabulous volley from the right hand side of the area that flew past the stranded Mitten.
Waugh then had an overhead kick held by Chris Winterton in the Whitehawk goal before the visitors added a second on 40 minutes. Maidstone stood off as Whitehawk rampaged forwards and despite Nick Reeves’ best efforts the ball came to Sam Gargan whose fierce drive had enough power to beat Mitten.
With an hour gone, Whitehawk added to their tally when they caught Maidstone’s defence cold and Gargan passed to Hughes who emphatically thumped the ball past Mitten from close range.
Then seven minutes later The Stones came close to pulling a goal back when Ellis Green curled the ball towards the back post where it was met by the stretching Shaun Welford who saw his effort fly across the face of goal.
As the game moved towards full time Whitehawk threatened to score again and Mitten twice had to come to the rescue to keep the score respectable as he first denied Gargan and then he pulled off a good save to deny substitute Ryan Thompson with 90 minutes on the clock.
Maidstone United: -
Whitehawk: Pat Harding 34, Sam Gargan 40, Jerahl Hughes 60.
Maidstone United: Charlie Mitten, Tommy Osbourne, Tom Mills, Nick Reeves, Graeme Andrews, Sam Bewick, Ellis Green, Jay Saunders (Femi Omogbehin 17), Shaun Welford, Alex Waugh (James Pinnock 56), Karl Knight (Alex Flisher 45). Subs not used: Baff Addae, Peter Gill.
Whitehawk: Chris Winterton, Craig Richards, Mark Knee, Paul Armstrong (Ryan Thompson 81), Sammie Elab, Marc Pullan (Karly Akhurst 67), Jerahl Hughes, Joe Kenman, Sam Gargan, Pat Harding (Ben Godfrey 70), Josh Jones. Subs not used: Callum Saunders, Will Berry.
