Wednesday 7 September 2011 // Ryman League Division One South // Attendance: 412 // Report by Darren Lovell
The Stones doubled their league points tally for the season with a narrow but unconvincing one goal victory over their landlords at Bourne Park.
This game was hastily re-arranged following the sixth minute abandonment due to floodlight failure of this fixture the previous week and despite concerns that the crowd would be significantly down on the original gate of 447, these concerns were allayed as 412 fans came through the turnstiles.
Maidstone had been in free scoring form of late but apart from the opening 25 minutes of the game the home side did not look as if they were in a free scoring mood. In the 13th minute, Alex Flisher delivered a long throw into the penalty area from the left which was flicked on by the head of Graeme Andrews. The ball dropped into the 6 yard area and Ellis Green tried an acrobatic overhead shot but his effort narrowly cleared Tim Roberts’ cross bar.
The game’s sole goal came in the 21st minute. Green stood over a free kick on the left hand side of the field 30 yards from goal. The tricky winger whipped a cross into the area that sailed into the “corridor of uncertainty” between the defensive line and the goalkeeper. Andrews launched an attempted diving header at the ball but failed to connect with it and this left Roberts rooted to the spot as the ball carried on into the net just inside the far post.
The Stones had found their rhythm and were beginning to build pressure on The Brickies defence until disastrously, for the second week running the floodlights failed again. On this occasion only one pylon failed (rather than a whole side as per last time.) Fortunately, the delay in play was only nine minutes as staff from Sittingbourne FC swiftly rectified the problem.
Having been in fluent form up until the stoppage The Stones for some reason appeared to lose any flow to their game following the delay and from here on in, it was Sittingbourne who enjoyed the better of the exchanges. The game became a little fractious for a short while. New signing from Tonbridge Angels Tim Olorunda, put a sturdy challenge in on Dan Palfrey. The left back didn’t take kindly to the tackle and unwisely chose to “front up” with the imposing six foot plus Olorunda. Green stepped in to separate the two players but instead of defusing the matter he became part of the problem and for his troubles he (along with Palfrey) was cautioned.
In the period immediately before the half time break there were chances for both sides. Shaun Welford turned on the edge of the area and volleyed a 20 yard effort narrowly over the cross bar before Sittingbourne went close twice in quick succession. A neat move down the right flank resulted in Sam Groombridge having a chance on goal. His low 20 yard shot was only narrowly wide of the target. Within sixty seconds of this Joe Goldsmith whistled a 25 yard drive just inches wide of Charlie Mitten’s upright.
The second half was full of huff and puff from the home side with little reward as The Brickies constantly threatened to draw level. However, Welford came close to doubling the lead in the 69th minute when he curled a low shot from 18 yards towards the bottom right corner of the goal only to see Roberts tip the ball away at full stretch for a corner. From the resultant corner Andrews saw his goal bound header cleared from the line. Green returned the clearance into the centre of the area but Welford guided his header over the top of goal.
Sittingbourne’s best chance to level the scores came twelve minutes from time. Jack Hooper was played in behind the Maidstone defensive line and saw Mitten advance from his line. Hooper lobbed an early strike towards goal and Mitten just managed to get fingertips to the ball as it went over his head. His touch was just enough to divert the ball fractionally wide of the far post.
Maidstone United: Charlie Mitten, Tommy Osborne, Karl Knight, Tom Mills, Graeme Andrews, Tim Olorunda, Ellis Green, Sam Bewick, Shaun Welford. Jimmy Humphris (Baff Addae 77), Alex Flisher. Subs not used: Sean Johnson, Lewis Mingle, James Abraham, Peter Gill
Sittingbourne: Roberts, Cooper, Palfrey, Groombridge, Nnamani, Manners, Hooper, Richmond, Golding, Goldsmith, Akhazzan Subs: West, Harrold, Girt, Kayembe, Reed
