Saturday 8th October 2011 // FA Trophy // Attendance: // Report by Ruth Tunnell.
After losing in the FA Cup to Bognor Regis Town last week, Maidstone would have hoped to have kick started a good run in the FA Trophy with a victory over Ashford Town Middlesex but a disappointing performance from The Stones lead to their interest in the Trophy ending at the first hurdle.
It’s not often Maidstone manager Jay Saunders has had cause to be annoyed with his side this season but he was in no doubt that this was a bad afternoon for The Stones saying: “We started alright and scored a goal but three of the lads at the back who I don’t need to name weren’t up to it today and I am fuming, absolutely fuming.”
The Stones started brightly enough though and on six minutes Baff Addae and James Pinnock exchanged passes before Addae drove the ball across the goal and it was deflected behind for a corner.
However, just three minutes later, Maidstone took the lead when Pinnock battled in midfield to win possession and slipped the ball into Shaun Welford who entered the box and drilled the ball past the stranded Paul McCarthy in the Ashford goal.
There after there was little to note although the home side did have two opportunities towards the end of an uninspiring first half when twice the Maidstone defence allowed Ashford too much space but on 35 minutes Mark Bitmead shot straight at Charlie Mitten and then five minutes later, Dan Brown saw a rising drive clear the bar.
Three minutes after the break, Alex Flisher headed the ball down into the path of Sam Bewick who struck the ball towards goal only for McCarthy to make a good diving save and within sixty seconds, Ashford were level. The home side won a free-kick inside the Maidstone half and with The Stones’ defence asleep, Pietro Pallandino drove the ball across goal. It looked as though Pallandino’s effort was going to fly wide until Ashley Lodge reacted quickly to divert the ball into the net.
Matters then got even worse for Maidstone on 51 minutes when once again their defence was ripped open and Shane Graham had the time and the space to smash the ball past Mitten.
After seeing their lead evaporate inside just two minutes, The Stones tried to get back into the game and they went close on the hour mark when Welford flicked the ball into the path of Pinnock whose shot on the turn went just wide of the right hand post.
Four minutes later substitute Jay Saunders headed the ball to Pinnock who laid it back to Bewick and the Maidstone midfielder saw his drive go wide and then seconds later, a spell of pressure ended with another good effort from Bewick but once again, he only just failed to hit the target.
Then thirteen minutes from time a short corner from Bewick was played to Flisher who whipped in a deep cross and Saunders’ header went agonisingly wide before Ashford had a good opportunity to score a third on 79 minutes when Pallandino crossed to the unmarked Bitmead who headed wide.
With the game moving towards full time, substitute Alex Waugh managed to dig out a shot inside a crowded penalty area but it did not trouble McCarthy and then with the match deep in stoppage time, Ashford scored again when Bitmead drove the ball towards the near post and Pallandino flicked it into the net from close range.
Ashford Town: Ashley Lodge 49, Shane Graham 51, Pietro Pallandino 90
Maidstone United: Shaun Welford 9
Ashford Town: Paul McCarthy, Samad Kazi, Takahiro Kirihara, Russell Canderton, Jim Mann, Jack Mullan, Ashley Lodge, Shane Graham (Ed Thomas 74), Dan Brown, Pietro Pallandino, Mark Bitmead. Subs not used: Rob Curtis, Josh Andrew, Harry Knock, Steve Windegard.
Maidstone United: Charlie Mitten, Tommy Osborne, Tom Mills, Nick Reeves, Graeme Andrews, Jimmy Humphris (Jay Saunders 52), James Pinnock, Sam Bewick, Shaun Welford, Baff Addae (Alex Waugh 69), Alex Flisher. Subs not used: Karl Knight, James Abraham, Peter Gill.
