Saturday 12th November 2011 // Ryman League Division One // Attendance: 484 // Report by Ruth Tunnell
Maidstone United have now opened up a five point gap at the top of Ryman One South as they notched up their fourth league win in a row with a convincing victory against old adversaries Ramsgate.
Last season The Stones finished with thirty seven points but this time around it has taken Maidstone just fifteen matches to achieve the same number and impressively, they have racked up twelve wins during the process.
Once again, Maidstone looked the stronger side from the outset and with just a minute played, Tom Mills found Alex Waugh in space and Waugh’s shot was deflected wide. Then from the resultant corner, Ellis Green’s cross picked out the unmarked Shaun Welford who headed wide.
However, the deadlock was broken on six minutes when Alex Flisher played the ball to Welford inside the area and Welford managed to find Ellis Green who smashed in his sixth goal of the season.
Maidstone’s lead did not last long though as on 18 minutes a long ball forward picked out the excellent Ian Pulman who got in behind Gavin Greenfield and despatched a fine finish past Kelvin Jack.
Six minutes later Danny Lye hooked the ball forward to Graeme Andrews who had ventured forwards and he drove his shot across the face of goal but with 25 minutes played Maidstone re-established their lead. This time Waugh headed the ball into the path of Welford and despite the attention of three Ramsgate players Welford confidently slotted the ball past Danny Twyman.
Then on 28 minutes The Stones added a third when Welford sent Green’s cross back across goal and Flisher dived to head in his second goal in as many games.
Jack was called into action to deny Ben Laslett with 33 minutes player and then with half time looming, the Maidstone keeper prevented Ramsgate pulling a goal back when he found himself one on one with Pulman and he made two good saves to deny the Ramsgate marksman.
Maidstone started the second half sluggishly and on 47 minutes Pascal Ebigbo got in down the right hand side and forced Jack to parry his shot. Then just a minute later, Ramsgate went even closer when Pulman intercepted an attempted back pass from Gavin Greenfield and he knocked the ball past Jack only for Tommy Osborne to clear the ball off the line.
Pulman caused problems again seconds later but this time his shot at the near post went wide and Maidstone put the game beyond Ramsgate with 58 minutes played when a good run from Osborne ended with him slipping the ball to Waugh who scored his third goal in two games.
One minute later, The Stones went close again when Green’s corner came to Welford who headed the ball goalwards only for substitute Mitchell Sherwood to head the ball off the line.
Greenfield then had to be alert to make a good block to divert Pulman’s shot wide and on 68 minutes Sam Bewick found Waugh in space inside the box but Twyman was quick to come out of his goal and smother the ball.
As the game moved towards full time, Maidstone looked to add a fifth goal but the closest they came was when Twyman’s clearance came to Flisher and with the Ramsgate keeper drawn from goal, Flisher’s lob looked to be heading in until Luke Wheatley intervened with a great header from close to the goal line.
Maidstone United: Ellis Green 6, Shaun Welford 25, Alex Flisher 28, Alex Waugh 58
Ramsgate: Ian Pulman 18
Maidstone United: Kelvin Jack, Tommy Osborne, Tom Mills, Gavin Greenfield (James Abraham 82), Graeme Andrews (Sam Bewick 67), Danny Lye, Ellis Green (Baff Addae 76), Michael Phillips, Shaun Welford, Alex Waugh, Alex Flisher. Subs not used: Jay Saunders, James Pinnock.
Ramsgate: Danny Twyman, Michael Yianni (Mitchell Sherwood 52), Luke Gregory, Luke Wheately, Liam Quinn, Ben Laslett, Pascal Ebigbo, Simon Pettit (Warren Schulz 72), Mark Lovell, Ian Pulman, Steve O’Brien (Joe Taylor 72). Subs not used: Tom Chapman, David Parker.
