Wednesday 7th December 2011 // Alan Boon Cup 4th Round // Attendance: 117 // Report by Sam Bunn.
It can not be doubted that for most, sitting in your warm living room watching former Stone Chris Smalling’s Manchester United is a far better fare than watching an Isthmian League Cup match at a bitterly cold Bourne Park. However the 117 hardy souls who made their way up the A249 on Wednesday night were rewarded for their fanaticism with another fine performance from Maidstone’s next batch of exciting young players.
Three very well taken goals from Alex Waugh (2) and Sam Bewick saw that the Stones comfortably beat a Ryman Premier League side Leatherhead.
It was the home side who started on the front foot and it took just six minutes for Alex Waugh to register his 5th goal in this particular competition this season. Ash Greenwood, making his first team debut for the club on the right-hand-side of midfield, fed the ball to Waugh, and the former Margate man cut inside before curling a delightful left-footed shot into the top corner.
Buoyed by the early goal, the Stones continued to press on and Leatherhead were struggling to make it out of their own half – this was mainly thanks to the disastrous kicking of the Tanners ‘keeper, Audi Matheson-Light, who continually punted the ball to those clad in amber in favour of those in green.
Under the instruction of manager Richard Brady, instructing his players vociferously throughout the night from his position in the away directors box, Leatherhead began to press the ball higher up the pitch and managed to carve out their first chance of the match when Ben Andrews blazed over. Andrews was comfortably his sides most potent attacking threat from the left of midfield, however as a result his left back counterpart Rob Hill was often exposed, and it was down this side that Maidstone began to punish the away side. Sam Bewick – notching up his 26th appearance of the season with another brilliantly energetic performance – twice burst from central midfield to get in behind Hill, however both times his low crosses somehow managed to evade a goalward touch.
Nevertheless, the Stones’ pressure finally paid off when Bewick made it 2-0 with a delightfully placed finish from inside the area. It was once again Ash Greenwood who provided the assist, and the 22-year-old’s performance certainly will keep him in Jay Saunders’ thoughts ahead of the busy Christmas schedule.
The second half saw the introduction of Dillon Cascoe and Tommy Hutchins up front for the visitors, and the pair quickly gave the Stones defence a lot more to think about after a fairly easy first half. The youthful defensive trio of Knight, Mills and Abraham, along with the experienced Tommy Osbourne, dealt admirably with what was thrown at them however, with only one chance falling to Hutchins whose shot was well saved by Powell.
After the Stones had weathered the early pressure from Leatherhead, Alex Waugh notched up his 10th goal in ten starts to make it 3-0. Matheson-Light continued from where he left off in the first half, punting a routine kick straight to Waugh, who took one touch before volleying home from 25 yards. The goal ended the game as a contest, and the rest of the match was played out at a fairly pedestrian pace, and Maidstone can now look forward to playing in the Isthmian League Cup quarter finals for the first time since their reformation.
Maidstone United: Waugh (6, 55), Bewick (34)
Leatherhead: -
Maidstone United: Marc Powell, Tommy Osborne, Tom Mills, Karl Knight, James Abraham, Sam Bewick, Ellis Green, Jay Saunders (Danny Lye 75), James Pinnock, Alex Waugh (Nathan Faulkes 57), Ash Greenwood (Michael Phillips 68). Subs not used: Baff Addae, Graeme Andrews.
Leatherhead: Audi Matheson-Light, Elliot Thomson, Rob Hill, Dan Dean, Steve Rowe, Lewis Chin, Jack McLeod, Vernon Francis, Ryan Thomas, Kieron Lunn, Greg Andrews. Subs: Colin Richmond, Dillon Cascoe, Jordayne Henry, Tommy Hutchings, Chico Ramos.
