Maidstone United’s under 18s took Redhill to the slaughter as they obliterated the Surrey side by thirteen goals to nil.
Although Maidstone had only two second year under 18s in their side, it was very much men against boys at the Gallagher Stadium, with the home side easily reaching double figures and hitting the woodwork a startling nine times.
The Stones were rampant throughout, employing a fluid 4-3-3 formation which encouraged the full backs to bomb forward and the midfielders and attackers to roam from their positions to find pockets of space, and in truth Redhill could never cope with the quality of the Stones’ incisive passing and movement from the off.
Watched on by first team management Jay Saunders and John Brook, Kaiyne Woolery gave the Jack Parkinson’s side the lead on seven minutes, his twenty-yard shot creeping ominously past Grant Joy at his near post.
Woolery thought he had doubled his sides lead seemingly seconds later, however his goal was chalked off after the assistant referee’s flag was raised for offside.
It was only a matter of minutes before the Stones did find a second though, with the imperious central midfielder Charley Robinson finishing well after a mazy run from the equally domineering central midfielder Dan Parkinson.
With a quarter of the game played, Robertson and Norton both hit the bar before Woolery went on a magnificently mesmerising run, bamboozling four players before being fouled in the box, and Sam Norton stepped up to score his first of the night.
Parkinson then had his long-range shot tipped over after a well-worked corner routine, and Norton made it four, tapping in after Joy could only parry Robertson’s header to the striker’s feet.
The fifth goal of the night was certainly the games’ best; the impressive left back Dan Johnson steamed forward and his cross fell to right back Jack Sullivan, and his stunning first-time 30 yard-strike cannoned straight into the top corner.
The goal summed up the Stones’ set-up at this point, with the full backs effectively being used as wide midfielders as ten Redhill players camped along and inside their penalty area.
The second half was to be no let up for the visitors, and it took eight minutes for Maidstone to extend their lead after the restart. That man Norton was there in the right place at the right time again, slotting home after picking up Robertson’s slipped pass.
Norton then got his fourth and final goal of the match, tapping home after Martin Remess ducked and dived on the left wing before squaring to the 16-year-old forward.
Substitute Robert Pratt then got his team’s eighth, scoring with his first touch after Norton’s shot was tapped onto the bar by Joy.
Norton and Parkinson then both hit the woodwork and Remess saw his header tipped over, however the Latvian was not to be denied and he made it nine with twenty minutes remaining.
Parkinson hit the post again, and perhaps just for a moment Maidstone began to huff and puff a little as they looked to reach double figures, however Taylor McDonagh showed all the composure in the world to make it ten, lofting the ball over onrushing Joy.
Robertson got his team’s eleventh with eleven left to play, and with three minutes left the impressive Dan Johnson deservedly got to score a penalty after McDonagh was brought down.
Redhill’s Rhys Green then has his side’s best chance of the game, cutting in from the left and unleashing a rasping strike which well saved by Jamie Kelly, who had remained fully alert despite a rather boring evening from his point of view.
Thirteen may be unlucky for some but it wasn’t to be for this Maidstone United team, and it was to be Dan Johnson who would have the final word of the night, tapping home to make it 13-0 with the last kick of the game.
Maidstone United: Kaiyne Woolery 7, Charlie Robertson 13, 79, Sam Norton 25 (pen), 32, 53, 59, Jack Sullivan 40, Robert Pratt 61, Martin Remess 68, Taylor McDonagh 77, Dan Johnson 87, (pen), 90
Redhill: -
Maidstone United (4-3-3): Jamie Kelly; Jack Sullivan, Jack Kensington (c), Taylor McDonagh, Dan Johnson; James Goode (Luke Hennessy 56), Dan Parkinson, Charley Robertson; Kaiyne Woolery (Martin Remess 56), Ross Bassan (Robert Pratt 60), Sam Norton. Subs not used: Connor Bovingdon, Taylor Gable (GK)
Redhill (4-4-2): Grant Joy; Ted Nash, Giles Lloyd (Omar Bah 77), Luke Bellars, Kenny Cainnech McCrann; Adrian Abbas (George Freeman 56), Pedro Dos-Santos-De, Matthew Cousins, Dylan Rigobert; Ross Knight, Daniel Chapman (Rhys Green 56) Subs not used: Charlie Schoble
Entertaining match to watch, and with it being 5-0 by half time you knew the game was over! Great strike from sully and kaiyne woolery impressed me too!
Good start to the campaign I look forward to seeing “The Stones” in action again!!