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It has taken five seasons but
Maidstone United should finally be playing Isthmian
League football next season after a 3-1 win over Deal
Town guaranteed The Stones will finish in at least second
place in the Kent League.
The result means that there will be no repeat of the
heartbreak of three seasons ago when it seemed promotion
was almost certain but a poor end to the season meant
The Stones missed out.
Unsurpringly the result left Lloyd Hume feeling delighted.
He said: "Promotion has been the main aim all season.
I honestly think that if we win our last two games we
will win the league and hopefully we will win the cup
final too and all of a sudden it will have been a fantastic
season. "
The Stones nearly took an early lead on three minutes
when a Deal back pass put keeper Robert Lindley under
pressure. He could only find Nick Hegley with his clearance
and Hegley unselfishly played the ball into the middle
where Nathan Paul saw his shot blocked. Then from the
following corner, taken by Sam Tydeman, Josh Davidson
forced Lindley to tip his goal bound header past his
own post.
However, with 14 minutes gone Lindley was beaten. A
Stones corner came out to the edge of the box where
the ball was clearly handled by Jamie Marriott. With
the Maidstone faithful appealing loudly, Craig Roser
managed to win possession and thread the ball into Mo
Takaloo who slotted his shot into the far corner of
the net.
A good spell of Maidstone pressure nearly brought about
a second goal on 22 minutes. Hegley crossed for Leory
Huggins who had his header blocked and from the resultant
corner, Mario Celaire's header was pushed off the line
by Lindley.
But a second goal did finally arrive with 35 minutes
played when Tydeman lofted in his third goal of the
season from a tight angle.
Just 4 minutes later though, Maidstone gifted Deal
a goal. Pat Mullin shouted to claim a cross into the
box but accidently dropped the ball into the back of
Mario Celaire and when the ball broke lose, David Bathgate
had the simple task of tapping the ball into the unguarded
net.
This goal seemed to make The Stones nervous and for
a long period of the second half they failed to get
properly into their stride. Several times, Craig Roser
came to the rescue with a vital touch or tackle just
as it seemed as if Deal would force an equaliser.
Then with 63 minutes on the clock, Lee Minshull wasted
a good chance for the visitors when he headed Danny
Smith's cross just wide.
However, the tension was finally dispelled 15 minutes
from time when Tydeman whipped in a deep corner and
Ryan Royston raced in to power his header past Lindley.
Deal ran straight up the other end though and Marc
Pollard's shot stuck the top of the bar but there after
Maidstone played well, and they could have added to
their goal tally. First, Leory Huggins shot hit the
side netting after he received a good pass from Takaloo
then Hegley's drive flew just wide. And with the game
in stoppage time, Craig Roser was a whisker away from
scoring his first goal for the club but his excellent
effort narrowly went over the bar.
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