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For the seventh time this season
The Stones hit five goals past the opposition but a
more convincing win would have been a truer reflection
of the gulf between the two sides.
This was another excellent performance from Maidstone
as they controlled the game right from the outset. In
addition to the five goals, they also hit the bar three
times and had three efforts cleared off the line. The
Stones’ dominance over Sevenoaks lead Alan Walker
to say : “ I think that their man of the match
was probably their goalkeeper, I think he was outstanding
until we scored the first goal. To be fair 5-0 really
flattered them. It could have been a lot, lot more.”
John-Paul Green in the Sevenoaks goal was in for a
busy afternoon and he pulled off a tremendous save with
9 minutes played. Sam Tydeman, returning to the side
after injury, played a corner into the box that was
flicked on by Ryan Royston and Green flung himself to
deny Lynden Rowland from close range.
Charlie Hawkes then saw a low shot easily saved as
Sevenoaks finally managed to break out of defence but
The Stones quickly put them back under pressure when
Nick Hegley passed to Mo Takaloo who had his back to
goal. Takaloo managed to flick the ball up and as he
turned and struck the ball across the face of goal,
Rowland was inches away from applying the vital touch.
Rowland then had a header cleared off the line by Andy
Mills but after going close numerous times, The Stones
finally took the lead with 24 minutes played. Rowland
put the ball across the face of goal and Takaloo’s
over head kick came back off the bar for Hegley to smash
the ball in past Green.
Four minutes later, Takaloo had a shot cleared off
the line but Sevenoaks couldn’t prevent Rowland
from ending his mini-goal drought just before half time.
Takaloo was back working hard in defence and he released
Hegley who sent over a pin point cross and Rowland just
had to pick his spot to score with his head.
Rowland collected his second of the afternoon shortly
after the break when Aaron Lacy headed Green’s
goal kick to Nathan Paul put it another good cross and
Rowland powered his header through Green’s outstretched
arms.
Lacy and Paul were instrumental in another flowing
Stones move moments later which ended with Paul’s
header looping off the bar before Lee Sperring, on as
a substitute for Nick Hegley, forced Green to make an
excellent tip over with a rising drive. Then from the
resultant corner, Tydeman’s cross was headed in
off the post by Mario Celaire.
With 67 minutes played it was Ryan Royston’s turn
to see his effort strike the bar but the Stones rounded
off the scoring shortly afterwards. Pat Mullin pumped
a goal kick into Sevenoaks’ half which Rowland
flicked into Sperring’s path and he raced to the
edge of the box before clipping a low finish past Green.
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