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Prior to kick off there would
not have been many people present at Bourne Park who
would have thought that this game would turn out to
be so one-sided. Historically, games between Maidstone
and Thamesmead are close fought battles with a tough
physical edge. Today’s fixture though was different.
Speaking to Thamesmead’s manager Paul Blade after
the match, the opinion offered regarding the visitors’
performance was this, “We didn’t have the
bottle out there today.” (I have politely paraphrased
that quote!) Assistant Manager Keith McMahon added “We
only made one tackle in the entire second half. We weren’t
prepared to get stuck in and give a bit of stick out.
We didn’t deserve anything from the game.”
The feeling from the home camp was, not surprisingly,
one of total satisfaction. Lloyd Hume said “I won’t
shy away from praising the team but on our day we can
beat any team in our league by 5-0. If we have 9 of
our team performing to the level we expect then we’ll
win. Conversely, if we under perform or under achieve
in any area we can get beaten or drop points too.”
The game itself was very open and the opening goal
came after 14 minutes and from an unusual source too.
Craig Roser who had a very strong game at left back
found space on the left touchline and sent in a teasing
cross which Nathan Paul just failed to get a touch on.
The defensive clearance reached the edge of the penalty
area where Jason Barton met the ball first time and
lashed a low shot into the bottom right hand corner
of Danny Kemp’s net. This was Barton’s first
goal of the season and was the platform for what The
Stones were about to produce.
Within 90 seconds it was 2-0 to Maidstone. Jimmy Strouts
won the ball in midfield and threaded a delightful pass
along the ground to the feet of Mo Takaloo. The Stones’
leading scorer took the ball past Mark Merriden and
then shot beyond the onrushing Kemp.
Mead were handed (quite literally) an outstanding chance
to get back into the game just 7 minutes later. Whilst
defending deep in his own area at a set piece, Lynden
Rowland rose to head clear from goal but instead thrust
up an arm and clearly handled the ball. Rowland later
claimed that he was shoved from behind thus causing
the involuntary upward movement of his arm. Undeniably
a penalty, Ross Cable (who played all of last season
for The Stones reserves together with his brother Rikki)
stepped up to take on the spot kick responsibility.
Sadly for the striker, his low, placed effort was not
strong enough to beat Pat Mullin in goal and the Stones’
keeper swooped low to his right to tip the ball around
for a corner. This was definitely a lucky escape for
the home side.
Within a minute, Takaloo had broken through The Mead
defence, outstripping both Merriden and Dean Kearley
for pace before causing Kemp to rescue his side with
a good save at the expense of a corner. Takaloo should
have made it 3-0 shortly after this when following a
great run and cross shot from Paul, Takaloo somehow
managed to fail to slot the ball home from no more than
two yards, Kemp again coming to his side’s rescue
as he scooped the ball away.
Mead had their most productive period of the game just
prior to half time. Firstly an inswinging corner from
veteran Peter Deadman was headed off the line by Aaron
Lacy and within a minute Ross Cable fired a snapshot
from 20 yards out that Mullin held comfortably.
The game was effectively won in the 61st minute when
Takaloo coolly slotted home a penalty, sending Kemp
the wrong way with his kick. The award of the spot kick
may have been deemed as harsh as Paul struck the ball
at half time substitute Scott Saunders from a distance
of little more than two yards, the Town player having
absolutely no chance to evade contact with the ball.
With the scent of goals in his nostrils, Takaloo completed
his 3rd hat trick of the season just 5 minutes later.
A superb cross-field ball from Sam Tydeman found Rowland
on the right hand side of the penalty area and the tireless
and unselfish forward supplied an exquisite low cross
which flashed across the goal to the waiting Takaloo
who was positioned ideally at the far post to add the
simplest of finishes to a fine move. That was goal number
34 of the season for Maidstone’s leading goalscorer.
Lloyd Hume was able to rest both of his strikers with
such a comfortable lead and Lee Sperring was on hand
to add the 5th goal of the afternoon. His 83rd minute
strike from just inside the penalty was an instinctive
response to a harsh caution received just a minute before
for alleged ‘simulation.’
Thamesmead’s misery was complete and this was
compounded by the fact that the last 15 minutes of the
game were played out in driving snow. In the dying minutes,
both Andy Hart with a far post lunge and Sperring with
a powerful drive, just failed to add to the home side’s
tally of 5 goals, a total that they have managed to
score but failed to exceed 6 times so far this campaign.
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