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Stones manager Lloyd Hume blasted
his players after a lacklustre performance for 60 minutes
against Whitstable arguably cost his side maximum points.
This was a keenly contested game with both sides having
chances to win the match and Whitstable should have
had a healthy lead by the time the Stones grabbed an
undeserved equaliser in first half stoppage time.
And it was the way the Stones started so poorly that
concerned Hume. He said: “ In the first half an
hour we could have been 2 or 3 down and I don’t
think that’s acceptable. Its nothing to do with
the players not trying hard its to do with attitude.
We should have started the game like we finished it.”
It was a defensive error from Ryan Royston with 7 minutes
gone which lead to Steve Marshall sending Dave Wietecha
the wrong way for the opening goal. And when Hume got
caught out at the back, Whitstable really should have
doubled their lead but Stuart Harrison’s shot missed
the goal.
Sam Tydeman was desperately trying to drive some life
into the Stones performance and a neat move which started
with Hume and Mario Celaire tidying up at the back ended
with the midfielder striking a shot from distance which
Marc Brown did well to parry wide.
Sam Prett and Marc Seager then threatened the Stones
goal before United got a precious equaliser. Gary Kimble’s
corner caused problems in the Whitstable box and Brown
was only able to punch the ball as far as Celaire who
had time to pick a spot and smash the ball into the
net.
The Stones emerged in the second half with Nick Hegley
and Neil Miller on for Simon Austin and Lloyd Hume and
it was Hegley who particularly shone for United. With
68 minutes gone, and with Maidstone finally showing
some much needed urgency, Hegley’s persistence
lead to him crossing for Jimmy Strouts to get a slight
touch to Mo Takaloo but his volley just cleared the
bar.
Another Hegley cross should have been converted by
Lyndon Rowland but the striker headed over before Wietecha
was forced to deny Harrison as the game moved swiftly
from end to end.
Strouts was then guilty of a miss when Tydeman chipped
the ball up for him but it bounced off his head and
looped over the bar. Then with just four minutes remaining,
the Stones had a glorious chance to win the game. Another
Tydeman cross fell to substitute Lee Sperring who was
in acres of space. He couldn’t have been aware
that he had an age to pick his spot and he snatched
at the chance, driving the ball well wide across the
face of goal.
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