Two
good goals from Nick Hegley and Steve Best ensured that
the inaugural Bluebell Hill derby between Maidstone
United and Chatham Town ended in a draw.
This was a much improved performance from The Stones
after Saturday’s poor defensive display against
Whyteleafe and they would have come away with all three
points had Chatham’s John Whitehouse had not made
two great saves late in the game.
Indeed, joint manager Lloyd Hume certainly felt Maidstone
should have registered their third win of the campaign
saying: “I think it was a game that we could have
won and should have won. I moaned on Saturday about
the endeavor of the players but I don’t think
I could moan about that today. The effort was there
and so was our desire but we just lacked a bit of quality
and dare I say it, a bit of luck in the last third.”
However it was the home side who enjoyed the best of
the first half and they came close to opening the scoring
with 20 minutes played. Chatham won a corner out on
the right hand side and Darren Smith played an accurate
cross out to the edge of the area to Daniel Larkin.
Larkin cracked a tremendous volley goalwards but Kane
Rice managed to stop the shot on the line.
But against the run of play Maidstone took the lead
in the 29th minute with only their second shot on target.
Ryan Royston headed the ball to Lynden Rowland who also
flicked a good header into space for Nick Hegley to
chase. Hegley carried the ball to the edge of the penalty
area before cutting inside and firing in a shot which
just went inside the post.
A minute later, Town should have equalised. Ian Pulman
put a good ball into the excellent Mark Brooks inside
the area. Rice managed to stop Brooks from shooting
quickly and when he did create space for the strike,
he saw his effort fly just wide.
Just after the break Chatham pushed Maidstone back
but the only significant effort of their spell of pressure
came in the 63rd minute when Pat Mullin comfortably
saved Luke Harvey’s overhead kick.
It was then The Stones’ turn to dominate for
a while and Jimmy Strouts’ header clipped the
top of the bar before Chatham grabbed an equaliser with
72 minutes gone. Darren Smith volleyed in a terrific
cross to the back post where Steve Best was waiting
to plant his header past Mullin.
With just 5 minutes remaining, substitute Simon Austin
must have thought his strike was going to clinch the
game but Whitehouse did well to tip the ball over. Then
at the other end, Ryan Royston allowed Harvey to turn
past him but he fired his shot just over the bar.
Then with the game in stoppage time, Whitehouse ensured
Chatham got a point from the game when he blocked substitute
Leroy Huggin’s effort from close range.
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