| Maidstone United’s promotion charge is beginning to gain momentum as they followed up their excellent wins against Leatherhead and Dover Athletic by thrashing basement side Corinthian-Casuals.
The Stones have scored fourteen goals in their last three games and they have now moved up to second place thanks to a run of ten wins and just one defeat in fourteen matches.
Although a quick look at the league table would have lead to most people thinking that a win would have been a formality for The Stones, few would have predicted this scoreline before the game for Corinthian-Casuals have been resurgent recently, losing just twice inside six games.
However, Casuals were destroyed by four goals from Maidstone in the fifteen minutes before half time and this, coupled with the dismissals of Ben Ward and Jamie Byatt, ensured that it was to be a thoroughly miserable afternoon for the visitors.
It was Alex Tiesse who opened the scoring for The Stones on ten minutes. Sam Tydeman curled a pass out to Nick Hegley on the left wing and he got the better of Matt Smith to pull the ball back to Tiesse. Although Colin Harris in the Casuals goal parried Tiesse’s initial effort, Tiesse got a second chance and this time he picked his spot perfectly to place the ball low into the bottom left hand corner of the net.
Casuals then had a good opportunity to quickly get back on level terms when Jamie Byatt played in Kane Sergeant. With The Stones defence at full stretch, Sergeant entered the box and shot at Michal Czanner, a late replacement for the injured Pat Mullin, and Czanner pushed the ball over the bar.
Once again, Nick Hegley was proving to be a menace down the left hand side and on eighteen minutes he jinked his way through the Casuals defence only to shoot across the face of goal.
But with twenty seven minutes gone, United doubled their lead when the Corinthians defence should have comfortably cleared Aaron Lacy’s long throw but instead, it found its way to Mo Takaloo who was lurking at the back post. Takaloo’s effort looked certain to cross the line until Ben Ward intervened, using his arm in an attempt to prevent a goal. Unfortunately for Ward, referee Mr Lewis had seen the offence, leaving him with no option but to issue the Corinthian defender with a red card and from the resultant penalty, Takaloo sent Harris the wrong way.
This goal was to signal the start of a purple patch for The Stones and just four minutes later, Takaloo swivelled in the box in typical style to blast home a loose ball.
On thirty six minutes, Takaloo then forced Harris to tip the ball over the bar with a well struck free-kick from twenty yards but his hat-trick was only just around the corner thanks to a stunning run from Nathan Paul.
With forty minutes played, Paul slid into a tackle inside his own half to disposes Byatt. Paul then set off on a run and evaded a number of challenges before he found himself with just Harris to beat. The Stones defender comfortably rounded Harris yet found the angle to shoot unfavourable and so he unselfishly squared the ball to Takaloo who could not miss from only a couple of yards out.
The run illustrated just what a talent Nathan Paul possesses and after the game Alan Walker was full of praise for his right back saying: “Nathan is probably the best non-league footballer I have seen in that position. We knew he was special when we first saw him play and he has been absolutely magnificent for us.”
The goal also meant that Takaloo is the first Maidstone striker to claim a hat-trick this season and the United forward has now scored an astonishing fifty three goals inside sixty two appearances for The Stones.
Paul was involved again on forty two minutes when he was fouled by Byatt which signalled the end the Corinthians striker’s involvement for this was his second yellow card offence of the game inside just seven minutes.
With Corinthians reduced to nine men, Maidstone continued to surge forward and they soon added a fifth goal through Tiesse.
Then with half time just seconds away, it seemed certain that Tiesse would complete his hat-trick when he found himself with just Harris to beat and although his lob sailed over the Corinthian keeper, it bounced back off the bar to safety.
At half time, Corinthians reorganised and sacrificed Matt Smith and Andre McCollin in attempt to stem the flood of Maidstone goals. Yet within five minutes of the restart, The Stones had scored again when substitute Simon Austin couldn’t get on the end of Lacy’s cross and the unfortunate Craig Dunne turned the ball into his own net.
However, after this Corinthians organised themselves into two rows of four players which made it hard for The Stones to break through their defences. Even when Maidstone did manage to penetrate through they found Harris in inspired form as he denied Errison Ahwan and Tiesse in particular, with excellent saves.
In addition, Paul had a shot cleared off the line by substitute Scott Hassell and Lee Shearer and Lynden Rowland should have done better when given the opportunity to score from headers but Maidstone couldn’t add to their six goal tally.
So the Stones now travel to Fleet Town on Tuesday night and only a point from this fixture would see them move to the top of the Ryman League One table. Fleet, like Maidstone, have only lost six games all season and will surely prove to be tough opposition but Alan Walker was upbeat about the fixture saying: “ We are looking forward to the game and if we perform, I don’t think we should fear anybody.”
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