Thamesmead Town 5-2 Maidstone United

Scorers

Stones: Strouts 27, Rice 75

Thamesmead : Cable 15, Williams 40,42, 67, Thomas 47

Line-ups

Stones: Matt Bromby,Tony Sinclair, Jason Barton, Errison Ahwan, Leroy Huggins, Mario McNinch, Jimmy Strouts, Aaron Lacy, Mo Takaloo, Simon Austin, Andy Hart. Subs: Lynden Rowland, Kane Rice, Nick Barnes, Lloyd Hume

Thamesmead : -

THE POST MATCH INTERVIEW

Alan Walker (2.5Mb)

The Stones went into this game at Bayliss Avenue with four enforced changes from Saturday's game at Hythe Town. Keeper Pat Mullin (ankle), midfielders Nick Hegley (groin), Sam Tydeman (unavailabilty) and striker Lee Sperring (ankle) were all absent and management duo Lloyd Hume and Alan Walker were forced to bring in two new faces.

Goalkeeper Matt Bromby from Tunbridge Wells played in place of Mullin whilst midfielder Nick Barnes returned to Stones colours in the second half. Jason Barton returned from his wekend break to play at left back, whilst Leroy Huggins started the game after missing out on Saturday with a tight hamstring.

Andy Hart was given a full 90 minutes and he almost opened the scoring after 3 minutes when he headed strongly across goal from a good deep centre by Simon Austin. Despite an encouraging start to the game by Maidstone, The Mead opened the scoring after 15 minutes. Tony Sinclair hesitated with a tackle and allowed former Stones Reserve striker Rikki Cable to run through on goal unopposed. Cable finished calmly with a low shot that Bromby got his fingertips to.

12 minutes later and The Stones levelled the score through captain Jimmy Strouts. Hart crossed deep into the area, Huggins got his head to the ball and then Strouts struck a half volley into the far corner of Kemp's goal. Within 4 minutes Rikki Cable beat a hesitant Maidstone offside trap. His shot went past Bromby but Sinclair rushed back to hook the ball from the goal line.

With half time approaching the home side went 2-1 up following another defensive error. Bromby collected a cross and threw the ball to Austin but he lost possession 10 yards inside his own half. An instant 35 yard cross field pass found Curtis Williams unmarked in the box and he skillfully slotted the ball home first time.

Two minutes later and Williams had scored again. A low through ball eluded The Stones defence and the small, pacy striker made it 3-1 with ease. At half time the Maidstone players were kept on the pitch to receive a dressing down but any message that was passed to them went unheeded when just two minutes into the second half, Sam Thomas struck a magnificent 30 yard dipping volley over Bromby but under the cross bar.

17 year old Kane Rice was introduced at half time and he almost pulled a goal back with an amazing effort. Maidstone were given a free kick just three yards inside the Thamesmead half and Rice, seeing Kemp off his line struck the ball sweetly over the keeper only to see his effort bounce back off of the face of the cross bar.

Curtis Williams completed his hattrick on 67 minutes after Maidstone again conceded possession in a dangerous position. This time Errison Ahwan was at fault. Within four minutes, Rice had pulled a goal back when he smashed home a 20 yard free kick but this was far too little too late from The Stones.

A bitterly disappointed Alan Walker attacked his side after the game by saying "There's a basic need in football that you must have desire and they showed that in abundance while we showed hardly any."

He continued "We've just given the boys a massive dressing down in the changing room. We've had seven of our players who have played tonight, turn up 25 minutes before kick off. That cannot be acceptable, they have a responsibility to this club. That's the type of attitude that we're having to fight at the moment and you can be sure that it has been stamped out straight away."

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