The Stones bounced back from Wednesday night’s disappointing draw in the best possible way as a solitary goal from Errison Ahwan saw them clock up their twentieth win of the season.
The YM’s have been on an excellent run of form of late and they proved to be stubborn opposition. As a result, Alan Walker was particularly pleased that his side had got back to winning ways saying: “ I think that today was arguably one of our best wins of the season. The conditions were very difficult as the wind was strong and I didn’t think I would say this but the pitch was very hard and needs watering! I was pleased with the way the lads applied themselves and today was an example of how sometimes you just have to grind out results.”
With the pitch being so hard, the ball spent a considerable amount of time in the air, which didn’t make for a good spectacle but The Stones started brightly, with Simon Austin, recalled to the side at the expense of Nick Hegley, heavily involved in most of Maidstone’s attacks.
Then on twenty three minutes, a trademark long-range drive from Ahwan, came close to opening the scoring for The Stones but the ball screamed just over the bar and shortly afterwards, Dean Ruddy in the YM’s goal had to be alert to palm Sam Tydeman’s left footed free-kick away.
When Horsham did have possession, they tried to play the ball around but in general, Maidstone’s defence was well organised and so the YM’s didn’t get an opportunity until the thirty first minute. The chance came about when both Aaron Lacy and Pat Mullin tried to deal with a long throw and the ball bounced loose in the six yard box leaving Ryan Royston to blast the ball across goal. Then from the resultant corner, Matt Russell’s header was deflected wide.
However, the best chance of the half arguably fell to Lynden Rowland four minutes before the break. Tydeman curled an excellent ball over the top of the YM’s defence that Rowland clearly wasn’t expecting so when it reached him he snatched at the shot and the ball struck Ruddy’s foot and went out for a corner.
The Stones tried to up the tempo after the break and Mo Takaloo saw a weak shot easily held by Ruddy and then on fifty three minutes, Takaloo turned on the edge of the area and hit an excellent rising drive but Ruddy tipped the ball over the bar.
Takaloo should have given Maidstone the lead twenty minutes from time when he was involved in a move with substitute Alex Tiesse which ended with Ruddy spilling the ball to Takaloo but the angle made it difficult and Takaloo scuffed his shot allowing Ruddy to recover and collect the ball.
Just sixty seconds later though, The Stones finally breached the YM’s defence with the best move of the game. Tydeman played a short ball out onto the left wing to Craig Roser who sent in a pinpoint cross and Ahwan rose at the far post to head home his eighth goal of the season from close range.
There was a nervy end to the match as with ninety minutes on the clock, Steve Davis raced to the by-line and pulled the ball back into the box but fortunately for The Stones the ball was scrambled clear and then Nick Levett launched the ball into the box only for Russell to head the ball straight at Pat Mullin.
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