With just three league games remaining, Maidstone United still top the Ryman League One table and victory in their final matches will see them promoted from the division at the first attempt.
Having taken just ten points from a possible twenty four over the past few weeks it is all too easy to focus on the negative aspects of The Stones’ current slump in form. Admittedly confidence is clearly low in the side and the lack of goal scoring opportunities being created is concerning but it is important to remember that the title is still United’s to lose.
There is no doubt this is a frustrating time to be a Maidstone fan. Having not won a league game since 31 st March, The Stones desperately needed a good performance and a victory away at Met Police but unfortunately after conceding what turned out to be the winner in a dreadful first half showing, there was to be no way back for United.
For the first twenty minutes of this game, The Stones rarely ventured out of their half and the decision to swap the positions of Aaron Lacy and Nathan Paul backfired as Maidstone’s defence came under considerable pressure. With just four minutes gone, Ian Batten whipped in a cross and with Pat Mullin uncertain as to whether or not to come for the ball, he was left stranded as Tony Finn lashed his shot wide of the far post. Then ten minutes later, Lacy fouled James Evans on the edge of the box and Mullin managed to scramble Finn’s goalbound free-kick away.
It took until the twenty third minute for The Stones to register their first shot on target when Lynden Rowland’s weak curling shot was comfortably held by Will Packham in the Met Police goal.
Three minutes later, Mo Takaloo won possession in midfield and started to surge forward. With three defenders to beat he should have been supported by Maidstone players rushing forward but no help was forthcoming and Takaloo’s drive from distance went wide of the left hand post.
United were to regret this missed opportunity as on twenty eight minutes, Met Police ripped open Maidstone’s defence and Batten’s cross was headed in at the far post by Jon Daly. The Stones did immediately rally from conceding this goal however, and they forced a couple of corners which ended with Craig Roser’s shot being blocked on the line.
Despite this though, the home side were clearly the better team and The Stones were grateful to reach the break just a goal down as on thirty three minutes another Daly header only just cleared the bar before Finn once again comfortably beat Lacy and his shot struck the base of the post.
Unsurprisingly, Paul and Lacy were restored to their natural positions for the second half but this didn’t stop Met Police once again cracking open the Stones defence as the tricky Craig Brown turned past Roser to create room for the shot but his curling effort smacked far post.
After such a poor first half, The Stones could only improve and slowly they began to put the Met Police under a bit of pressure. On sixty one minutes, Takaloo was fouled close to the edge of the box and Simon Austin swung in the free-kick which unfortunately Errison Ahwan headed wide.
But the home side should have extended their lead on sixty four minutes when Lee Shearer was down in the corner and his attempted clearance went straight back in the box to Daly who only just missed the target with an instinctive shot.
United were finding it very difficult to break the physical and meticulously well organised Met Police defence but when Austin flicked the ball into the path of substitute Alex Tiesse it looked as if The Stones might at least test Packham but the home side’s goal keeper rushed out to the edge of his area and smothered the opportunity.
This was to prove the last time that United had a chance to score and so they found winless for the third game in succession. If Tooting and Mitcham United beat Walton Casuals on Tuesday night, The Stones will find themselves ousted from the top spot for the first time since 20 th February so if Maidstone’s promotion dream is to become reality they can afford no more slip-ups this season.
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