A nightmare
of a second half performance from The Stones saw them
crash to their first defeat of the season.
With Errison Ahwan still injured and Lew Watts unable
to play in defence due to a registration technicality,
Jimmy Strouts had to partner Mario Celaire at the back
and Maidstone’s make shift defence and midfield
suffered as a result of this.
However, for 50 minutes of this game all was largely
well with The Stones. After Whyteleafe’s Ellis
Conroy was dismissed in the 38th minute for foul and
abusive language, Maidstone quickly exploited their
man advantage and took the lead. Nick Barnes slipped
the ball into Lynden Rowland who rounded the keeper
and was about to shoot into the net when he was upended
by Leigh Douce. With the supporters screaming for a
red card, Douce was perhaps fortunate to be only booked
and Mo Takaloo sent Dean Rose the wrong way from the
spot.
Maidstone did almost let their lead slip straight from
their kick-off in the second half when they conceded
possession and Ryan Rummery raced into the area but
Michal Czanner smothered the shot.
The Stones were looking good going forwards though
and a neat move on 50 minutes saw Lynden Rowland’s
cross reach Aaron Lacy on the far corner of the penalty
area. Lacy showed excellent awareness to roll the ball
back to Nick Barnes and he leathered an unstoppable
shot into the net from 25 yards.
Unfortunately for Maidstone, they couldn’t hold
onto their lead for very long and they soon gifted Whyteleafe
a way back into the game. Tony Martin sent a curling
ball into the box from a free-kick and Richard Williams
was allowed to head in past Czanner without any sort
of challenge.
And it was soon to get worse for The Stones, as on
65 minutes Jason Barton made a mistake in midfield and
Whyteleafe stormed forward. Scott Marshall’s shot
was initially charged down but the ball came out to
Williams. Czanner did really well to tip Williams’
shot away from goal but Daniel Hornsby tapped the ball
in from close range.
By now, Maidstone’s defence was struggling every
time Whyteleafe pushed forwards and just four minutes
after the equalising goal, Strouts had to clear the
ball off the line after Danny Arkwright’s had
headed Martins’s corner towards goal.
It was obvious that Whyteleafe were going to find their
way past Czanner again though and so it proved in the
74th minute when Mario McNish conceded possession in
midfield to Hornsby who ran into the area and slammed
the ball into the net.
Then with Maidstone desperately pushing forwards in
search of an equaliser, Hornsby should have completed
his hat-trick in the 90th minute but he could only find
the side-netting with only Strouts to beat.
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