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After three games in the Ryman Premier League, The Stones find themselves in the unenviable position of occupying the bottom position of the table having conceded thirteen goals and being the only side in the English football pyramid down to Step four of the non-league, not to have scored a goal.
The fixture against ambitious Chelmsford City was always going to prove to be a stern test for Maidstone but their task was made all the harder when the influential Mario McNish was incorrectly dismissed on eighteen minutes.
However, this was yet another deeply disappointing performance from The Stones. The lack of organisation in the side is fast becoming a concern and of the current strikers, only Mo Takaloo has registered on the score sheet in a competitive fixture since Maidstone won away at Molesey on the 10 th March.
All too often, The Stones were static as Chelmsford players ran at them and rained shots down on Pat Mullin’s goal. In fact, if it were not for a superb second half performance from The Stones’ goal keeper then City’s tally may well have stretched into double figures.
It took Chelmsford nine minutes to come close to opening the scoring when Ben Sedgemore lofted a shot towards goal only for Mullin to fumble the catch and drop the ball onto the post before it trickled out. From the resultant corner, the irrepressible Ricky Holmes was allowed to drift inside the pitch and unchallenged, he unleashed a drive which smacked off the cross bar.
Then on seventeen minutes, disaster struck The Stones. A long ball forwards out of the City defence was chased down by McNish and Hallett then just as Hallett looked to be gaining control of the ball he collapsed with a knee injury. The referee, Mr Parker, believed that Hallett had been brought down by McNish and as a result, showed the red card to The Stones defender. With United down to ten men, City immediately seized the upper hand as Lee Protheroe drove the ball into the top right hand corner of the net from the free-kick.
It was clear at this point that all Maidstone could hope to do was to keep the score line respectable but unfortunately the team just disintegrated. On twenty six minutes Holmes was yet again allowed to roam forwards from the half way line down The Stones’ left hand side without being challenged before passing to Mario Noto who comfortably beat substitute Craig Wilkins and rolled the ball past Mullin.
The Stones simply could not cope with City’s fast flowing football and on thirty one minutes they fell further behind when substitute Ray Freeman conceded a penalty which was converted by Stuart Ainsley.
Holmes was tormenting Maidstone’s defence at every opportunity and on thirty four minutes he found himself with just Mullin to beat but The Stones’ goal keeper made a good save.
Then with the game in first half stoppage time, Holmes finally grabbed a deserved goal when the United defence stood and watched as he waltzed in from the left hand side and smacked the ball in off the far post.
Matters did not improve for The Stones after the break as within three minutes of the restart City scored their fifth goal when Protheroe fired in yet another free-kick from twenty five yards despite the fact that United had ten players back behind the ball.
On fifty seven minutes, Holmes comfortably beat Wilkins before providing Bertie Brayley with the opportunity to score City’s sixty goal of the game and two minutes later, The Stones had Mullin to thank for preventing the home side scoring again when he made a smart save to deny substitute Jon Keeling.
With sixty three minutes gone, Mullin flung himself to his left to make a spectacular save to tip Holmes’ goal bound effort over the bar and five minutes later The United goal keeper once again made a fantastic save to palm a drive from Holmes round the post.
By now, Maidstone had lost Sam Tydeman to injury who had remained on the side of the pitch to receive treatment and on seventy three minutes the United captain received his marching orders for foul and abusive language for the second time inside a month.
Despite Mullin’s second half heroics, Holmes sealed a fabulous personal performance by lashing in his second goal of the afternoon with seventy six minutes played.
City had further chances to add to their tally in the remaining minutes but once again Mullin proved difficult to beat as he first stopped an effort from substitute Spencer Knight and then blocked a close range effort from Brayley.
Nevertheless, this was Maidstone’s largest defeat
since they reformed and afterwards Lloyd Hume said:
“I am hugely disappointed. As a manager I have
never been in charge of a side that has conceded more
than four goals in a game and this has been a bad week
in terms of results. It is really important that we
are positive and try to pick the players up ahead of
the game on Tuesday night as that is now going to be
like a cup final. “
PHOTOS BY STEVE TERRELL
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