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A hat-trick from Ade Olorunda
saw Maidstone crash to their heaviest league defeat
since 2004 as Hastings ensured they bounced back from
their thrashing by Billericay in the best possible manner.
This was desperately disjointed and disappointing performance
from The Stones as right from the outset, the home side
were clearly the stronger team. On two minutes, Russell
Eldridge had the first chance of the evening when he
drove wide from a central position.
Five minutes later, the Hastings fans amassed in the
Cole Warren Stand appealed loudly for a penalty when
Ade Olorunda's shot struck Ben Lewis but the referee
Sam Lewis was unimpressed.
Hastings were beginning to overrun the Stones midfield
and on nine minutes, Jason Barton allowed Danny Ellis
to run across him and pass the ball to Danny Spice who
whipped in an ideal cross which was headed in by Ade
Olorunda.
Some further poor defending on 17 minutes enabled Hastings
to double their lead when once again Ellis was allowed
to curl in a cross. Although Pat Mullin managed to stop
Tim Olorunda's first header, when the ball rebounded
it struck Nathan Paul and entered the net.
Going forwards, the Stones looked toothless and it
took until the 26 minute for them to have their first
effort on goal when Craig Wilkins' header was comfortably
held by Lee Worgan. A minute later, Andy Martin curled
a free-kick narrowly over from 20 yards and on 29 minutes,
Nick Hegley appeared to be clattered in the box but
no penalty was forthcoming.
It did not take long for Hastings to put the Stones
back under pressure though and on 31 minutes, it looked
as though Mullin was going to see the ball out of play
close to the edge of his area but he stepped over the
ball and Sam Adams managed to nip in and from a tight
angle his cross dribbled across the face of goal.
Ellis was still causing a lot of problems down the
right hand side and Maidstone looked troubled every
time the ball was swung into the box. On 37 minutes
Ellis delivered another low ball to the near post which
was not cleared and Ade Olorunda wastefully put the
opportunity wide.
However, Ade Olorunda soon made amends when he headed
in Spice's corner two minutes before the break.
Unsurprisingly, Lloyd Hume made changes at half time
sending on Lee Shearer and MO Takaloo for Andy Martin
and Nick Hegley yet within minutes, Hastings were desperately
unlucky not to score again when Adams dispossessed Barton
before crashing a long range shot off the underside
of the bar.
Although Hastings were not putting Maidstone under
as much pressure as in the first half, they still possessed
the ability to tear the Stones defence open at will.
On 68 minutes, Eldridge found himself in space on the
left hand side of the area and his shot across goal
only just cleared the right hand post.
Then six minutes before time, Hastings once again came
close to scoring a fourth goal. Lee Carey picked up
the ball thirty yards from goal and spotted Mullin off
his line. Carey hit a speculative drive goalwards which
travelled through Mullin's arms before cannoning off
the post.
The home side were not to be denied again though as
they finally completed the rout on 85 minutes. This
time the ball was played out to Ade Olorunda on the
left and he left Mario McNish trailing in his wake before
lofting the ball into the far side of the net.
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