| The Stones will be glad to see the back of August after they were defeated for the fourth time in five games.
This was Maidstone’s strongest performance of the season and they deserved at least a point from the game but a dreadful goalkeeping error, coupled with some poor finishing at the other end meant that The Stones could not prevent Staines from going top of the Ryman Premier League.
“You don’t always get what you deserve in football and that was the case tonight” said Lloyd Hume. “We dominated most of the game and I think we were the better team. But we made a howling error and got punished for it and we had a few chances and didn’t score them and if you don’t put your chances away and you make a mistake you don’t get anything from games.”
It took until the fifteenth minute for Maidstone to have the first attempt on goal when Ray Freeman threw the ball to Errrison Ahwan and he set up Nick Hegley but his shot through a crowd of players did not trouble Aaron Howe in the Staines goal.
With half an hour gone, Staines began to up the tempo when Marc Charles-Smith picked up a loose ball in midfield and was allowed to stroll forward but his drive only just went past the left hand post.
Then three minutes later a terrible mistake from Pat Mullin led to Staines taking the lead. Mullin looked to be about to gather a ball into the box but with Mark Nwokeji advancing he inexplicably let the ball squirm out of his grasp and Nwokeji dribbled along the goal line before tapping in from close range.
Shortly before half time, an excellent ball over the top of the Staines defence from Ben Lewis picked out Nick Hegley who raced into the box but his shot was blocked by the legs of goalkeeper James Courtnage.
Hegley was enjoying a fantastic game down the left hand side and he was heavily involved in the second half as Maidstone put the visitors under pressure.
The Stones had been forced to send on Alex Tiesse to replace the injured Lynden Rowland at half time and on fifty three minutes Tiesse should have hit the target when he was released by Mo Takaloo but he screwed his shot wide.
With an hour gone a deep cross from Ray Freeman came out to Ben Lewis and he passed to Errison Ahwan who jinked past a Staines defender before lofting a shot which dropped just past the left hand post.
Two minutes later, Hegley’s shot was blocked in the box and the ball fell to Mo Takaloo but his weak shot into the ground was comfortably gathered by Courtnage.
On sixty eight minutes, Staines’ Lewis Cook drew Mullin from his goal as he dribbled towards the touchline but fortunately Mario McNish was alert and managed to scramble the ball out for a corner.
The Stones were still pressing at every opportunity though and with thirteen minutes remaining they should have equalised. McNish broke quickly out of defence and passed to Nick Hegley who sent in an ideal low ball into the box but with Tiesse just yards from goal, the Stones striker found only air when he tried to connect with the cross and the chance was wasted.
Hegley provided another good cross two minutes later but this time substitute Craig Wilkins headed just wide and then Ahwan’s looping header went the same way after a ball into the box from substitute Aaron Lacy.
With eighty four minutes played, Maidstone had yet another excellent chance to level when Tiesse found himself in space in the box but he took an age to pick out Wilkins who was not quick enough to get his shot away and his effort was blocked.
Then with the game in stoppage time, the crowd appealed loudly when they thought Adam Thompson had handled Lacy’s free kick in the box but no penalty was forthcoming and then Staines nearly rubbed salt into Maidstone’s wounds as they broke quickly and Mullin made a smart stop to deny Gareth Risbridger.
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