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A solitary strike from Sam Hatton on 32 minutes was enough to end Maidstone United’s FA Cup dream as The Stones came up against a very strong AFC Wimbledon side who fully deserved their narrow victory.
Playing in front of a record crowd at Bourne Park, it certainly seemed as if some of the less experience players in the Maidstone side were affected by nerves and their quest to reach the first round was not helped by the fact that Elliot Bradbrook played despite struggling with a thigh injury and influential midfielder Jay Saunders injured his ankle early on in the match.
Despite this though, there was little to choose between the sides in front of goal and the game was decided when AFC Wimbledon capitalised on the one of the few chances that they created when Tony Finn played a delightful ball into Hatton who had time to plant the ball past the stranded Andy Walker.
“They scored during the one moment we switched off defensively” said Jay Saunders. “They were very well organised and they are a good side. We did stop them playing to a certain extent and unfortunately by stopping them it took some of our side of the game away a bit.”
It did not take long for the leaders of the Blue Square South to begin to take control of the match and on 15 minutes, Chris Hussey swung in a free-kick from close to the touchline which looked to be heading into the net until Ben Lewis intervened with a header.
Two minutes later, Hussey once more threatened the Maidstone goal as this time he cut in from the right and again Lewis came to the rescue with a vital header to send the ball wide.
By now, Maidstone were struggling to get out of their own half and on 19 minutes, Danny Kedwell flicked the ball onto Hatton only for Roland Edge, who has been out with an injury for the past month, to come flying across the box and make a block.
Then on 22 minutes, The Stones had a chance to take the lead against the run of play when from a Andy Little goal kick, Saunders headed the ball forwards and Lloyd Blackman glanced the ball into the path of Meshach Nugent. Nugent managed to hold off Ben Judge as he entered the box but unfortunately for United, Nugent elected to shoot early and his effort went high and wide.
Four minutes later, a deep free-kick from Lewis picked out Elliot Bradbrook but his looping header cleared the bar and then on 30 minutes, a fierce drive from Tom Davis only just went wide of the right hand post.
However, shortly afterwards Wimbledon finally took the lead when Kedwell gave the ball to Finn who dinked a pass into the path of Hatton who was towards the right hand side of the box and with only Walker to beat, Hatton comfortably scored.
There was then a moment of controversy four minutes from the break when it had appeared that Blackman was clipped in the box when he was surrounded by three Wimbledon players but the referee Mr Brook decided that Blackman had taken the opportunity to throw himself to the ground and booked the Maidstone player for simulation.
The second half saw very little goalmouth action from either side apart from on 49 minutes, a cross from Davis picked out Jake Leberl who side footed the ball wide and with the game in stoppage time, Finn got in behind the Maidstone defence only to shoot past the right hand post.
In between, Maidstone never troubled Little in the Wimbledon goal as the visitors defended resolutely whenever The Stones attempted to get deep into the visitors’ half and United’s performance left Lloyd Hume feeling slighted deflated as he said afterwards: “I’m disappointed that we didn’t play as well as we could but the players worked tirelessly and Roland Edge deserves a special mention as he was our best player. I’m proud of the side though and I am proud of the supporters - they were great again today - but I’m just disappointed we couldn’t give them the result that they wanted.”
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