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Maidstone United and AFC Hornchurch will meet again on Tuesday night in a replay both sides would have been keen to avoid after the two teams ground out a tedious stalemate.
With Ian Selley, Meshach Nugent and Kevin Watson picking up injuries in the midweek defeat against Horsham, Alan Walker and Lloyd Hume were forced to make changes to the starting line up giving a debut to Neil Smith and also Ashley Ulph from the reserves made a rare start in defence.
Both these players had a positive impact and it was Ulph who was instrumental in the build up to the equalising goal when he drove a dangerous ball into the box which caused panic in the Hornchurch defence.
It was the visitors who had the first opportunity of the afternoon when with sixty seconds gone, Chris Lee bundled his way past Ian Cox and hit a hopeful ball into the box. Nathan Paul could not get the ball clear and the opportunity fell to Mark Janney who failed to make good contact and his shot spun wide.
Then four minutes later, The Stones had a chance to take the lead when Lloyd Blackman was fouled and from the free-kick, Paul pumped a deep cross to the back post which was headed into the side netting by Jay Saunders.
There was then little to note until the 30 th minute when Saunders lost possession in midfield and Janney released Dean Green who elected to shoot late and he put his effort wide.
However, Green made amends for this miss seven minutes later when he was presented with a similar opportunity after Elliot Bradbrook had lost the ball and this time he buried the chance past Andy Walker in The Stones goal.
Then two minutes before the break, Hornchurch had a great opportunity to double their lead when Janney whipped the ball towards the back post and Donny Barnard’s header went just inches wide.
Maidstone attempted to up the tempo of the game after the break and on 55 minutes, a free-kick from Ben Lewis was flicked on and James Pinnock turned and fired across the goal.
But then just two minutes later, Pinnock had more luck when Ulph drove a dangerous ball into the box was which touched by Blackman and Pinnock fired in his first goal in three weeks.
The game then swung to the other end and Hornchurch had two opportunities inside two minutes to regain the lead. On 59 minutes, Chris Lee turned and volleyed the ball but his shot flew just wide and then on 61 minutes, Lee received possession just inside the box and smashed the ball goalwards only for Walker to make a fabulous flying save and tip the ball wide.
There after it was The Stones who had the better chances to win the game. On 68 minutes, a long ball from Bradbrook picked out Blackman who cut inside and Dale Brightly made a good save to block the shot and then on 81 minutes, the Hornchurch defence had to be alert to first deny Cox at the right hand post and then block a volley from substitute James Peacock which appeared to be sneaking into the net.
However, neither side could force a winner and so the tie will replayed on Tuesday night at AFC Hornchurch.
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