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Maidstone United’s mini unbeaten run has come to an end after they were crushed by Hendon leaving The Stones with the task of having to pick up as many as four points from their last two games to guarantee their Ryman Premier League status.
The game was initially a close affair but Maidstone were hampered by the loss of both Mark Corneille and Adrian Stone before the interval and after the break they couldn’t handle the tempo as Hendon upped the pace.
On nine minutes Antonio Gonnella failed to stop Danny Dyer as he entered the area but Peter Hawkins made an important block and then from the resultant corner, Scott Cousins deep cross came to Peter Dean who headed over the bar.
Maidstone’s first chance of the evening came on 21 minutes when Nathan Paul’s diagonal ball picked out Danny Hockton whose header found the hands of Hendon keeper James Reading.
Then three minutes later a neat move from The Stones involving Hockton, Chris Saunders and Gonnella ended with Gonnella pulling the ball back to Jermaine Darlington who curled his effort from the edge of the area wide of the right hand post.
Maidstone continued to look dangerous going forwards and on 30 minutes they had a good chance to open the scoring when the ball dropped to substitute Errison Ahwan who placed his shot straight at Reading.
Shortly afterwards Hendon went close when an ambitious free kick from Scott Cousins, which was taken from close to the centre circle, just missed the goal. Then seconds later Lubomir Guentchev got into a good position inside the box and but his attempt to lob Andy Walker was unsuccessful.
At the other end, four minutes before the interval Ahwan had another chance for The Stones when he latched onto a loose ball inside the area but his looping effort did not trouble Reading.
However, the best opportunity of the half fell to Maidstone inside stoppage time when substitute Lyndon Rowland played the ball out to Gonnella on the left and he ran towards the by line before whipping a cross into the middle and Rowland just failed to get a vital touch.
After the break Hendon were by far the stronger of the two sides and on 54 minutes Cousins drove a cross towards Lee O’Leary who was in space in the Maidstone box but the Hendon player elected to shoot quickly and he blazed the ball over the bar.
Just after the hour Craig Vargas went close with a curling effort from just outside the area but the deadlock was finally broken on 64 minutes when Jamie Busby lashed a confident finish past Walker from a central position inside the area.
Sixty seconds later Guentchev’s overhead kick from twenty five yards went wide before Hendon added a second on 69 minutes when Dyer drilled in an enticing cross which was converted by Peter Dean.
The Stones then had a chance to quickly get back into the game on 71 minutes after Ahwan found himself in space on the edge of the box but he curled his shot over the bar and this was to be the last effort on goal from the visitors.
Maidstone’s misery was then compounded four minutes from time when substitute Dave Diedhiou’s corner came to Dyer who smashed the ball into the box and James Burgess’ diving header flew past Walker.
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