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After a summer of uncertainty as to where they would actually be playing their home fixtures this season, Maidstone United finally got their home programme off and running at The Homelands in Ashford against a strongly fancied Hastings United side. On a pleasant and warm evening, a bigger than expected crowd of 372 (which was boosted by a significant following from Sussex) gathered to watch what proved to be a very eventful game on a lush playing surface that had been extremely well prepared by groundsman Steve Hackett.
The Stones who were without Danny Hockton (who was ill) and Marc Cumberbatch (tendonitis) started brightly and after only 7 minutes they went ahead. Adam Marsh made a foray down the right flank and his cross was only partially cleared by the visitors’ defence. The ball ran out to the centre of the penalty area and was met by Ant Bodle who drove home fiercely from 12 yards out.
Hastings appeared to be slow out of the blocks and their first opportunity to score came in the 16 th minute. A throw-in from Josh Jiribandey found the head of striker Ade Olorunda and he managed to flick a header backwards and across goal. Stones’ keeper Andy Walker managed to get his fingertips to this effort and the ball glanced off of the cross bar before Rob Carter cleared the ball to safety.
Maidstone were playing by far their best football for some considerable time in the opening half an hour with plenty of good movement and neat passing. However a series of injury stoppages seemed to break the rhythm of the side. The worst of the injuries involved a clash of heads between Simon Glover and Ade Olorunda, Both players had to leave the pitch to have their heads bandaged and Glover had the added aggravation of needing a replacement “blood shirt” and 5 stitches in a cut above his eye.
Referee Ian Crouch added 5 further minutes to the first half because of the injuries and it was during the additional time that the entire shape of the game changed. From looking as if they would go into the half time break in front, The Stones conceded 2 stoppage time goals to trail 2-1. In the first minute of stoppage time a Russell Eldridge corner was not cleared at the near post and the ball bounced around in front of goal before Olorunda bundled the ball home at the far post.
A second sucker punch arrived in the fifth minute of stoppage time and this time the concession of the goal was totally self-inflicted by The Stones’ defence. Simon Glover was in possession 15 yards outside of his own penalty area and instead of playing the ball forward he elected to turn inside and pass the ball back to Andy Walker in goal. Whether Glover was suffering the effects of his head injury or not is open to debate but his back pass was woefully underweighted and Sam Adams needed no invitation to bear down on goal. Walker blocked the initial effort but Adams’ persistence paid off as he stroked the ball into the middle of the net at the second attempt.
Hastings totally controlled the early exchanges on the second half, with Olorunda in particular causing persistent problems for the Maidstone defence. Despite this, The Stones occasionally ventured forward and Colin Richmond’s 56 th minute corner was headed powerfully but fractionally wide by Tom Parkinson. 5 minutes later Olorunda saw a good effort blocked by Walker before in the 65 th minute the away team’s pressure finally told in the shape of goal number 3. With Maidstone attacking, Simon Pettit saw his effort saved by Clark Masters in the Hastings goal. The break from The Arrows was swift and a decisive through ball sent Olorunda clear on goal. The burly striker outpaced both Parkinson and Carter and despite Walker’s best efforts to save, Olorunda knocked the ball home at the second attempt.
Hastings were in full flow now and the chances were coming thick and fast. Substitute Kenny Pogue fired in a low cross which Olorunda clipped goalwards at the near post but thankfully for The Stones the ball flashed across the goal just narrowly avoiding the far post. In the 75 th minute it was again Pogue who burst down the right flank. His cross was not properly cleared and Russell Eldridge drilled in a low shot that crashed off of the base of the right hand post.
The Stones though would not lie down and following a long throw from Pettit, Adam Marsh controlled the ball and turned before shooting low across the goal only to see Masters tip his effort away for a corner. Hastings finally extinguished any thoughts of a dramatic Maidstone comeback with a 4 th goal in the 78 th minute. Olorunda turned and shot only to see his effort hit the woodwork but the rebound fell to Pogue 10 yards from goal and he buried his shot with relish.
Olorunda was then replaced after putting in a tremendous shift for his team. His effort was roundly applauded by the Hastings support. However, the best goal of the game was left to last. Ant Bodle picked up the ball centrally placed and took one touch before unleashing a tremendous shot into the top corner of Masters’ net from 25 yards out to give the final scoreline a little more sense of acceptability for the home team.
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