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With just one week to go before the start of the Ryman Premier League season Maidstone United look short of form and they also have a lengthy injury list.
This was The Stones’ penultimate pre-season friendly but unfortunately they couldn’t build on their mid week victory against Whitstable Town as they were beaten for the fourth time in nine games.
Maidstone did at least create a number of opportunities in the first half. On eight minutes the ball came to Lewis Perkins on the edge of the Chatham box and his fierce shot was only just kept out by the feet of the Chatham goal keeper.
Then three minutes later, Andy Walker was called into action to make a great save to keep the scores level before Maidstone went up the other end and Tom Parkinson’s glancing header flew wide of the right hand post.
But the deadlock was broken on 27 minutes when The Stones defence allowed former Maidstone favourite Nick Hegley time to curl in a good cross which reached another ex Stones player Jason Barton who arrowed a header inside the left hand post.
Maidstone tried to respond quickly and they carved out two opportunities inside a minute thanks to two long throws from Simon Pettit into the box. The first one saw the ball come out to the edge of the area where Jake Hobbs was waiting and he lashed the ball goalwards only for the Chatham keeper to divert it over the bar. Then seconds later Pettit’s throw was met by Adrian Stone and his looping backwards header was also tipped over.
Seven minutes before the break Chatham had an excellent chance to double their lead when the Maidstone defence got caught leaving Hegley on his own inside the box but with only Walker to beat his wild shot never troubled The Stones’ keeper.
Then shortly afterwards a neat Maidstone move involving Rob Carter and Hobbs ended with Pettit heading over from a good position.
Just like in recent matches, The Stones made a number of changes at half time and in the second half it was the home side who were much the better team. Walker was called into action on the 58 th minute to make a good save before Hegley drove the ball across the face of goal seven minutes later.
However, Maidstone keeper was powerless to prevent Chatham scoring again twelve minutes from time and it wasn’t until the 89th minute that The Stones finally threatened in the second half when Simon Glover had a low shot comfortably saved. <
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