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League leaders Sutton United
visited The Homelands today and proceeded to show The
Stones' biggest crowd of the season exactly why they
hold this position in the league table. In a performance
that was polished and professional The U's dominated
the majority of the game and seldom looked in danger
of doing anything other than collecting all three points.
In producing such a performance Sutton brought to an
end Maidstone's run of five matches unbeaten.
Paul Doswell's team began their control of the first
half with a 3rd minute shot from 25 yards by midfielder
Tom Kavanagh but this was comfortably saved by Andy
Walker in goal. Ten minutes later, Bradley Woods-Garness
struck a free kick from the edge of the penalty area
into the defensive wall. The ball came straight back
to the former Billericay Town winger and he instinctively
fired in a low right-footed shot that Walker got down
well to as he saved.
The opening goal came in the 25th minute and it was
a simple but effective affair. With the ball in centre
midfield outside of the home team's penalty area, Kavanagh
threaded through a lovely little pass into the path
of Tom Davis. Despite a challenge from Tom Parkinson,
Davis was able to roll the ball beyond the reach of
Walker and into the net. The Stones received a second
significant setback just two minutes later when captain
Joe Vines was substituted after sustaining a very painful
looking eye injury following an aerial challenge with
the extremely muscular Craig Dundas. A stray arm or
elbow apparently struck Vines in the eye causing it
to swell and close almost immediately. The injury was
complicated by the dislodging of a contact lens inside
the swollen eye and Vines was taken immediately to hospital
for treatment. Vines was later able to confirm that
his injury was not too serious and that he only had
a black eye and that he expected to be fit for the fixture
with Cray Wanderers on Tuesday evening.
As The Stones re-organised their back line following
the loss of Vines, Sutton again went close to scoring.
A deep cross from the right wing found the head of prolific
goal scorer Andy Forbes and his powerful header back
across the goal was superbly turned around the post
for a corner by Walker. Forbes was not to be totally
denied though, as in the 43rd minute he doubled the
visitors' advantage with the goal of the game. Woods-Garness
broke down the right wing and drilled in a dangerous
low cross with pace. Forbes met the ball on the run
and steered his shot into the top left corner of the
net with a first time left-footed clip which gave Walker
no chance whatsoever.
At half time Forbes was replaced but any relief that
the home side might have felt at his departure was immediately
nullified by the realisation that the incoming substitute
was Richard Jolly. Nonetheless, The Stones started the
second half in a positive fashion and within a minute
of the restart they had carved out their first goal
attempt of the game. A Jake Hobbs run and cross was
only half cleared and Colin Richmond fired in a shot
from 20 yards out that was deflected wide for a corner.
Alex Flisher took the subsequent flag kick and it found
the head of Parkinson who saw his header go narrowly
over the cross bar.
The mini Maidstone revival was quickly put in check
though as Sutton added a third goal in the 49th minute.
A swift break on the left saw a cross headed down by
Jolly into the path of Kavanagh and he coolly slotted
the ball beyond Walker. Sutton continued to push on
and Dundas out jumped Peter Hawkins near to the penalty
spot. His powerful header was acrobatically turned wide
by a wonderful diving save by Walker.
The Stones showed some spirited resilience though and
on the hour mark, Flisher and Danny Hockton combined
well on the edge of the penalty area but Hockton's shot
was comfortably saved by Kevin Scrivener. Within a minute
Hockton was denied again as this time he combined with
Adrian Stone, Hockton's low shot this time causing Scrivener
slightly more of a problem.
Tommy Whitnell and Sean Johnson were then introduced
into the proceedings and Whitnell immediately began
to enjoy some success on the right wing as he supplied
a cross to Hockton who this time saw his effort go wide
of the far post. Hockton, who had scored nine goals
in his last eight games was in a predatory mood and
he created a good opening in the 71st minute as he block
tackled keeper Scrivener on the edge of the area. The
ball looped up and away to Flisher about 25 yards from
goal and with Scrivener out of position, Flisher's shot-cum-cross
fell disappointingly between the goal and Hockton.
With three minutes remaining Woods-Garness surged down
the left touchline and cut in across the edge of the
penalty area. He was aware enough to spot Jolly at the
far post and a simple pass put the former Carshalton
striker through on goal. Jolly fired a strong shot in
at the near post but once again Walker was equal to
the task at hand. With the game in stoppage time the
visiting keeper Scrivener produced a great save to thwart
Hockton from almost point blank range and in doing so
he snuffed out Maidstone's last effort of the game.
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