07 December 2015

Maidstone UTD 2 Truro City 1

Despite the blustery conditions, the game got off to a lively start. With nine minutes gone, Alex Brown appeared to push Les Afful over in the box but the Truro players didn’t appeal and no penalty was forthcoming either.
Not long after this, Lee Worgan made his first save of the afternoon although it was a comfortable one as he jumped to catch a rising volley from Cody Cooke who had struck the ball from about 20 yards from goal. But the visitors were to go closer still just past the half way mark. Matthew Wright managed to get his head to the ball as he bumped into Lee Worgan only for Alex Brown to make a goal line clearance.
Worgan received lengthy treatment after this incident but fortunately for the Stones he was able to carry on and he came to Maidstone’s rescue shortly afterwards. Ryan Brett slipped the ball into Afful who was one on one with the Stones’ keeper and Worgan made a fine stop with his feet.
Late on in the half, Brown’s clearance only went as far as Ollie Knowles. Knowles brought the ball down and moved forward before hitting a long range effort which brushed off the top of the cross bar. Then seconds later, Matt Bodkin got caught on the ball in midfield and Brett let fly with a shot which just went high and wide of the right hand side of the goal.
Two minutes before the break, it was the home side’s turn to go to close. Coyle lofted the ball down the line which May knocked back to Alex Flisher and his cross was met by Frannie Collin who saw his header fly just wide of the left hand post.
Shortly after the interval, the ball was worked across the edge of the area to Cooke. Cooke’s low shot looped up off Coyle and Worgan had to be alert to push the ball wide. Then from the resultant corner, Knowles picked out Matthew Wright at the back post who was stretching to reach the ball and he couldn’t keep his shot on target.
But as the second half got going, Maidstone started to create opportunities of their own. With 53 minutes gone, Collin did well to win the ball and find Alex Flisher down the left and Flisher’s dangerous cross was cleared by Jamie Richards for a corner.
Not long after this a super ball down the right from Brown came to Collin. The Maidstone striker pulled the ball back into the box where it was met by the arriving Matt Bodkin and from a good position, he fired wide of the far post.
The Stones were then nearly made to pay for this miss on the hour mark. Jack Paxman lost the ball to Knowles in midfield and Knowles quickly played it into substitute Isaac Vassell whose low effort would have gone in had it not been for an excellent stop from Worgan.
May hit a curling effort following a run forwards but the ball was at a nice height for Martin Rice to be able to push it behind. Then at the other end, Vassell got in behind Coyle and once again Worgan was able to make an important stop with his feet.
May and Vassell both had opportunities for their sides again only time May’s weak header was saved by Rice and Vassell stabbed the ball wide when well placed inside the box. But with 74 minutes gone, the deadlock was finally broken. Flisher’s corner from the right was flicked back across goal from Knowles and Coyle neatly side footed in from close range.
And just four minutes later, Maidstone pulled further ahead. Joe Healy battled hard in midfield to win the ball and he released May who ran into the box and lifted the ball over the advancing Rice.
But Truro set up a tense finish when Manny Parry brought down Cooke inside the area. The referee, Mr Brook, had no doubts it was a penalty and Shane White smashed the resultant spot kick into the net. However, despite some late pressure, the Stones saw out the remaining moments well and held to record their 12th win of the season.
Maidstone United: Jamie Coyle 74, Jay May 78
Truro City: Shane White 85
Maidstone United: Lee Worgan, Alex Brown, Tom Mills, Jamie Coyle, Manny Parry, Jack Paxman (James Rogers 71), Matt Bodkin, Joe Healy, Jay May, Frannie Collin (Charles Banya 83), Alex Flisher. Subs not used: Bobby-Joe Taylor, Alex Akrofi, Adam Birchall.
Truro City: Martin Rice, Pierce Mitchell (Shane White 80), Connor Riley-Lowe, Jake Ash, Jamie Richards, Ryan Brett, Ollie Knowles, Dan Green, Matthew Wright (Craig Duff 79), Les Afful (Isaac Vassell 54), Cody Cooke. Subs not used: Danny Barrow

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