AFC Hornchurch 2-0 Maidstone United - We thought we could get out of it, admits Jay Saunders

AFC HORNCHURCH  2-0  MAIDSTONE UNITED
Ryman Premier League
Saturday 30^th April 2011
Paul Parkinson reports from Bridge Avenue

MAIDSTONE UNITED’S three year tenure in the Ryman Premier League came to an end this afternoon, with a 2-0 defeat in the sun at Bridge Avenue.  



When new player-manager, Jay Saunders took over, if you had told most Maidstone United supporters that the club could survive in the Ryman Premier League this year, they would have said you were dreaming.  

But after 5 wins in the last 7 games kept the season alive, the dream was extinguished by goals either side of half-time.

Saunders admitted, “Six weeks ago, we could only dream of coming to Hornchurch to get a result, but now we’re so disappointed we haven’t got one.  It shows how far we’ve come.  

”People have said we probably wouldn’t get a reprieve (for finishing fourth-from-bottom), so we were concentrating on getting three points, but on the day it hasn’t happened.  

”We were confident when we took the job that we could get results, we thought we could get out of it.  

”We let in two silly goals, just switching off for a moment, but I can’t fault the boys for what they’ve given us.  

”I think we could still be playing tonight and not score.  Things were dropping in the box and it showed, that when the ball hit about four defenders and dropped straight to the keeper, it was one of those days.”

Maidstone United, who were also reliant on other results going their way, started the game brightly and both Alex Flisher, with a curling shot, and Dan Stubbs, whose effort was blocked, had early chances to settle nerves.  

But it took last-ditch tackles from Nathan Paul to deny both Martin Tuohy and Frankie Curley at the other end.

In first half stoppage time, the Stones were undone by a mazy Lewis Smith run that released Frankie Curley into the box.  The Hornchurch midfielder took the ball round Andy Walker before calmly slotting into the empty net from an angle.

Within seven minutes of the restart, Maidstone were hit on the counter attack.

From a quick Smith free kick, Sam Collins broke down the left wing and crossed along the 6-yard box for Martin Tuohy to slide in his 18th league goal.

Stubbs had chances to get the Stones back in the game, but first steered a shot over the bar from Flisher’s cross then, after Danny Knowles’ punch fell to him at the edge of the box, Stubbs’ volley also cleared the bar.

Despite the two goals in the game, neither goalkeeper had a shot to save until the last 10 minutes.  

First, Andy Walker parried a Tuohy drive, then Knowles claimed Ellis Green’s 25-yard free kick in stoppage time.

And as news came through that the other result (Aveley’s 3-2 win at Hastings) would have gone their way, the final whistle from Mr Yeo signalled the end of Maidstone United’s dream.  

But as Saunders and his players acknowledge the Stones’ fans, he said, “The boys want the crowd to know how much they appreciate their support, they were absolutely superb. There’s some disappointed boys in there, but if they continue to give me 100% of the effort since I’ve been in charge, then we can’t go far wrong.  I’m just sorry we couldn’t get the 3 points.”

Now it’s a case of waiting for the Ryman League Annual General Meeting in June to see which division Maidstone will be playing in when they return to Sittingbourne’s Bourne Park next season.  

But, once he has recovered from the disappointment of his first relegation, Saunders can look forward, having already held a meeting with the management team to discuss the future.

AFC Hornchurch: Danny Knowles, Dave McSweeney, Rickie Hayles (Michael Spencer 53), Elliot Styles, Ronnie Fletcher, Frankie Curley, Jonathan Hunt (Ashley Taylor-Forbes 81), Dave Collis, Martin Tuohy (Brian Haule 85), Lewis Smith, Sam Collins.
Subs: Tambeson Eyong, Billy Coyne.

Goals: Frankie Curley 45, Martin Tuohy 52.

Maidstone United: Andy Walker, Nathan Paul, Tom Mills, Danny Lye, Laurence Harvey (Adam Burchell 87), Simon Glover (Ronayne Marsh-Brown 57), Colin Richmond (Gary Wharton 57), Dan Stubbs, Jay May, Ellis Green, Alex Flisher.
Subs: Jay Saunders, Michael Phillips.

Attendance: 557
Referee: Mr Keith Yeo
Assistants: Mr Jamie Garwood and Mr Olivier Roguez