Bedford Town 2-3 Maidstone United - It was not a close game, it was more comfortable - Jay Saunders

Having taken a commanding 3-0 lead and looking as though they should have extended the lead further, the final scoreline suggests a much closer game than the reality against opponents lying just outside the play-off places in the Evostick Southern Premier division.

Maidstone United boss, Jay Saunders, admitted: “We’ve come here and played the first half into a gale-force wind, gone one-nil up and played really well. In the second half, we should have killed the game off.

“I thought we could have had another couple, we hit the post and Draycs (Ian Draycott) has had a one-on-one, but we’ve let them back into it. I’m disappointed because people will look at that and think 3-2 is a close game, but I thought it was more comfortable.”

Saunders added: “It took us a while to get into the second half, but the goal really settled us down. I thought at times we forced it a bit, and could have calmed it down better. Even when you are winning games you still pick up the little things that you do wrong, and we’ve let in a couple of soft goals that on another day could cost us.””

When asked how his players responded to the pressure exerted on them in the closing minutes, Saunders added: “They are not happy that they’ve let in two goals; the defence is unhappy, Charlie’s not happy, and I like that because they’ll react to that sloppy five minutes. But full credit to the boys, overall I’m pleased with the performance.””

Coming into the game on a five-match unbeaten run, and having scored at least three goals in each of the last 4 games, Maidstone were riding on the crest of a wave, and started the match displaying their confidence.

Within 18 seconds of kick-off, Alex Flisher burst into the Bedford area and drove a low cross along the 6-yard box that a stretching Shaun Welford could only steer wide.

The Eagles, on a run of one defeat in seven before this, replied with Nat Peacock glancing a header wide from a free-kick swung in from deep by former Ebbsfleet winger Ashley Fuller, who was a constant threat with his delivery in the opening quarter.

But Bedford were disrupted by the loss of new striker Will Green, a recent signing from Conference North Brackley Town, after just 13 minutes. His replacement, Jamaine Ivy brought a different threat, that of raw pace, and would have a big impact in the closing stages.

Capitalising on their opponents’ misfortune, Maidstone pressed with Nicky Humphrey unable to get enough contact onto a Tom Mills floated free kick. Then a Welford shot was parried by Eagles’ goalkeeper Ian Brown, with Draycott denied the chance to pick up the rebound by the assistant’s flag, and Flisher dragged a shot wide, following a counter attack led by 17-year old Kaiyne Woolery.

But the breakthrough was made on 27 minutes as a long throw from Flisher was flicked on at the near post by Bedford defender Jamie Grimes, and an unmarked Draycott, returning to a former club, was on hand and unmarked at the back post to dive in and bury his header in the bottom corner.

Bedford suffered the loss of central defender Josh Beech through injury, but dominated the closing stages of the first half.

Callum Lewis had a volley well saved and held by Charlie Mitten, who had been a virtual spectator; Mark Bell had a free kick held by Mitten at the left angle of post and bar then, after Fuller had released Ivy on a quick counter attack from a Maidstone corner, only Humphrey’s sliding tackle denied the Bedford substitute a chance on goal.

As Saunders admitted, Maidstone were slow to get into the match again after the interval but they did well to soak up the pressure and deny Bedford any clear sight of Mitten’s goal.

A good run and pull back from Ivy saw Peacock drag a shot across goal and wide, before Michael Built fired wide from the edge of the area after a clearance dropped perfectly for him.

Against the run of play, with virtually their first attack of the half, Maidstone doubled their lead.

Ben Davisson’s deep corner was headed back into the middle by Tim Olorunda, where Welford fired a volley towards goal. As Draycott tried to get in the end of Welford’s effort, Ollie Wilkinson got the decisive touch to wrong-foot his keeper,

Davisson had a chance to increase the lead just after the hour as he crashed a left-foot drive against the inside of the left upright, and Draycott, picking up Woolery’s through ball after a weaving run by Flisher, had a one-on-one with Brown, but the keeper somehow managed to deflect Draycott’s shot with his right foot.

Brown then repeated this trick to deny Welford, while at the other end, Fuller fired a shot across the face of goal.

Maidstone took what looked to be an unassailable three-goal lead on 77 minutes as Welford beat the back four to Davisson’s through ball, and calmly slotted the ball past Brown into the bottom corner.

Graeme Andrews had supplied the ball to Davisson that led to the goal, and Andrews was the saviour moments later, clearing a shot from Fuller, that flew through a crowd of players, off the line as Ivy slid in to try and convert the chance.

However, with nine minutes left Bedford found a way back into the game, as Fuller’s corner bounced down off Peacock, and Ivy rammed home from 6 yards, giving Mitten and the defenders on the line no chance.

Welford fired a header against the left post from a tight angle, as Maidstone tried to hit on the counter attack, but Bedford set up a nervy finish with a second goal in stoppage time.

A run from the left by Fuller was fed through to Eugene Libertucci via Ivy, and Libertucci flashed the ball across goal, where Built slid in to convert.

But despite desperately throwing ball after ball towards the Maidstone box, the visitors’ held out and can now look forward to a place in Monday’s draw.

Saunders though is hoping for a return to the county town, having played their last four cup ties on the road, and said: “I don’t mind. I’d prefer a home game, but knowing our luck this year we’ll probably be drawn away.”

Bedford Town:  Ian Brown, Ollie Wilkinson, Steve Kinniburgh, Michael Built, Josh Beech (Dan Crowie 37 (Eugene Libertucci 87), Jamie Grimes, Mark Bell, Callum Lewis, Nat Peacock, Will Green (Jamaine Ivy 13), Ashley Fuller.
Subs: Seb Simpson, Paul Cooper

Goals: Jamaine Ivy 81, Michael Built 90