Maidstone United 0-3 Hendon - We face a hell of a challenge, says caretaker Nott

Tuesday 09th February 2010

MAIDSTONE UNITED 0-3 HENDON
Ryman Premier League
Tuesday 9th February 2010
Mike Green reports from Homelands Stadium

CARETAKER manager Peter Nott was a proud man as he strode across the Homelands pitch and took his place in the Stones dug-out for the first time.

It was just a shame that his side didn’t get any luck at all to spoil his big night as within 10 minutes Hendon had established a two goal lead and by the half hour it was 3-0 as the visitors poured more misery onto the bedraggled Stones!

"more misery onto the bedraggled Stones" is far too harsh because upon reflection all three goals were down to nasty bounces off the Homelands pitch, although Stones keeper Jamie Turner will probably feel he should have done better with goals one and three as he was beaten on both occasions by ridiculous bounces!

"It really was a welcome to hell wasn’t it" admitted Nott when he spoke to www.kentishfootball.co.uk after the game.

"The second half performance we very spirited, and we could even have pulled ourselves back into the game with a couple of chances, but being realistic the game was dead and buried after 10 minutes, and lets face it at this level you cannot give teams two goal head starts."

Joking Nott said, "I'm convinced that both shots for the first and third goals hit the same bobble! Seriously though Jamie (Turner) is sick in the dressing room as he’s a quality keeper and of the three goals on any other days none go in. He doesn’t need me to say anything but I'm convinced that the state of the pitch didn’t help!

"We had six key players injured today and we've got what we've got - we must get points on the board. We were only appointed last night with no chance of getting anyone new in yet. We face a hell of a challenge - we know the majority of the boys and have got the same budget as the previous management team and therefore have to work within the budget!"

Hopefully for the Stones, that budget will include getting some luck too as they had none whatsoever in this game!

You could tell it wasn’t going to be their night as after only six minutes Casey MacLearn's shot "yorked" Turner - the ball didn’t bounce at all as it crept under the giant keeper's body!

It was two three minutes later - this time the unmarked James Bent's header (from a fine Dave Dieshiou cross) took an outrageous bounce and nestled in the net, before on 26 minutes the goal that summed up the Stones night if not their season.

Jamie Busby hit a shot from roughly the same place that MacLearn had 20 minutes earlier. This time the ball hit a divot and flew over the prone keeper and into the roof of the net!!! Who'd be a keeper huh???

The caretaker manager was right about the way that the Stones battled, but in the cold light of day, the Stones are short on confidence and need someone to deflect a shot into the net to kick start the strikers season.

For as hard as both Danny Hockton and James Pinnock worked they cannot feed on the scraps that are currently coming their way.

Don’t take this the wrong way - the Stones are creating the chances but just can’t hit the net at the moment.

Their best first-half chance saw Ant Bodle power a header narrowly wide, whilst in the second Pinnock was denied by the keepers knees whilst Hickton was inches away from turning home James Peacocks header back across goal, before Pinnock forced a great low save out of keeper James Reading with a spectacular scissors kick.

At the end of the day, the scoreline says that the Stones were well beaten and perhaps they were. But there are signs of recovery - its just now down to the new management team to get them to grow rather quicker than some Stones fans may have hoped for!

Maidstone United: Jamie Turner, Nathan Paul, Ashley Ulph, James Peacock, Peter Hawkins, Ant Bodle, Keelan Mooney (Lynden Rowland 67), Jermaine Darlington (Alex Flischer 75), James Pinnock, Danny Hockton, Shannon O'Donnovan (Steve Elliott 46).

Subs: Ashley Russell and Richard Knell

Booked: Ashley Ulph 15, James Peacock 52

Hendon: James Reading, Dave Diedhiou, Scott Cousins, Bradley Thomas, James Parker, Jamie Busby, James Bent (Kevin MacLaren 73), Lee O'Leary, Casey MacLaren (Craig Vargas 83), Wayne O'sullivan (Bradley Woods Garness 73), Peter Dean.

Sub: James Burgess

Goals: Casey MacLaren 6, James Bent 9, Jamie Busby 26

Booked: James Bant 61

Attendance: 128

Referee: Mr Robert Smith (New Addington, Surrey)

Assistants: Mr Simeon Potter (Sutton, Surrey) & Mr Peter Chrichlow (Carshalton, Surrey)