Maidstone United 0-5 Brighton & Hove Albion -The pitch was magnificent says Brighton boss Gus Poyet

MAIDSTONE UNITED  0-5  BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION
Pre-Season Friendly
Saturday 14^th July 2012
Paul Parkinson reports from James Whatman Way

With respect to a very professional performance from Brighton & Hove Albion, the 5-0 scoreline was not the story of the day. Instead, for the first time in 24 years, Maidstone United played a game as a senior club in the County town, in front of a capacity crowd who defied the weather to celebrate the homecoming.

For 45 minutes, Maidstone virtually matched opponents who are now six levels above in the Football League Championship, and maybe were unfortunate to be trailing to a first-half Craig Mackail-Smith goal that bounced down off the bar and was flagged in by the assistant referee.  

But, fielding a new eleven for the second half, Brighton’s pace and movement exposed the difference in class as the visitors hit four further goals in the first 23 minutes of the half, including a nine-minute hat-trick for Ashley Barnes.

Maidstone United’s player-manager, Jay Saunders, who came on for the final twenty minutes, admitted:
“At the end of the day, they are a quality side.  You could see by the way they moved the ball, and second half we made a few sloppy mistakes, and they punished us for it.

“I just said to the boys that we don’t judge them on the performance, today was about getting fitness and sharpness, as they are not going to come up against a team like that every week in Ryman South.  

“It was enjoyable, playing in front of this crowd.  It was great for everyone to be involved and we tried to get all the players on to enjoy the occasion and possibly that is why we lost our shape a bit second half.””

Having benefitted from four training sessions on the 3G pitch, Maidstone tried to play a passing game from the off before their opponents could settle and Ian Draycott, a new signing from Lewes, pulled a shot past Casper Ankergren’s goal within the first 20 seconds.

But on a pitch that encourages a quick passing game, left-winger Kazenga Lua-Lua gave right-back Ryan Cooper a torrid time with his pace, and created Brighton’s first chance with a cross that Deren Ibrahim punched out, but Romain Vincelot could only fire into the car park.

Maidstone created two good chances within 60 seconds on the quarter hour, with Sam Bewick’s near post cross being parried by Ankergren under pressure from Shaun Welford, and as the ball was dropping towards Draycott with the goal at his mercy, Marcos Painter nipped in to prevent the first goal at The Gallagher Stadium.

From the resulting corner, Graeme Andrews powered a header over after Welford had retrieved the original cross.

Brighton took the lead on 26 minutes as Lua-Lua fired another cross in from the left, Gary Dicker hit a volley goalwards and Scottish international Mackail-Smith poked the ball over Ibrahim, down off the bar and, according to the assistant, who was in the best position, over the line.

This prompted another Maidstone attack, where Welford fired a left-foot volley over, after Draycott had been denied by a block from the Seagulls’ Egyptian defender Adam El-Abd.

Ibrahim showed his shot-stopping prowess with two excellent low saves, from Matt Sparrow low to his left, then Anton Rodgers (son of the new Liverpool boss, Brendan) low to his right.

But in the closing minutes of the half, replacement keeper Peter Brezovan had to be alert to save at his near post from Alex Flisher, then Danny Lye found himself free in the 6-yard area, but could only steer his header from a Flisher corner over the bar.

A host of changes at the interval, three for Maidstone, 10 for Brighton, changed the course of the game and Maidstone seemed to adapt slower.  

Within 5 minutes of the restart, replacement Tim Olorunda had the ball stolen from him by Barnes, who fed Will Hoskins into the area, and the Brighton forward calmly slotted the ball past Ibrahim’s left hand.

Just short of the hour, Brighton increased their lead as Barnes hit the first of his three.  

Will Buckley released Bruno Sartor on the right edge of the area, and the Portugese full-back’s low cross was slotted home off the left post by Barnes, arriving late into the box.

On 62 minutes, Bewick’s sliding challenge on Norwegian forward Torbjorn Agdestein was deemed a foul by Mr Harris, and Barnes stepped up to fire his penalty into the same corner.

Barnes completed his hat-trick on 68 minutes with a deft clip over the advancing Ibrahim, having been released into the box by Liam Bridcutt’s pinpoint pass, as Brighton’s pace and movement continued to pull the Stones’ back four across the pitch.

In the closing 10 minutes, Maidstone had two further chances to register, but Paul Booth was denied by new signing Tomasz Kucszak arriving quickly off his line, then Flisher fired a 25-yard free-kick high over the Polish international’s bar.

For Brighton’s Uruguayan manager, Gus Poyet, there was nothing but praise for the new facility, as he said: “Very pleased.  The pitch was magnificent.  For artificial grass I don’t think it was a risk at all, the players were happy, the ball ran well, no issues, no injuries, so congratulations to Maidstone for this facility.  

“We were trying to target positioning of the players today, their patience, and you could see they wanted to pass the ball.  It’s all part of the fitness process and it was a good game for us.””

So the homecoming has passed successfully, but for Maidstone United and their manager, the next pre-season challenge comes up on Tuesday, with former Stones manager, John Still, the man who took the club into the Football League, returning with Dagenham & Redbridge.  

Saunders said: “Obviously you are worried about getting slaughtered by a quality team, but full credit to Gus Poyet and Brighton for bringing their full squad down.”

“I enjoyed today, but I’ll probably relax a bit more now it’s over and we can start training for Tuesday which will be another great evening, under the floodlights for the first time.  

“Hopefully we will see a little more of the ball, not to say that Dagenham won’t be a good side, I shouldn’t expect them to be at the standard of a team that could be pushing for the Premiership.  

“It will be another good occasion, but for us it is all about the Ryman South this season.”

Maidstone United:  Deren Ibrahim, Ryan Cooper (Kaiyne Woolery 59), Tom Mills (Lewis Mingle 76), Nicky Humphrey (Jay Saunders 71), Graeme Andrews (Steve Ward 81), Danny Lye (Tim Olorunda 46), Ben Davisson (Alex Waugh 59), Sam Bewick, Shaun Welford (Paul Booth 46), Ian Draycott (Michael Phillips 46), Alex Flisher (Josh James 84).
Sub: Charlie Mitten.

Brighton & Hove Albion:  Casper Ankergren (Peter Brezovan 30 (Tomasz Kucszak 59)), Inigo Calderon (Bruno Sartor 46), Marcus Painter (Ben Sampayo 46), Adam El-Abd (Gordon Greer 46), Romain Vincelot (Lewis Dunk 46), Craig Noone (Will Buckley 46), Anton Rodgers (Liam Bridcutt 46), Gary Dicker (Ryan Harley 46), Kazenga Lua-Lua (Torbjorn Agdestein 46), Matt Sparrow (Ashley Barnes 46), Craig Mackail-Smith (Will Hoskins 46).

Goals: Craig Mackail-Smith 26, Will Hoskins 50, Ashley Barnes 59, 62 (pen), 68

Attendance: 2,226
Referee: Mr Paul Harris (Maidstone)
Assistants: Mr Stuart Butler (Maidstone) &  Mr Paul Yates (Maidstone)
Fourth Official: Mr Lee Venamore (Maidstone)