Maidstone United 1-0 Waltham Forest - We have lost a little belief in attack, admits Hume

Tuesday 20th October 2009

MAIDSTONE UNITED 1-0 WALTHAM FOREST
FA Carlsberg Trophy First Qualifying Round
Tuesday 20th October 2009
Paul Parkinson reports from Homelands Stadium

A 69th minute header from veteran Peter Hawkins sealed Maidstone United‘s progression into the FA Trophy 2nd Qualifying Round, but it was a far from convincing display against a spirited Waltham Forest.

Although the Stones dominated the possession, and were far ahead on the corner count, a worrying lack of a cutting edge could have blunted this latest Cup run.

Joint-manager, Lloyd Hume, speaking afterwards to www.kentishfootball.co.uk, reflected, “There’s a bit of relief there, but if I‘m honest we haven‘t played well again tonight and I‘ve told the players that.

“We came off a run of 8 or 9 unbeaten, lost at Woking (in the FA Cup) and seem to have lost all confidence.

“Today we were camped in their half for most of the game; they were unlucky once not to score in the second half, but we could have been 3 up by half-time.

“We didn‘t really create a lot, we seem to have lost a little bit of belief in the final third but hopefully just by getting that win will make a difference on Saturday.”

“I‘m disappointed that we‘ve lost the belief in the way that we were playing because we are a good side.

“You look in that dressing room and there are good players in there but we don‘t believe in ourselves at the moment and that‘s the most annoying thing.

“I‘m grateful that game is over and we‘ve got through to the next round; yes the Chairman gets his money, but we‘re back to winning ways.

“I‘ve always said winning is a habit and it‘s a habit we can take into Saturday.””

Playing into a blustery wind in the first half, Maidstone‘s Matthew Wright (re-signed for a second month, on loan from Crystal Palace) created a couple of early half chances.

On 11 minutes James Peacock set Dean Hernandez-Bradshaw through one-on-one, but a fine save from Forest goalkeeper, Sam Tanner, denied the winger.

Six minutes later, a Nick Barnes free-kick from the left found Peter Hawkins free in the middle of the visitor‘s box, but the defender made too good a contact and his header flew well wide.

Wright and Hernandez-Bradshaw then combined well on a quick counter-attack, but the winger shot into the side-netting, rather than looking for team-mates who were better placed.

Waltham Forest‘s first chance came just after the half-hour, when a Jermaine Darlington clearance deflected back into the Maidstone box, but Nathan Paul was on his toes to block shots from both Danny Gabriel and Robert Carter.

The visitors closed the half with their best chance, which came from a Maidstone corner. As they broke quickly, good flowing football throughout the team found Carter on the edge of the Stones‘ box. He fed Luke Stanley, whose drilled cross was met by Andre Humphrey-Modeste‘s flying header, but the ball fell wide of the goal.

Early in the second half, now with the wind behind him, Hernandez-Bradshaw picked up a long clearance, cut inside the Waltham full-back, but dragged his 25-yard shot wide.

With their first corner, on 57 minutes, Waltham forward Carter found space in the Maidstone box, but saw his powerful header bounce up onto the bar and away to safety.

Visiting keeper, Tanner, then excelled to turn away chances from Wright, James Pinnock and then Barnes.

First Wright, send clear one-on-one by another ball from Peacock, saw his early shot deflect up into the air off Tanner‘s leg and the keeper recovered enough to turn Pinnock‘s goal-bound header over the bar.

Then, Barnes‘ 35-yard free-kick deflected off John Akindele and Tanner had to move quickly to turn the ball over the bar.

From their next corner, on 69 minutes, Maidstone took the lead. A scramble in the middle of the box, with Wright and Peacock scrapping for the ball, saw the ball loop up and Hawkins reacted quickest to head home from close range.

Waltham Forest could have found their way back into the game on 73, when Gabriel released Humphrey-Modeste on the right edge of the box, and his cross-shot evaded Jamie Turner, the left hand post and Carter, arriving at pace at the back post.

With time running out, substitute Ashley Dann had the chance to seal the match, latching onto a long Turner clearance that looked like a lost cause, but he could only find the frame of the goal from an acute angle.

Maidstone United: Jamie Turner, Nathan Paul, Jermaine Darlington, Dean Hernandez-Bradshaw (Keelan Mooney 63), Peter Hawkins, James Peacock, Roland Edge (Ant Bodle 36), Jay Saunders, James Pinnock, Matthew Wright (Ashley Dann 79), Nick Barnes.
Subs: Steve Elliott, Adam Harris.

Goal: Peter Hawkins 69

Booked: Peter Hawkins 89

Waltham Forest: Sam Tanner, Michael Filletti, Ben Gracey, Brian Okwera, Gbenga Sonuga, John Akindele, Andre Humphrey-Modeste, Dean Pennant (Rubio Severino 82), Robert Carter (Sam Adesola 74), Danny Gabriel, Luke Stanley.
Subs: Ian Walsh, Sid Anguilley, Shamrez Darr.

Attendance: 152
Referee: Mr Carl Brook (St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex)
Assistants: Mr Craig Wood (Gravesend) & Mr Saul Kay (Sittingbourne)