Maidstone United 1-1 Eastbourne Town - We got what we deserved, admits Jay Saunders

MAIDSTONE UNITED  1-1  EASTBOURNE TOWN
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 10^th March 2012
Paul Parkinson reports from Bourne Park

A world-class save from John Whitehouse rescued a point for Maidstone United, after their defensive woes returned to haunt them, allowing Kai Birchard to cancel out Baff Addae’s opener.

The point keeps the Stones in the play-off places, but with only seven games remaining, they need to rediscover the winning habit soon if they are to celebrate the opening of their new stadium in eighteen weeks’ time as a Ryman Premier League club.

Maidstone United boss Jay Saunders, reflecting on the game, admitted: “I thought it was a game of two halves to be honest. First half we controlled it and I thought we dominated without having that bit of quality until Baff produced the quality, but again, I thought the final ball let us down.

“Then, second half, we knew they were going to come at us, but we didn’t cope with it well enough. We didn’t put balls in the right areas, we had a lot of chances second half, but didn’t put the ball in well enough.”

But he was unusually critical of his charges, adding, “John kept us in the game at the end. First half I thought we deserved to be a goal in front, but second half, after that performance, if we’d come in and lost I’d have said we got what we deserved.

“I don’t know what more to say to them. We come in at half time and praise them and they go out and put in a performance like that. So do you go in and tear into them and see heads go down? I think some of the players need to take a look at themselves as in the second half, people seemed to take it easy and think I’ve done enough. How often did players go on the overlap? How often did players push themselves?””

In an opening twenty minutes, where both sides struggled to adapt to the pitch, each had a chance to take an early advantage.

Eastbourne Town’s Scott Kirkwood sliced an effort wide from Danny Curd’s cross with the goal at his mercy, before Baff Addae tormented full-back Ryan Storrie (who had already been booked for a foul on the Maidstone winger) but dragged his shot wide of goal.

Alex Waugh’s 22nd minute free-kick skimmed the bar after Sam Bewick’s attacking run had been crudely ended outside the box, then from the resulting corner, Graeme Andrews found himself free at the back post, but headed wide.

Maidstone took the lead on the half hour through a wonderful solo run and finish from Addae for his 12th goal of the season.

Danny Lye won the ball in midfield and released Addae on the right. The winger sped past Storrie’s challenge, turned Steve Elliott inside out, then lashed a shot from the angle past Kieron Thorp.

Just before the interval, Eastbourne fired a warning shot, as Birchard flicked a long free kick into the area, and Curd beat John Whitehouse to the challenge, but headed wide.

Early in the second half, both sides saw headers fly over; Eastbourne’s Matt Percival deflecting Elliott’s cross-shot over, then Shaun Welford, who had a frustrating afternoon, won a towering header that was steered high.

But just before the hour, Eastbourne were level, and it the manner of the goal that upset Saunders most. He said: “Baff took his goal well, but then he’s gone missing for half an hour before coming back into the game at the end. We can’t have people doing that, and again we’ve lost a goal from a set piece, a long throw, we can’t keep doing it. I can’t see why we’re doing that, we’ve got some big lads in the side and some people have got to take responsibility and get their head to it.”

As it was, the scorer Birchard managed to get free from Lye in a crowd of players and flicked  Treleven’s long throw into the far corner to level the game.

Neither side was able to dominate the remainder of the game, but Stones created chances for Waugh and Sam Groombridge, but neither troubled Thorp in the Eastbourne goal, while Whitehouse had to be alert to save Sam Crabb’s effort with Curd putting him under pressure.

With three minutes left, Treleven met Crabb’s cross 10 yards out and his header was arrowing towards the right corner for the winner, but for a stunning full-length save from Whitehouse to keep Maidstone in the game.

And the home side could have stolen the three points in stoppage time, as Addae beat three challenges in the box, but his left foot shot flew agonisingly wide of the right post with Thorp well beaten.

Maidstone United:  John Whitehouse, Tommy Osborne, Tom Mills, Sam Groombridge, Graeme Andrews, Danny Lye, Ellis Green (Sam Hasler 59), Sam Bewick, Shaun Welford, Alex Waugh, Baff Addae.
Subs: Jay Saunders, Ash Greenwood, Gavin Greenfield, Sean Johnson

Goal: Baff Addae 30

Booked:  Danny Lye 37

Eastbourne Town:  Kieron Thorp, Luke Denton, Ryan Storrie, Steve Elliott, Kai Birchard, Steve May, Adam Davidson, Scott Kirkwood (Dean Brooks 82), Danny Curd (Matt Geard 78), Matt Percival (Sam Crabb), Ross Treleven.
Subs: Danny Simmonds, Nick Fogden

Goal: Kai Birchard 58

Booked:  Ryan Storrie 8, Scott Kirkwood 25

Attendance: 327
Referee: Mr O Berquez
Assistants: Mr Tony King (Romford) & Mr Edward Smith (Hornchurch, Essex)