Maidstone United 2-2 Harrow Borough - Sloppy defending cost us the points, admits Hume

The Stones twice took the lead, through Nathan Paul’s first goal of the season, and Welshman Andy Martin’s third, but costly mistakes at the back meant they had to settle for a point.

Maidstone United have now climbed into 16^th place in the Ryman Premier League table with 13 points from 13 games - they have lost six out of six on their travels.

Watched by their lowest league home gate of the season, it was Harrow Borough that created the first chance but Jonathan Constant’s shot deflected into Pat Mullin’s arms after eight minutes.

But the Stones turned defence into attack just two minutes later.

Mario McNish rolled a back-pass back to Mullin, who lumped the ball up field and this was latched onto by Luis Cumbers.

The teenage striker, on a work experience loan deal from Gillingham, stroked a right-footed shot, that bounced once, into the grateful arms of Gary Ross.

Cumbers then latched onto a through ball from Martin, left Wayne Walters, the Harrow Borough captain in his wake, but his right-footed lob was plucked out of the air by Ross.

But Maidstone United fully deserved to take the lead after 21 minutes and 42 seconds into the game.

Martin powered a header forward and it was Cumbers who once again latched onto it down the right-hand side.

Cumbers did well to shrug off Nick Burton, who slipped, and cut the ball back to Paul, who drilled a left-footed shot past a stranded goalkeeper to open his account for the season.

Cumbers then turned provider when he slipped the ball to left-winger Nick Hegley and his cross agonisingly evaded Martin, who ghosted in at the far-post.

Errison Ahwan then powered a header forward for Paul down the right, and his left-footed cross-come-shot sailed agonisingly over Cumbers and past the far-post.

Harrow Borough’s best chance of the first half, meanwhile, arrived in the 33^rd minute.

Skipper Walters whipped in a cross from the left and this was met by a glancing header from James Bent, and Pat Mullin pulled off an excellent save by tipping the ball over his crossbar.

And on the stroke of half-time, another Maidstone United chance arrived, when Hegley sent a left-footed shot from 22-yards out just over.

But all their hard work during the first half was undone when Harrow Borough were gifted an equaliser after just 184 seconds into the second period.

The Stones didn’t deal with a Ross punt up field and after a couple of flick-ons, Elliot Onochie stabbed the ball past Mullin, who had advanced to the edge of his penalty box and failed to gather the ball.

Ross then made two excellent saves to frustrate the hosts in the space of two minutes.

Firstly he denied Ahwan from scoring with a bullet header, following Martin’s cross from the right, and in the 52^nd minute, the 19-year-old youth-team product got down quickly to his right to tip Craig Roser’s stinning left-footed volley from 35-yards around his post.

To the delight of the Stones faithful, their side took the lead for the second time, on the hour-mark.

Constant was penalised for handball inside the centre circle and Stones’ central defender Lee Shearer delivered a free-kick straight down the middle of the Borough box.

The ball was flicked on by Rob Owen into Martin’s path and the Welshman stabbed the ball past Ross, into the bottom left-hand corner.

Mullin did well to grasp a low angled drive from substitute Danny McGonigle but the same player brought the visitors’ level with 21 minutes remaining.

Another punt up field from Ross found McGonigle and his right-footed drilled shot from the edge of the box left Mullin rooted to the spot, a clinical 18-year shot that found the bottom right-hand corner.

Albert Adomah’s left-footed drive flashed past the right-post from 25-yards after Maidstone United twice gave the ball away in midfield, but Hume wasn’t happy with the point when he spoke to www.kentishfootball.co.uk after the Stones first draw of the season.

“Two points defiantly dropped,” he admitted. “I said at half-time the only way they’ll get anything is if we give them something and did that exactly twice.

“I sat in the dressing room and I have thrown tea cups today and gone a little mad because I think for probably 89 minutes we’ve played absolutely fantastically well tonight and we were very well on top of a very good, organised and good team.

“But two lapses in concentration, two punts down the field, two identical goals both times when we didn’t attack the ball.

“We didn’t expect mistakes to happen and we’ve conceded two really, really sloppy goals.

“I’ve pointed out to the players we’re where we are in the league because we deserve it at the moment because of the way we’re defending, at times, and we’ve got to learn from them mistakes because we keep getting punished.”

Big central defender, Mario McNish was replaced by Sam Tydeman after 79 minutes, due to his troublesome hamstring injury.

“Mario’s been carrying a hamstring now for probably five, four weeks,” explained Hume.

“Every game he’s really struggled at the start of the game to play and he can’t even join in the warm-ups.

“But he’s so vital to us at the moment that we put him out there week in, week out, and he’s doing wonders for us in the stage that he’s in.

“But at the end he felt it tightening up and he felt if he went on a sprint, one versus one with their centre forward, whose nearly as quick as him, or as quick as him, then he would struggle.

“So we brought him off more as a caution than anything and put Nathan (Paul) against him (Onochie) because Nathan’s just as quick as Mario and that proved to work as well but I’m sure Mario will be fit Saturday, because he’ll want to play.”

Hume believes Harrow Borough will play better when Tonbridge Angels welcome them to the Betterview Longmead Stadium on Saturday.

“I don’t think we saw the best of Harrow tonight because they wouldn’t have picked up the results they’ve had,” warned Hume, ahead of the FA Trophy first qualifying round tie.

He added: “But I think we have to take a bit of credit for that but what they are, they’re very quick up front, they showed that at times.

“Luckily we’re very quick at the back so as long as Tonbridge are aware of that and can stifle the front three, they’ve got a good chance, as we showed tonight.”

Maidstone United travel to Bury Town in their FA Trophy tie.

Maidstone United: Pat Mullin, Nathan Paul, Craig Roser, Errison Ahwan, Mario McNish (Sam Tydeman 79), Lee Shearer, Rob Owen, Ben Lewis, Luis Cumbers, Andy Martin, Nick Hegley (Mo Takaloo 82)
Subs: Aaron Lacy, Ray Freeman, Chris Peck.

Goals: Nathan Paul 22, Andy Martin 60

Harrow Borough: Gary Ross, Wayne Walters, Dan Nielson, Nick Burton, Danny Leech, Bobby Highton, James Bent, Jamie Lawrence, Elliot Onochie, Johnathan Constant (Danny McGonigle 61), Albert Adomah.
Subs: James Fraser, Kwasi Frempong, Matthew Mann.

Goals: Elliot Onochie 49, Danny McGonigle 69

Attendance: 267
Referee: Mr Phil Knight (Canterbury)
Assistants: Mr Neil Baker (Dartford) & Mr James Macey (Welling)