Kentish Football 
Whitstable Town 2-3 Maidstone United - I'm disappointed we've got nothing from two games - Luchford
WHITSTABLE TOWN 2-3 MAIDSTONE UNITED
Ryman League Division One South
Tuesday 21st August 2012
Mike Green reports from Belmont Road
They may have been one of the pre-season favourites for the Ryman League Division One South title but one thing is for sure already – Maidstone United will certainly be one of the entertainers if the first week of the season is anything to go by.
With fourteen goals in their opening two games of the season, the Stones recovered from losing by the odd goal in nine to Walton & Hersham at the weekend, to squeeze past a plucky Whitstable Town side who's own start (against fancied Leatherhead and now Maidstone) has left them pointless.
Whitstable Town boss Justin Luchford was left frustrated yet pleased by his sides efforts.
He explained: “I’m disappointed that we’ve come away with nothing after two games in four days against those two (Leatherhead and Maidstone) given the way that we’ve played is very disappointing!
“I didn’t think that there was anything between the two sides in the first half – I thought that we’d edged it on chances by getting in behind them and we’ve got unfortunate from Micheal (Everitt) when he should have cleared it but didn’t – they get lucky and get the goal right on half time and you come in thinking that’s really harsh.
“Turning point of the game straight from the kick off – it was a worked centre that we told them to try and it worked a treat and we get the penalty and if Jake (Beecroft) puts it away I think it’s a different game I really do.
“Even when we were 2-1 down, we were looking at keeping it close, go with some pace and get in behind them and then they get a fluke third– the cross could have gone anywhere but for us its hit the post and the bar and the one place we didn’t want it to go it did – straight on Welford’s head!
“We then do get another penalty and we’re back in the game. If only it had come five minutes earlier as I genuinely think that if it had of been we’d have got something out of the game.
“If we’d stayed within that one goal I honestly thought we’d get a point in the last ten!
“I can’t complain about the performances –we’ve played two of the top sides and lost both by one goal!”
Stones boss Jay Saunders on the other hand was far happier all round.
He said: “I’m happier than Saturday – it was just about getting the three points tonight! Performance pleased me though I did think that we made things hard for ourselves by giving away a sloppy penalty – didn’t think the first one was but Tom’s (Mills) has had a rush of blood to the head; he’s a young lad and hopefully he’ll learn from it!”
Sunders added: “The Belmont’s never an easy place to come to but after we lost our opening game last year we came here and I wondered how we would perform but we’ve got a few new faces in this year. I felt a bit more confident that we’d come here and give a performance.
“A lot of the players were unhappy about the performance on Saturday and wanted to come here and give a display.
“Yet after they got their first, which was another mistake at the back, I was a bit worried, I thought “oh my god here we go again” and we could have gone back into our shell’s a bit but we kept going which was very pleasing.”
The Oystermen had the first clear cut chance on 8 minutes when Damian Abel broke down the left and his pin point cross found full back Scott Heard at the back post, whose flying header crashed into the side netting.
Maidstone went in front on 17 minutes with a wonder goal courtesy of Tim Olorunda.
A patent Stones build up was broken up on the edge of the box with the ball being cleared to Olorunda 35 yards out, who then curled a sub lime shot beyond the despairing reach of Oystermen keeper Rob French and into the top corner.
A stunning goal that impressed both bosses – Luchford bemoaned: “I’m not going to blame anyone for the first goal – Frenchie’s looking for the cross out here - the lad is… what’s he doing hitting it from there anyway?
“Frenchie’s always going to be in that position, as he’s looking for the ball into the box that he will come and claim. And I don’t want him to stop doing that – I don’t want him rooted to the line! And let’s face it, it’s got to be in the top corner to beat him and it was! It was one of them – he won’t score another goal like that all season – it’s just one of those things that happens.”
"Going to hear a lot about Tim’s goal on the way home,” grinned Stones boss Saunders meanwhile contemplating his drive back up the M2! “Seriously it was hard leaving him out on Saturday, as he’s a good player.
“Last year he was playing (for Tonbridge Angels in) Conference South and for me to tell him he was on the bench in Ryman South was tough but he showed a great attitude – he’s turned up tonight and I thought he was tremendous. He steadied the ship for us and he did a great job."
Sam Bewick then saw a shot well gathered by French, before on 33 minutes a long punt down field by the Whitstable keeper found Ian Pulman, who curled a first time shot beyond Stones keeper Deren Ibrahim only for the ball to clip the outside of the left post.
It proved to be nothing but a temporary reprieve as sixty seconds later the home side levelled.
Shane Hamshare's long throw was inexplicably allowed to bounce through the box by the Maidstone defence and it was Everitt who reacted quickest to slam the ball into the net past a startled Ibrahim as the Stones defence looked at each other.
The Stones manager looking on was far from impressed – Saunders said: “What disappointed me about the first goal was the late runner who came from midfield. We’d said that might happen but look – they test you! They put balls in good areas and are a big side and you have to stand up and unfortunately we switched off.
“People are going to say the centre halves let the ball bounce over their head, but at the same time midfielders have got to track back for those sorts of runs. It happens but we picked our heads up and scored two more goals.”
But unfortunately for the home keeper the ball rebounded to Michael Phillips on the edge of the box who coolly rolled the ball into the net.
The second half couldn't have had a more explosive start, as almost straight from kick off the home side were awarded a golden opportunity to level when Abel was impeded as he went for a cross unfairly, but as the ball fell to Stuart Vahid to crash the ball home, referee Graeme Ions had already pointed to the spot.
Jake Beecroft took the responsibility and soon wished he hadn’t as Ibrahim easily turned aside his rather weak penalty.
"The real turning point of the game," Luchford admitted. “I thought that the officials were very poor tonight as they weren’t consistent. For example there was an instance in the first half where one of my players was booked for a late challenge after play had been allowed to go on, but then when we get the first penalty and Stuart scores he pulls it back and gives us the pen. If it’s a penalty why wasn’t the defender at least booked for being the last man?
“I thought that officials were really poor tonight and I think that played a part I really do – I think that they get overawed by Maidstone and they always have done, and honestly that’s nothing against Maidstone – I genuinely don’t think that officials can deal with big games and I think that’s true all the way up to the Premier League.
“You ask a lot of the so called minnows in the Premier League and I bet they tell you the same thing – when you’re playing the Manchester United’s and Chelsea’s at home I think it happens. But that’s not the reason behind this result – the result was because we didn’t clear our lines a couple of times and they got a little bit of luck – I don’t think we deserve to lose to be honest!”
Olorunda missed a golden chance to extend the lead on the hour but failed to hit the target with a free header from a left wing corner, before French produced a very smart save on 70 minutes to deny Phillips - the big keeper did well to get down to his left to turn the midfielders shot around the post.
From the resulting corner, the Stones were convinced that Welford had been fouled, but referee Ions waved away their appeals.
The Stones faithful didn't have much longer to wait for what proved to be the clinching goal - but it was a goal that French will have nightmares about.
Olorunda's long hanging cross had the giant Whitstable keeper back pedalling, only for the ball to rebound off the angle of post and bar as the keeper collided with the back stick, and he looked on helplessly as the ball looped up for Welford to head one of the easiest goals he will ever score.
French did excel a couple of moments later to again deny Phillips who had pounced on a suicidal back pass, and looked set to score as he rounded the Whitstable keeper, someone French extended his long arms to make a really fine block and deny Phillips his second and the Stones fourth.
Welford then flashed a header wide from a Bewick centre as the visitors looked to close out the game, but the home side had other ideas, as substitute James Morrish tested Ibrahim at the foot of his right post.
As the 90 minutes elapsed, Whitstable were handed another lifeline and Tom Mills hauled down Pulman, and again the official pointed to the spot.
This time Pulman himself stepped up and rammed the ball home. "If only we'd had another five minutes!" bemoaned Luchford after the game.
Whitstable Town: Rob French, Scott Heard, Sam Groombridge, Micheal Everitt, Josh Hare, Laurence Harvey, Jake Beecroft, Stuart Vahid (Dane Luchford 63), Ian Pulman, Damian Abel (James Morrish 76), Shane Hamshare (Dan Whisker 76).
Subs: Jake McKenzie, Nick Shaw
Goals: Micheal Everitt 38, Ian Pulman 90 (pen)
Maidstone United: Deren Ibrahim, Tommy Osborne, Tom Mills, Nicky Humphrey, Graeme Andrews, Tim Olorunda, Ben Davisson (Danny Lye 61), Sam Bewick, Shaun Welford (Paul Booth 86), Kaine Woolery, Michael Phillips.
Subs: Ade Olorunda, Ryan Cooper, Charlie Mitten
Goals: Tim Olorunda 17, Michael Phillips 43, Shaun Welford 73
Booked: Tom Mills 90
Attendance: 391
Referee: Mr Graeme Ions (Tonbridge)
Assistants: Mr Steven Perry (Bexleyheath) & Chris Myatt (Dartford)
Red Dragon I.T. Ltd