Woking 2-0 Maidstone United - I'm immensely proud of my players - Hume

Saturday 10th October 2009

WOKING 2-0 MAIDSTONE UNITED
FA Cup (Sponsored by E.ON) Third Qualifying Round
Saturday 10th October 2009
Paul Parkinson reports from Kingfield Stadium

AND SO the dream of FA Cup glory ends for Maidstone United at a sun-drenched Kingfield today; beaten, but definitely not disgraced, having played a full part in a match against a Woking team trying to live up to their own FA Cup history.

Goals at either end of the game gave a one-sided look, which at times mirrored the play, and maybe without Jamie Turner‘s heroics it could have been more, but it could have been so different if the final ball to the front men had been better.

Speaking afterwards to both BBC Radio Kent and www.kentishfootball.co.uk, Maidstone joint-manager, Lloyd Hume said, “I was immensely proud of the boys today. To be fair, Woking were good throughout the game; they played more of a counter-attacking game than we did.

“They got a good, quality goal that I can‘t really fault us for and we never really got back in it.

“You never do create much against teams like this; what I look at more is the possession we had in their half, but we never really got on the end of things in the box. When we crashed a ball against the bar with 20 to go, I thought we were going to be back in it.””

Wilfried Domoraud, last year‘s leading goalscorer, and Giuseppe Sole, back at Woking after a spell with Ebbsfleet, gave early notice to the threat they would provide, combining well on the edge of the box, before Nathan Paul nipped in to avert the danger.

Domoraud was not to be denied on 9 minutes, rifling the ball into the top right corner of Turner‘s net, having been fed by Aswad Thomas, then turning sharply past Peter Hawkins. The build-up play for this goal, involving Sole and Sam Sloma, was probably the best move of the match.

Sole had the chance to increase the lead 3 minutes later, glancing a header from Thomas’ cross just past the right hand post.

But Maidstone had their chances. From their first corner, Jay Saunders headed the ball back across the box and Roland Edge lashed his volley wide, when he possibly had more time than he first realised.

As the half wore on, the home side were denied three times by Turner in the Stones‘ goal.

First, he gathered Domoraud‘s spectacular, but ineffective bicycle-kick, then had to be at his best to deny Sole twice in as many minutes.

Sole‘s 30-yard free kick was heading for the top corner, until Turner pushed it onto the bar, then, when the Woking striker latched onto a poor clearance from debutant Jermaine Darlington, Turner plunged full-length to his left to turn the 12-yard shot round the post.

The Woking forward’s combined again in the opening minutes of the second half and should have put the game beyond doubt.

Sole should have done better when Domoraud released him, but his drive from the edge of the box sailed high into the stand behind the goal.

Then, Sole broke into the box and fed his partner, only for Domoraud‘s shot to be superbly blocked by Turner‘s strong left hand from close range.

Maidstone‘s best, and last real chance, came on 62 minutes. A long cross-field ball found Dean Hernandez-Bradshaw on the left edge of the Woking area. He cut inside full-back Ricky Anane and unleashed a curling drive that left the crossbar shaking, with Ross Worner, in the Woking goal, well beaten.

From then on, it was pretty much one-way traffic as Maidstone chased the game, ending with four up front, and Woking played on the counter-attack.

Turner denied Domoraud again on 68, before being relieved to see Craig Watkins flagged offside as he put the rebound into the net.

A 10-minute delay, caused by an injury to the referee, Mr Laver (who had an otherwise outstanding afternoon), brought the arrival of Maidstone United steward, Barry Fenn, to the touchline. The break though, seemed to reinvigorate the home side as Watkins saw his effort from the restart held well by Turner.

As the game entered the 11th of the eventual 12 minutes stoppage time, Maidstone‘s hopes of a replay were cruelly dashed.

Domoraud released substitute, Luke Medley (on loan from Barnet), who sprinted goalward as the Stones’ defence looked in vain for the assistant‘s flag. Medley drew Turner to the edge of the box and coolly slotted the ball home.

Speaking further after the game, Hume said, “They‘ve got a lot of pace in their team and you can see they are full-time.

“If I‘m honest, sometimes I go into the dressing room after we‘ve been beaten and crucify the players behind closed doors, but I‘ve gone in there and my job‘s to lift them as we‘ve competed all over the pitch.

“I‘m very proud of my players today, they‘ve done well. Everyone gave everything they had, but it just wasn‘t enough.”

“Woking were on a hiding to nothing because they were expected to win; they are a full-time side, flying high in the Conference South.

“We instilled in the players that they‘ve got to come here with no fear and I’ve looked around that side today and I cannot criticise anyone.

“At times I think we were unlucky today, but we‘ve got to pick ourselves up as we‘ve got a game on Tuesday (away to Horsham in the Ryman Premier); that‘s our bread and butter.

“It was all glamorous today, a big ground, a big crowd, playing against Woking, but we‘ve got to make sure we produce on Tuesday night.

“It‘s very tight at the top, but I look at our next 4 or 5 games, obviously not taking them lightly, but if we can take 12 points out of 15, I think we can be in a little group that breaks away at the top.”

Woking: Ross Worner, Ricky Anane, Aswad Thomas, Harry Arter (Mark Ricketts 90), Tom Hutchinson, Joe McNerney, Craig Watkins, Jamie Hand, Wilfried Dormoraud, Giuseppe Sole (Luke Medley 68), Sam Sloma (Nicky Nicolau 63).
Subs: Delano Sam-Yorke, Jerome Maledon, Matt Pegler, Daniel Sintim.

Goals: Wilfried Domoraud 9, Luke Medley 90

Maidstone United: Jamie Turner, Nathan Paul, Jermaine Darlington (Ashley Ulph 85), Dean Hernandez-Bradshaw (Ashley Dann 89), Peter Hawkins, James Peacock, Roland Edge, Jay Saunders, James Pinnock, Matthew Wright, Nick Barnes.
Subs: Ant Bodle, Keelan Mooney, Adam Harris.

Booked: Jay Saunders 63

Attendance: 1,434
Referee: Mr A A Laver (replaced by Mr A Beavis 72)
Assistants: Mr A Beavis (replaced by Mr B Fenn 72) and M Taylor