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United denied on their travels again - 15/12/07

Ade Olorunda's first half header may have earned United a share of the spoils against Maidstone at Bourne Park this afternoon, but his failure to convert a gilt-edged stoppage time opportunity cost United the chance to record their first away league win of the season. United had much the better of the opening forty-five minutes, and were thoroughly deserving of the goal that edged them in front ten minutes before the interval. But the home side fought back well in the second half, hitting the woodwork twice, before Mo Takalobighashi equalised from a seventy-second minute indirect free kick awarded on the edge of United's six yard box. By that point, Maidstone were somewhat fortunate not to have had Craig Roser sent off for bringing down Sam Adams as he burst clean through on goal, with Ade wasting a similar chance right at the death, which should have grabbed all three points.

For the third match running, United manager Nigel Kane named an unchanged sixteen man squad, although there was one change from the starting eleven against Heybridge last week, with illness preventing skipper Jimmy Elford from lining up at left back, and Russell Eldridge coming in for his 150th career appearance for the Club. Tim Olorunda also clocked up his 100th senior appearance for United, while Tom Poole continued to miss out through suspension, and Danny Spice and John Bradley returned to action with the Reserves. Maidstone were scarcely recognisable from the side that had capitulated to a heavy defeat at the Pilot Field back in August, with only defenders Nathan Paul and Errison Ahwan, and left winger Nick Hegley surviving from that evening's starting eleven. There was a debut for former Cray keeper Steve Northwood in place of the injured Pat Mullin, while young Chris Smalling had stepped up to fill the shoes of the departed Mario McNish alongside new skipper Ahwan at the heart of the back four. Long throw merchant Aaron Lacy was also included from the start, with Takalobighashi and Alex Tiesse a useful combination of impact players to come off the bench, as the Stones aimed to avenge that four goal mauling in the second game of the season.

Perhaps understandably, it took the two sides a while to warm up in the bitterly cold conditions, and Russell's shot into orbit from a Lee Carey short corner was the only attempt on goal in an opening twenty minutes dominated by United at least in terms of possession. Hegley and Ahwan wasted presentable chances for the home side as the half wore on, while Sam tested Northwood with a low twenty yard volley, and then sent a thirty yard effort skidding just over the bar. United suffered a blow when Dan Williams hobbled off with another ankle injury to be replaced by Kevin Rose, and Lynden Rowland immediately missed the best chance of the game to that point, glancing a close range header harmlessly wide from Paul's teasing cross just past the half hour mark, while loan signing Steffan Gaisie headed over from a Lacy long throw, with the home side looking increasingly dangerous from their less than subtle set pieces. However, it was United who hit the front ten minutes before half time, when Sam received Russell's quickly taken free kick and delivered an inch perfect cross from the right for Ade to power a close range header past Northwood and into the roof of the net. Hegley and Ahwan went close to a rapid response from Gaisie and Lacy crosses respectively, and Russell drove a shot straight at Northwood from another short corner, as United reached the break looking good value for their single goal advantage.

There was an early warning for United after the restart, with Maidstone forcing a series of corners in quick succession and Gaisie missing his kick from the edge of the six yard box from one fine Lacy delivery. Lee Worgan's goalmouth then survived a couple of scrambles, although United's keeper still hadn't actually been forced to make a save by the time Tiesse hit the woodwork with his first touch after replacing Gaisie just before the hour mark, a superb overhead kick that clipped the top of the crossbar with Lee well beaten. Ade missed a couple of half chances on the break for United and then set up Sam for a far post effort that he put wide under pressure from Northwood. The first of two major talking points occurred in the sixty-fifth minute, Scott Kirkwood winning a strong challenge in the centre circle and sending the ball spinning into Sam's path for a clear run on goal. He was still around twenty-five yards out, when Stones' outpaced left back Roser gambled on a cynical tackle from behind, halting Sam's progress and clearly denying him a goalscoring opportunity, a view obviously not shared by the referee, who opted to show only a yellow card, with Russell curling the ensuing free kick wide. Scott forced Northwood into a sharp save at his near post shortly afterwards, before United were undone by another questionable officiating decision that led to the home side's equaliser. Lacy's inswinging corner was met by Smalling with a looping header that bounced down off the crossbar and sat up for Scott to hook the ball clear, with Rob Owen threatening to stoop and head for goal. Although there were admittedly few United protests, the award of an indirect free kick seemed harsh at best, with Takalobighashi taking full advantage by finding a gap on the end of United's lengthy goalline wall and firing the Stones back on level terms with what proved to be their only shot on target in the whole game. Maidstone suddenly sensed that the game was there for the taking and began to push forward in greater numbers, but that simply left gaps at the back for United to exploit on the counter-attack, although the final pass was too often lacking in sufficient quality and the closest they came to a goal was from Scott's shot over the bar. At the other end, a poor pass from Kevin set up Hegley for a shot that flashed narrowly wide of the target, but the substitute redeemed himself by setting up Ade with a powerful header for a fantastic chance to win the contest two minutes into added time, but having sprinted clear of his marker, he stabbed the ball past the advancing Northwood and agonisingly wide of goal from United's point of view.

Although undoubtedly disappointed by the failure to arrest their winless sequence on their league travels, this afternoon's performance did at least provide further evidence that United are well on the way to recovering from their November woes. However, life in the lower half of the league table remains as tight as ever, with only three points separating FA Cup heroes Horsham in eleventh from second bottom Carshalton, and United's three game Christmas campaign pits them against a trio of sides currently below them in the table, starting at home to Billericay on Saturday.

Match facts	Efforts on target	Efforts off target	Free kicks conceded	Corners won	Offsides against
Maidstone United	1	8	19	8	1
Hastings United	5	8	18	5	1

Maidstone United (4-4-2)							Hastings United (4-4-2)
1 Steve Northwood							1 Lee Worgan (c)
2 Nathan Paul							2 Ryan Andrews
3 Craig Roser							3 Russell Eldridge
4 James Peacock							4 Rhys Whyborne
5 Chris Smalling							5 Dan Williams
6 Errison Ahwan (c)							6 Scott Kirkwood
7 Rob Owen							7 Sam Adams
8 Aaron Lacy							8 Tim Olorunda
9 Steffan Gaisie							9/15 Ade Olorunda
10 Lynden Rowland							10 Frankie Sawyer
11 Nick Hegley							11 Lee Carey
Substitutes
12 Mo Takalobighashi (for Rowland 67)							12 Nathan Russell (for Sawyer 57)
14 Alex Tiesse (for Gaisie 59)							14 Jimmy Elford
15 Ray Freeman							16 Antonio Gonnella (for Carey 84)
16 Jim Bodle							19 Kevin Rose (for Williams 30)
GK Pat Mullin							GK Jani Seitsonen

Attendance 363

Referee Mr N Lugg

Assistants Messrs M Lehane & N Baker