Maidstone United (0) 2 King 69, Olorunda, A. 85
Worthing (1) 2 Brotherton 3, Daniel 55
Att. 1,765
Entrance: £7 Senior
Programme: £2.00
Mileage: 18/3,290
Match Report
In Kent, only one other game, at Erith Town, survived the deluge. In my two previous visits this season to the Gallagher, on much drier conditions, I have been impressed by the way the pitch has played with a natural bounce and true surface. Despite the monsoon conditions prior to kick off and the sustained rain during the match, the pitch played exactly the same with absolutely no lying water. Not knowing how these pitches are drained, quite where all the water goes, I’ve no idea, only to say that a walk along the towpath to the ground was interrupted at points where the Medway had broken its banks.
With the game at Erith the only footballing competition for the paying customer, it was inevitable that, despite the distraction of Christmas shopping, a large crowd would be in evidence. As it was, 1,765 was the given attendance, a phenomenal number for a Ryman League South game and the best so far for a competitive game at the Gallagher.
The game itself was a long way short of a classic, but for the supporters of the home club the draw supplied another point towards their championship quest from a two goal deficit. The visitors, Worthing, are edging themselves towards the play-off positions and on the coach back to the Sussex coast, the players and management must have been kicking themselves for allowing the three points to slip from their grasp.
After three minutes, the third of successive corners found its way to the far side of the box, from where Jamie Brotherton found the bottom corner of the net with the aid of a deflection off Gillingham loanee, Alex Brown. Maidstone looked a long way short of a top-of-the-table team throughout a half in which they offered very little in the way of an attacking threat.
Alex Flisher was introduced as a second half substitute and immediately Maidstone’s attacking intentions were increased. But, as the Stones pushed forward, Worthing were continually catching them on the break and ten minutes into the half they doubled their advantage with Matt Daniel converting with an tap-in after Deren Ibrahim had pushed an initial shot onto the underside of the bar. The Rebels had several opportunities to put the game to bed before Stuart King lobbed in from the edge of the box to offer the home side a lifeline with 20 minutes remaining.
Maidstone manager, Jay Saunders, threw caution to the wind in an effort to salvage something from the game and when Ade Olorunda was introduced he had four strikers on the pitch and with five minutes remaining his ambition was rewarded when the ex-Tonbridge striker scored from close range to earn the point.
No winner emerged from the game, but the real winner was the artificial surface that had delivered a game of football where grass up-and-down the land had failed.
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