Maidstone United 1 Hendon 1

Match 49/13/1076 - Saturday, 4th January 2014 - Ryman Premier

Maidstone United (0) 1 Attwood 54
Hendon (0) 1 McCluskey 49
Att. 1,583

Entrance: £7 Senior
Programme: £2
Mileage: 23/5,203

Match Report

Much though Maidstone United do not curry much favour with yours truly, I'm always grateful of their 3G pitch when bad weather obliterates the fixture list. If the Stones are at home, you can virtually guarantee that the fixture survives whatever the weather throws at it and a walk along the swollen riverside with the flooded subways fit only for ducks, clearly showed that the elements had had its best shot.

Since their move to the Gallagher my visits have always found the people welcoming and a nice touch on an absolutely filthy day was the ladies in the club shop individually wrapping the programmes in plastic bags to save them turning into papier mâché.

I find the 3G pitch nothing less than amazing. The amount of rain that fell on it during the match alone let alone the previous fortnight should have seen it a foot under water, where does it all go? Presumably directly into the Medway alongside. The roll and bounce of the ball was true throughout and I have to say that the traditionalists (of which I can be counted) are going to have to look again at the restrictions that are presently placed on the pitch's usage.

Of the match, Maidstone will be bitterly disappointed to have dropped home points but will be equally relieved that they were not handed an embarrassing defeat against a Hendon side that played the entire second half a man light following the sending off of their most experienced player, Jefferson Louis, in a moment of complete madness.

Whilst watching as a neutral there was some local interest in the shape of ex-Tunbridge Wells youngster, Jack Harris getting a start and producing the moment of magic of the first half when his overhead kick came back off the crossbar. Midway through the second half, Gillingham loanee Ashley Miller came on as substitute showing the pace and tricks we know he possesses but sadly almost always without an end product.

In a first half in which chances were at a premium, the dismissal of Louis was the main talking point. A ball over the top might have sent Louis clear but as Alex Flisher came across to challenge, Louis flung out an elbow leaving the defender prostrate. The Maidstone players rushed to confront the assailant and the referee immediately showed the red card. It was so unnecessary, if Louis had touched the ball past Flisher he had a run on goal, but did nothing more than leave his teammates with an uphill struggle.

With the rain at the start of the second half showing little sign of relenting, it was the ten men of Hendon that showed the greater appetite for the game and deservedly went ahead within five minutes of the restart. A pass through the centre of the home defence allowed Carl McCluskey to shoot under the body of ex-Tonbridge keeper, Lee Worgan.

The lead didn't last too long as Zak Attwood fired home after Hendon's keeper, Ross Fitzsimmons parried a shot from Fabio Saraiva into his path.

As Maidstone threw bodies forward in search of a winner, Hendon defended defiantly and in the closing stages they caught the home side on the break and had their chances to snatch a surprise winner.

At the final whistle, the stadium announcer thanked the crowd of 1,583 for turning out on such a filthy day, but at least they were leaving in the dry. Five minutes later it was raining again.