The Stones 100% winning start to 2024 came to a disappointing end at the hands of Havant & Waterlooville who came from behind in the second half to secure a valuable 3 points in their bid to beat the drop.
George Elokobi was forced into one change from Tuesday’s derby win against Dartford with Sam Bone coming back into the XI for Reiss Greenidge who is carrying a knock.
The game was always going to a completely different spectacle with the Hawks making a managerial change since our last meeting at The Gallagher and they looked to press high from the front and force the Stones backline into mistakes and playing the ball into touch. However, with their experience, they would always pose a threat and when Jack Jebb lobbed the ball over for danger-man Ryan Seager who couldn’t keep his effort down from a tight angle, the Stones knew that they were going to need to be at their absolute best.
Matt Rush who has been influential in recent weeks was looking to continue from where he left off on Tuesday when he cut inside of his man on the left hand side before having his shot parried away comfortably by Ross Worner. It seemed to spark Elokobi’s men as we started to dominate possession more and get the ball into the right areas.
Despite the possession, a moment of a real class from Rush was all that was needed as he pounced onto a Sam Corne clearance. Corne’s ball went over Rush’s shoulder as he took the ball down superbly before racing away from Kwaku Donkor and finishing into the bottom left hand corner from 12 yards out.
As you’d expect, the Stones’ tails were up as they were forcing Havant into errors but just couldn’t capitalise on it before the end of the half which the Hawks would have been delighted to get in at 1-0.
Sam Bone was given a golden opportunity at the beginning of the second period as Jephte Tanga slotted him in on goal but whilst having pressure as well from a defender, he couldn’t convert the chance but not taking anything away from Worner who spread himself well to make the save and preserve parity for the Hawks.
With the Stones’ dominance not getting their just rewards, it was always a problem that Havant may find a way back in and they were gifted a goal on the 64th minute. A corner came in from the left which was dropped by Covolan and it fell to Seager who was able to pounce on it as he poked into an empty net for the equaliser.
Timmy Abraham very nearly replied almost instantly as he tried to bend a low shot through a crowd of bodies which Worner couldn’t push to safety and it forced the defenders into action as they blocked the rebound.
With a quarter of an hour left, the Stones shot themselves in the foot again as Raphe Brown’s pass towards Sam Bone fell slightly short which James Roberts took advantage of. The ball was played low into Seager who faked the shot before firing into the top right hand corner to give Havant the lead.
The ex-Hungerford and Dorking man was in the mood and very nearly got his hat-trick as he saw his shot from 12 yards out blocked by a mixture of Covolan and George Fowler which just about kept the Stones in the game.
With the six added minutes indicated, the lads huffed and puffed for an equaliser but Havant put their bodies on the line and saw out a vital victory for them whilst the Stones fall to defeat and miss the chance to go 2nd in the table.
Havant & Waterlooville: Ryan Seager 62’, 75’
Maidstone United: Matt Rush 38’
Havant & Waterlooville: 1. Ross Worner, 3. Kai Innocent, 4. Kwaku Donkor, 5. Joe McNerney (8. Kieran Phillips 55 mins), 6. Ben Morgan, 9. Ryan Seager (10. Muhammadu Faal 82 mins), 12. Brendan Willson, 14. Harry Jewitt-White, 17. Jack Jebb (18. Sion Spence 64 mins), 20. Roarie Deacon (C), 21. James Roberts. Subs not used: 12. Yoan Zouma, 29. Leon Baker.
Maidstone United: 1. Lucas Covolan, 5. George Fowler, 6. Raphe Brown (3. Chi Ezennolim 85 mins), 7. Timmy Abraham (16. Liam Sole 67 mins), 8. Sam Corne (C), 10. Lamar Reynolds (18. Bivesh Gurung 78 mins), 11. Paul Appiah, 14. Harry Kyprianou, 15. Sam Bone, 17. Jephte Tanga, 20. Matt Rush. Subs not used: 12. Harley Earle, 19. Perri Iandolo
