Sam Corne’s late equaliser preserved the Stones’ unbeaten away record in the National League South in a pulsating six goal encounter at Twerton Park.
George Elokobi made a few changes from Saturday’s early FA Trophy exit including giving a debut to Ebbsfleet loanee Greg Cundle who made a good impression on his first start.
The game started fairly scrappy with the best opportunity coming from George Fowler as he leaped high but headed just wide. Moments later and against the run of play, the Stones fell behind when Joe Raynes’ lofted free kick found Jack Batten in the mix before nodding onto the unmarked Scott Wilson who poked past Alexis Andre Jr from close range.
However, Matt Bentley earned a way back into the game for the Stones when he was caught inside the box which left to Ben Brookes’ to smash down the middle and record successive penalties in back to back games.
It was to get even better not even five minutes after the equaliser when Bath failed to deal with Bivesh Gurung’s lofted cross into the box. The ball was headed away and Antony Papadopoulos managed to take a touch and on the half volley, fire into the top right hand corner to give Maidstone the lead.
The confidence levels increased in the players after but were pegged bag less than ten minutes later when Luke Russe struck a lovely low drive from 25 yards out which nestled into the bottom left hand corner after Alexis Andre Jr had made a superb point blank save. This sparked the Romans into life again as Micah Anthony created some space down the left hand side before drilling one low across the box which was just about dealt with by Temi Eweka.
Matt Bentley nearly took the Stones into the break a goal ahead when he got in front of his man from near six yards box but couldn’t direct the header on target.
With the Stones’ strong attacking play at times in the first half, they were keen to build on it straight away in the second period when Eweka got on the end of Cundle’s cross to the back post, but for a superb headed goal line clearance from Alex Fisher.
Charlie Seaman looked to turn provider himself when his run down the right hand side allowed him to power a ball across the box but Bentley just couldn’t get there in time to turn it home.
Defensively, the players have looked a bit shaky at times and it proved to be the case once more when a mix up between Andre Jr and Eweka saw the Stones centre-back nod the ball past his keeper which allowed substitute Jordan Alves to pass into an empty net to regain Bath’s lead.
With just shy of a quarter of an hour left, the Stones were given a lifeline when Batten’s poor first touch eventually saw him taking out Cundle on the edge of the box denying him a goal scoring opportunity. The ref had no choice but to issue the straight red. From the resulting free kick, Seaman knuckled the ball towards Harvey Wiles-Richards’ side of the wall but the keeper pulled off a great save to push away from danger.
The Stones huffed and puffed for an equaliser which looked like was never going to come but four minutes into the six originally signalled, captain Sam Corne rescued a point for the Stones as he volleyed through a crowd of players from a corner which deflected into the back of the net.
Cundle nearly had the perfect debut seconds after as he aimed for the bottom corner from 18 yards out but his shot went into the side-netting.
Bath City: Scott Wilson 16’, Luke Russe 36’, Jordan Alves 64’
Maidstone United: Ben Brookes (pen) 24’, Antony Papadopoulos 28’, Sam Corne 90+4’
Bath City: 1. Harvey Wiles-Richards, 2. Joe Raynes, 3. Dan Greenslade, 5 Jack Batten, 6. Kieran Parselle (C), 8. Latrell Humphrey-Ewers (20. Jordan Alves 63 mins), 9. Scott Wilson, 14. Alex Fisher, 19. Luke Russe, 23. Micah Anthony (11. Elliott Frear 81 mins), 24. Jerry Lawrence (22. Josh Phillips 87 mins). Subs not used: 18. Owen Pritchard, 13. Massimo Sardo.
Maidstone United: 1. Alexis Andre Jr, 2. Temi Eweka, 3. Ben Brookes (6. Sam Smith 90 mins), 5. George Fowler, 8. Sam Corne (C), Aaron Blair, 11. Charlie Seaman, 12. Greg Cundle, 16. Matt Bentley (10. Shaq Coulthirst 81 mins), 18. Bivesh Gurung (19. Pierre Fonkeu 90 mins), 20. Antony Papadopoulos. Subs not used: 13. Lenny Holden, 17. Riley Court.