The Stones kicked off their pre-season for the 2023-24 season with a narrow victory over Sheppey United in a less than entertaining opening fixture to the campaign.

George Elokobi whose been working hard with the players over the last couple of weeks with fitness will have been very keen to see where everyone is at in terms of a match situation.

The first half didn’t provide much entertainment with a fair amount of trialists and first team players being mixed together for the first time so on occasions, it was a bit disjointed which is what you would expect from an opening pre-season game. The biggest chance of the half fell to trialist for the Stones as he looked to bend an effort into the bottom right hand corner but was well denied by Sheppey keeper Aiden Prall.

With a more familiar second half side for the Stones, it allowed them to get back into a rhythm and skipper Gavin Hoyte looked to drive forward as per usual down that right hand side as he looks to put last season’s injury behind him.

Perri Iandolo came close when his dipping free kick looked for a second that it was going to hit the underside of the crossbar but went just over.

Sheppey came close to nicking it with just under a quarter of an hour to go but George Fowler made a tremendous block off the line with the ball pelted at him from close range.

However, it was the Stones that scored the all important goal when Iandolo’s corner found Hoyte who was given plenty of space to nod the ball into the bottom left hand corner to get the Stones off to a winning start in preparation for the National League South campaign.

Maidstone United: Gavin Hoyte 89’

Sheppey United:

Maidstone United (First Half): 1. Harley Earle, 5. Raphe Brown, 4. Reiss Greenidge (C), Devonte Aransibia, 17. Riley Court, 3. Levi Amantchi, Trialist A, Trialist B, Trialist C, Trialist D, Trialist E

Maidstone United (Second Half): Trialist F, 15. Sam Bone, 5. George Fowler, 2. Gavin Hoyte (C), 12. Perri Iandolo, 18. Bivesh Gurung, 10. Lamar Reynolds, 19. Elliot Wenham, Trialist G, Trialist H, Trialist I, 20. Tyler Hatton

Sheppey United: 1. Aiden Prall, 2. Dan Birch, 3. Frankie Morgan, 4. Lekan Majoyegbe, 7. Danny Leonard (C), 8. Alex Willis, 10. Eddie Allsopp, 14. Trialist A, 16. Trialist B, 17. Trialist C, 19. Ben Beard. Subs: GK. Finley Roberts, 5. Callum Hudson, 6. Rickie Hamhill, 8. Connor Wilkins, 9. Dan Bradshaw, 11. Trialist D, 12. Aiden Clark, 14. Bailey Catherick, 15. Trialist E, 16. Jack Marsh, 17. Trialist F, 18. George Richards, 20. Josh Wisson