There were no signs of an FA Cup hangover for Maidstone United as goals from Mo Faal and Matt Rush gave the Stones victory over runaway leaders Yeovil Town. The visitors arrived at the Gallagher Stadium 13 points clear at the top of National League South but the gap wasn’t evident as Maidstone produced one of their finest league performance of the season to date.
The Stones largely dominated Yeovil in the first half. On six minutes, Jake Wannell clearly pulled Matt Rush back as he looked to surge into the box. From the resultant free-kick, Sam Corne ran over the ball, and Jacob Berkeley-Agyepong delivered a cross which was headed down by Reece Greenidge. Joe Day did well to save from Greenidge but there was nothing he could do to stop Mo Faal forcing the ball in from close range.
Yeovil barely got deep into Maidstone territory until the 18th minute. Frank Nouble got in down the right but he was denied by a good block from Lucas Covolan.
Two minutes later, the Stones doubled their lead. Lamar Reynolds whipped in an inviting cross from the left and Matt Rush arrowed an header past Day.
It wasn’t long before Reynolds was causing the Glovers defence more problems. He got to the touchline and it looked like his first attempt at a pull back might have been handled before he found the excellent Sam Corne who flashed a shot high and wide.
The visitors then went close to halving the deficit. Jay Foulson was in space just outside the area and his rising effort appeared to skim the left post as it went wide. Then in first half stoppage time, Matthew Worthington did well to work the ball to Jordan Young whose shot from didn’t miss by much.
Neither keeper had much to do in the early stages of the second half. With 68 minutes gone, Maidstone strung together a neat move with Reynolds, who had enjoyed another eye-catching performance, found substitute Jephte Tanga and he squeezed it to Bone who poked the ball wide of the left post.
But with 76 minutes gone, the visitors suddenly got themselves back into the match. The ball came across to substitute Dylan Morgan inside the box who picked his spot and he dispatched a decent finish past Covolan.
Positive play from Tanga nearly paid off not long after this. He went for goal and Day had to push it wide as it flew across the face of goal. From the resultant corner, Corne picked out Greenidge whose header didn’t miss by much.
In stoppage time, substitute Alex Fisher got into good position close to goal but Maidstone got the ball behind for a corner. From the corner, Blu Lo-Everton played the ball to Nouble who had run to the near post and he couldn’t direct his shot on target. Yeovil kept pushing and from a free-kick, and with Day having come up, the ball fell to Jake Wannell who shot wide.
Maidstone United: Mo Faal 12, Matt Rush 20
Yeovil Town: Dylan Morgan 76
Maidstone United: 1. Lucas Covolan,4. Reece Greenidge, 5. George Fowler, 6. Raphe Brown, 16. Liam Sole (3.Chi Ezennolim 76), 7. Jacob Berkeley-Agyepong (17. Jephte Tanga 61), 8. Sam Corne, 15. Sam Bone, 10. Lamar Reynolds, 11. Mo Faal (9. Manny Duku 64), 20. Matt Rush. Subs not used: 12. Harley Earle, 18. Bivesh Gurung.
Yeovil Town: 21. Joe Day, 33. Jay Foulston, 2. Morgan Williams, 6. Jake Wannell, 8. Matthew Worthington, 16. Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, 15. Josh Owers (12. Dylan Morgan 57), 3. Alex Whittle, 27. Samuel Pearson (40. Oliver Thomas 65), 30. Frank Nouble, 11. Jordan Young (18. Alex Fisher 89). Subs not used: 17. Will Dawes, 7. Jordan Stevens.
