Folkestone Invicta 0-1 Maidstone United - The agony and the ecstasy

For those of a less optimistic outlook among the Maidstone contingent, the thoughts that promotion to the Ryman Premier League last April may have come too soon, must have been almost too much to bear at the Buzzlines Stadium.

This, combined with a last-day derby where the losers knew that they would be playing in Division 1 South next year, could have led to a tense atmosphere and game, but the 1334 who turned out to support their teams saw an end-to-end tussle that built to a crescendo in the last 10 minutes.

Both sides made two changes for this match, with Ben Sly and Samuel Kola Okikolu replacing Liam Dickson and the injured James Everitt for Folkestone; Mo Takaloo and Marc Clarey returned to the Maidstone side at the expense of Jacob Erskine and Nick Hegley, who both dropped to the bench.

Right from the start, Maidstone looked to be the more threatening side, albeit predictably, from Aaron Lacy long throws that the Folkestone defence dealt with some ease, ably led by the aerial power of Frankie Chappell and Liam Friend.

The first real threat to the Folkestone goal came 12 minutes into the game, when a clearing header by Lee Shearer fell to Alex Tiesse on the right edge of the area. Tiesse‘s low driven cross found Mark Saunders whose flick found Mo Takaloo 12 yards from goal, only for the offside flag to deny the Maidstone forward.

Folkestone immediately attacked and from a Kevin Watson free kick, Shearer out-jumped Liam Friend to get to the ball first, but the loose ball was caught by Pat Mullin, under pressure from two Invicta forwards.

Maidstone thought they had taken the lead on 23 minutes, when another long throw was powered goalbound by Shearer and flicked in by Takaloo from close range, only to find that referee Mr Brook had already blown for a push in the build-up.

This scare woke up the home side and a long ball into the area saw the Maidstone defence hesitate, but as Leigh Bremner tried to nip in between Aaron Lacy and Pat Mullin, the defender hooked the ball clear.

The visitors took what proved to be a crucial lead from their next attack, when a clearance from an Ian Selley corner fell to Lacy just inside the Folkestone half.

Lacy’s measured ball found Takaloo free just inside the box and as Luke Stonebridge advanced, the Maidstone forward showed his customary composure to lob the keeper.

If this should have settled the nerves of the 800+ Maidstone fans, Bremner‘s miss on 33 minutes would have put them back on edge.

Strike partner Lloyd Blackman flicked Stonbridge‘s long free kick onto Bremner, who turned Shearer inside the box and volleyed a right foot shot wide from 12 yards, with Mullin beaten.

Craig Roser started an attack with a thunderous tackle on James Corbett, that saw Alex Tiesse brought down by Samuel Kola Okikolu on the edge; a foul that earned the Folkestone defender the first booking of the game.

From the resulting free kick, Selley drove his shot over the angle of post and bar.

Folkestone broke from the clearance through Bremner, with a driving run at the heart of the Stones defence, but his shot from 25 yards was superbly turned over by Mullin.

Having failed to clear the corner, Ben Lewis had to throw himself in the way of another Bremner shot, after a 1-2 between Bremner and Blackman on the edge of the box.

Maidstone finished the half the stronger, when Roser‘s through ball to Takaloo saw him turn Okikiolu on the edge of the box, but his shot rebounded off Ben Sly to Selley. The former Arsenal man saw his 30 yards right foot piledriver crash back off the left post, with Stonebridge well beaten.

Folkestone made a change at half-time, with Dickson replacing Okikiolu, which also led to a formation change and allowed Sly to make an impact on the game further forward.

Indeed, it was a foul on Sly that saw the home support crying out for a penalty, as Glyde‘s free kick bounced away from a combination of Shearer‘s and Blackman‘s arms, but Mr Brook waved away the appeal.

Tiesse found himself in more space with the formation change and it was his cross along the 6 yard line on 55 minutes that saw Kevin Watson slide in front of Takaloo and the defender‘s clearance skimmed the bar on its way for a corner.

Three minutes later, Selley released Nathan Paul down the right side and his pullback found Takaloo free in front of goal 16 yards out, but the forward’s right foot shot was denied by a stunning save by the flying Stonebridge, high to his left.

Maidstone seemed to sit back, content with defending their one goal lead, but this just invited more Folkestone pressure as both Corbett and Glyde saw shots blocked by Clarey, the first one being a clearance from the line with Mullin beaten.

Jacob Erskine, having replaced the limping Takaloo, had the chance to settle the match on 73 minutes, when he latched onto a Saunders flick and turned Chappell, only to drag his left foot shot across the goal from just inside the box.

Maidstone fans' hearts were back in mouths with eight minutes remaining, when Mullin came out to claim a high ball over Bremner, only to drop the ball at the Folkestone forward‘s feet.

Bremner‘s shot was cleared as far as Micheal Everitt, whose 25 yard shot cleared the stand behind the goal at the Cheriton end with Mullin struggling to get back on his line.

As Maidstone tried to close out the game, both Erskine and Lacy received cautions, but it was a crude challenge in the corner on the former that saw the dismissal of Frankie Chappell, his second yellow of the game.

With the match moving deep into stoppage time and the home team committing numbers to find a way back into the game, Maidstone broke from a Folkestone corner and with a 3 on 1 attack. The break saw Tiesse lay in Paul, but a desperate tackle from behind, accompanied by calls for a penalty from the massed Maidstone support, denied the fullback, only for the ball to rebound back to Tiesse.

The Maidstone forward rounded Stonebridge and with the goal at his mercy, he was tackled from behind by Dickson, again with the accompanying penalty calls, only for Mr Brook to book Tiesse for simulation.

Maidstone nearly regretted this let off, as Folkestone threw everyone bar Stonebridge into a desperate assault and from a Sly cross, flicked on by Friend, Mullin had to palm the ball away from Bremner‘s head at the back post.

Roser headed Watson‘s corner off the line, but Friend headed over his clearance from 6 yards.

Clarey had the last word, making another last-ditch block to deny Bremner‘s left foot shot, and as the ball bounced clear of the area, Mr Brook blew for full-time.

As last year at Walton Casuals, a tide of amber flocked across the pitch towards the exhausted Stones’ players, although this time the feeling was one of total relief.

Stones joint-manager Lloyd Hume paid tribute to both his players and the disappointed Folkestone team, when talking to Peter Guise from BBC Radio Kent afterwards.

He said: “They battled really hard and could have nicked a goal. I‘m sure they‘ll bounce back.

“We fought for the three points today and I‘m absolutely delighted.

“Normally (before a game) I‘m shouting and hollering, but today I made the players sit quietly for a minute thinking about their jobs.

“I looked around the side, at the experience we had, and I had to believe that we would get the 3 points. That said, it‘s more a feeling of relief right now than elation".

The man that helped secure the club’s Ryman Premier League status, Takaloo, added: “For the last three years we always seem to take it to the last game of the season, but when the final whistle went, the feeling has to rank up there with winning the league last year.”

It was hard on Folkestone, who finished second-from-bottom, and manager Neil Cugley was in reflective mood when he spoke to BBC Radio Kent.

He said: “We’re a very young side, possibly missing the experience we lost when Mark Saunders left (to join Maidstone United).

“We had two really good chances right at the end, but I think Maidstone deserved to win.

“We’ve scored more goals and got more points than last year, but still gone down.

“We’ve got a good squad who’ve proved they can play at this level, so we’ll be looking to bounce back next season.”

Stones joint boss Alan Walker, taking to the club’s website www.maidstoneunited.co.uk,  paid tribute to the 100% support that he and Hume had received from chairman Mr Paul Bowden-Brown and said that the building work for next season’s Ryman Premier League campaign was already underway.

Folkestone Invicta: Luke Stonebridge, Kevin Watson, Ben Sly, Frankie Chappell, Liam Friend, Samuel Kola Okikiolu (Liam Dickson 45), James Corbett, Micheal Everitt, Charlie Glyde (John Ovard 72), Lloyd Blackman (Kieron Byrne 82), Leigh Bremner.
Subs: John Burchell, Seb Barton

Booked: Samuel Kola Okikiolu 36, Frankie Chappell 65, James Corbett 69, Leigh Bremner 71.

Sent Off: Frankie Chappell 88

Maidstone United: Pat Mullin, Nathan Paul, Craig Roser, Ben Lewis, Marc Clarey, Aaron Lacy, Ian Selley, Mark Saunders (Sam Tydeman 77), Mo Takalobighashi (Jacob Erskine 69), Alex Tiesse (James Peacock 90), Lee Shearer.
Subs: Nick Hegley, Steve Northwood

Goal: Mo Takalobighashi 26

Booked: Jacob Erskine 78 , Aaron Lacy 86, Alex Tiesse 90

Attendance: 1,334
Referee: Mr Carl Brook
Assistants: Mr John Pike and Mr Phil Wilks