Kentish Football 
Maidstone United 2-2 Hendon - It's not going to be a quick fix, warns new Stones boss Andy Ford
Tuesday 19th October 2010
MAIDSTONE UNITED 2-2 HENDON
Ryman Premier League
Tuesday 19th October 2010
Mike Green reports from Homelands Stadium
Ryman Premier League
Tuesday 19th October 2010
Mike Green reports from Homelands Stadium
WITH their new management team looking on, Maidstone United produced a stirring recovery to gain just their third home point of the season to deny highflying Hendon fourth spot in the Ryman Premier League.
New boss Andy Ford, who along with his number two Steve Butler were only appointed officially late in the day, looked on as Danny Hockton netted his fourth goal in four games to see the Stones deservedly go in at half time in front, before the visitors hit back with two goals in 13 second half minutes to be on the verge of taking the points only for Joe Vines to thunder home his first goal for the Stones to level things up just eight minutes from time.
Afterwards Ford told www.kentishfootball.co.uk that “it’s been a hectic couple of days but now Steve (Butler) and I have had a chance to look at the players properly.
“I’ve worked with some of them before and know of others but it was good to see them in a game situation and the way the game went we’re obviously pleased to get a point from it.
“As I say it gave us a chance to have a look at things, and from what we’ve seen tonight, there are some players who give their all, and some who we’ll have to have chat with.
“We’ll have to look at the budget with regards to bringing anyone in – will probably be a case of one in and one out, but overall tonight we’re happy to get things rolling.”
Ford did have one “warning” though for Stones fans. “It’s not going to be a quick fix, not by any means,” he said.
“The league table, even this early in the season doesn’t lie, and we’ve got an awful lot of work to do, but we’re up for it. Of course right now I’ll take a finish one place out of the relegation zone,” he went on, “but you know me, I’m aiming a lot higher than that. Maybe not this season but I’m aiming higher, and with the new investment in the club, this club can really go places – it really can.”
But first order of the day was to deny the visitors a top four place, and over the ninety minutes, Ford’s new side more than deserved the point they eventually secured.
As early as the fourth minute, they could have had the lead when following a corner, James Peacock, who was playing his 100th game for the club, blazed high over the bar.
The Hendon goal bore a charmed life on 18 minutes when a Kane Rice free kick caused absolute chaos. Simon Glover stretched for the ball at the far post and with the keeper and defence completely wrong footed the ball rolled agonisingly across the face of goal inches away from three onrushing strikers who just couldn’t steer the ball home.
The goal the home side deserved duly arrived though six minutes later. Again a set piece (this time a corner) wasn’t dealt with at all by the Hendon defence and when the ball dropped to Hockton, the Stones top scorer drilled the ball into the net from six yards for his seventh goal of the season.
With the Stones now well in command, Adrian Stone then went close as he raced clear only to send a low fizzing drive inches wide of the right hand post.
Half time seemed to come at the wrong time for the Stones as after the break they began to look nervous and their new found confidence almost evaporated as the Homelands temperature began to plummet on the coldest night of the year so far.
Keeper Andy Walker produced a fine double save to deny Danny Dyer and Belal Aite Ouakrim, before ten minutes into the second half, Hendon levelled.
A right wing corner was met by a thunderous header from Casey Maclaren and not even Walker could keep this one out.
It was a set back that the Stones could have done without, and it got even worse on 68 minutes.
Daniel Wishart’s fine mazy run into the box drew a foul from young Tom Parkinson and as referee Bentley pointed to the spot, the young Stones defender held his head, knowing that he had given Hendon the chance to go ahead – a chance that Jamie Busby duly took with a well placed penalty beyond Walker’s dive and into the bottom right hand corner.
On 76 minutes Walker was at his brilliant best to keep out a 25-yard drive from Hendon substitute Kevin Maclaren – the Stones stopper going full length to his right to brilliantly tip the ball around the post.
And it was almost with this save that the whole Stones team gained some kind of lift as the home side then went searching for the equaliser which came on 82 minutes.
Colin Richmond, who along with Glover had an excellent game in midfield, drove a free kick into the Hendon box, which ricocheted high into the air, and seemed to be going behind.
But Peacock showed tremendous awareness and managed to hook his foot around the ball and floated across the face of goal beyond keeper Berkley Laurencin, and Vines arriving at the far post duly did the rest to again level the scores.
The Stones had their chances to win the game in closing stages too. First substitute Ryan Andrews wriggled clear of the defence and after rounding the keeper wide on the right rolled the ball agonisingly across the face of goal only for Casey Maclaren to hook his foot round the ball to clear off of the line, and then in stoppage time Richmond took a wild swing at a dropping free kick only to see the ball almost apologetically slice wide of the right post.
Overall though, the new manager was pleased to have started his reign with a point.
And whilst you have to admire Ford’s hope, the wily old campaigner who took Gravesend and Northfleet to the Ryman League title, and was influential in turning Welling United around, will be the first to admit, that if some of the Stones players on display had shown the same amount of effort for previous boss Peter Nott, Ford and Butler may still just have been interested onlookers – but they didn’t and now two of the County town’s favourite sons have been charged with bringing the glory days home and of course (with the significant help of the clubs new owners) bringing the club home to where they belong – and that of course is to Maidstone itself!
Afterwards Ford told www.kentishfootball.co.uk that “it’s been a hectic couple of days but now Steve (Butler) and I have had a chance to look at the players properly.
“I’ve worked with some of them before and know of others but it was good to see them in a game situation and the way the game went we’re obviously pleased to get a point from it.
“As I say it gave us a chance to have a look at things, and from what we’ve seen tonight, there are some players who give their all, and some who we’ll have to have chat with.
“We’ll have to look at the budget with regards to bringing anyone in – will probably be a case of one in and one out, but overall tonight we’re happy to get things rolling.”
Ford did have one “warning” though for Stones fans. “It’s not going to be a quick fix, not by any means,” he said.
“The league table, even this early in the season doesn’t lie, and we’ve got an awful lot of work to do, but we’re up for it. Of course right now I’ll take a finish one place out of the relegation zone,” he went on, “but you know me, I’m aiming a lot higher than that. Maybe not this season but I’m aiming higher, and with the new investment in the club, this club can really go places – it really can.”
But first order of the day was to deny the visitors a top four place, and over the ninety minutes, Ford’s new side more than deserved the point they eventually secured.
As early as the fourth minute, they could have had the lead when following a corner, James Peacock, who was playing his 100th game for the club, blazed high over the bar.
The Hendon goal bore a charmed life on 18 minutes when a Kane Rice free kick caused absolute chaos. Simon Glover stretched for the ball at the far post and with the keeper and defence completely wrong footed the ball rolled agonisingly across the face of goal inches away from three onrushing strikers who just couldn’t steer the ball home.
The goal the home side deserved duly arrived though six minutes later. Again a set piece (this time a corner) wasn’t dealt with at all by the Hendon defence and when the ball dropped to Hockton, the Stones top scorer drilled the ball into the net from six yards for his seventh goal of the season.
With the Stones now well in command, Adrian Stone then went close as he raced clear only to send a low fizzing drive inches wide of the right hand post.
Half time seemed to come at the wrong time for the Stones as after the break they began to look nervous and their new found confidence almost evaporated as the Homelands temperature began to plummet on the coldest night of the year so far.
Keeper Andy Walker produced a fine double save to deny Danny Dyer and Belal Aite Ouakrim, before ten minutes into the second half, Hendon levelled.
A right wing corner was met by a thunderous header from Casey Maclaren and not even Walker could keep this one out.
It was a set back that the Stones could have done without, and it got even worse on 68 minutes.
Daniel Wishart’s fine mazy run into the box drew a foul from young Tom Parkinson and as referee Bentley pointed to the spot, the young Stones defender held his head, knowing that he had given Hendon the chance to go ahead – a chance that Jamie Busby duly took with a well placed penalty beyond Walker’s dive and into the bottom right hand corner.
On 76 minutes Walker was at his brilliant best to keep out a 25-yard drive from Hendon substitute Kevin Maclaren – the Stones stopper going full length to his right to brilliantly tip the ball around the post.
And it was almost with this save that the whole Stones team gained some kind of lift as the home side then went searching for the equaliser which came on 82 minutes.
Colin Richmond, who along with Glover had an excellent game in midfield, drove a free kick into the Hendon box, which ricocheted high into the air, and seemed to be going behind.
But Peacock showed tremendous awareness and managed to hook his foot around the ball and floated across the face of goal beyond keeper Berkley Laurencin, and Vines arriving at the far post duly did the rest to again level the scores.
The Stones had their chances to win the game in closing stages too. First substitute Ryan Andrews wriggled clear of the defence and after rounding the keeper wide on the right rolled the ball agonisingly across the face of goal only for Casey Maclaren to hook his foot round the ball to clear off of the line, and then in stoppage time Richmond took a wild swing at a dropping free kick only to see the ball almost apologetically slice wide of the right post.
Overall though, the new manager was pleased to have started his reign with a point.
And whilst you have to admire Ford’s hope, the wily old campaigner who took Gravesend and Northfleet to the Ryman League title, and was influential in turning Welling United around, will be the first to admit, that if some of the Stones players on display had shown the same amount of effort for previous boss Peter Nott, Ford and Butler may still just have been interested onlookers – but they didn’t and now two of the County town’s favourite sons have been charged with bringing the glory days home and of course (with the significant help of the clubs new owners) bringing the club home to where they belong – and that of course is to Maidstone itself!
Maidstone United: Andy Walker, Tom Parkinson, Jermaine Darlington (Ashley Ulph 63), Joe Vines, James Peacock, Simon Glover, Jake Hobbs (Des Boateng 84), Colin Richmond, Adrian Stone, Danny Hockton (Ryan Andrews 73), Kane Rice.
Subs: Ant Bodle, Harry Lee
Goals: Danny Hockton 24, Joe Vines 82
Hendon: Berkley Laurencin, Jonathan Coke, Scott Cousins, Craig Vargas, James Parker (Kevin MacLaren 46), Jamie Busby, Danny Dyer (Lubomir Guentchev 84), Lee O’Leary, Belal Aite Ouakrim, Casey MacLaren, Daniel Wishart.
Subs: Aaron Morgan, James Reading, James Burgess
Booked: Scott Cousins 69
Goals: Casey MacLaren 55, Jamie Busby 68 (pen)
Attendance: 171
Referee: Mr Ian Bentley (West Wickham)
Assistants: Mr Ronald Albert (Catford, London SE6) & Mr Chris Dodds (Eltham, London SE9)
Red Dragon I.T. Ltd