Defeat changes nothing
CHELMSFORD
There are times when you lose, find out your rivals have dropped points and curse a missed opportunity.
But Maidstone were so far off the pace at Chelmsford on Monday, that they were grateful their worst display of the season has not cost them too much ground in the title race.
That rivals Ebbsfleet and Sutton both drew at least meant United’s heaviest defeat of the campaign resulted in little damage.
The play-offs may be the priority but Maidstone can still go top by winning their two games in hand on Fleet and all the time that’s the case, the title talk won’t go away, even if there’s no pressure on Saunders’ men in their first year at this level.
Maidstone, already missing Dumebi Dumaka and Callum Driver, suffered another blow when Joe Healy broke down in the warm-up with a knee injury.
And to add to their woes, Alex Flisher came off with a back problem early in the second half.
The visitors missed Healy’s class in midfield and their main threat in the first half came from Flisher long throws, Dan Sweeney and Callum Davies, who skimmed the bar, getting on the end of a couple.
But Chelmsford looked better all over the pitch and took the lead in the 44th minute, Davies’ attempted clearance was charged down and fed to Jason Williams who worked his way into the box and finished nicely.
City should have scored again in the second minute of injury time but former Maidstone man Billy Bricknell made a mess of a Williams pull-back when unmarked.
Jay May fired wide from the edge of the box as Maidstone went close at the start of the second half, although it was City who continued to make most of the running, makeshift right-back Bobby-Joe Taylor – Maidstone’s best player – with a goalline clearance off Mark Hughes.
Saunders’ men missed a good chance to equalise when Sweeney cleared the bar from Vas Karagiannis’ leftwing cross midway through the second half, then Davies couldn’t get his shot away in a goalmouth scramble.
At the other end, the dangerous Sandro Semedo forced a mistake from Manny Parry and saw a shot beaten away by Lee Worgan.
It was game over on 87 minutes when Chelmsford substitute Luke Daley played in Williams, who fired past Worgan.
And City added a third deep into injury time when Daley cut inside and beat Worgan with a brilliant strike into the top corner. Maidstone: Worgan, Taylor, Mills, Davies, Parry, Rogers (Birchall 75mins), Karagiannis, Paxman, May (Richards 80mins), Sweeney, Flisher (Akrofi 56mins). Subs not used: Thomas. Attendance: 891.