Stones’ smash and grab win
BOREHAM WOOD MAIDSTONE
Stones fans took extra satisfaction from Kevin Lokko’s injury-time fluke at Boreham Wood on Monday.
Word had spread that Wood were charging the club’s radio and TV services to be at Meadow Park.
It left a bad taste among travelling supporters who boycotted Wood’s facilities as a result.
Indeed, the only person quieter than home keeper Grant Smith had been the woman operating the burger bar at the Maidstone end of the ground.
But having had virtually nothing to do, Smith was beaten in added time after Lokko, attempting to help a deep free-kick from Jamie Coyle back across goal, saw the ball drop in.
Stones co-owner Oliver Ash, a critic of Wood’s stance, was no doubt tuned in to Stones Live at home in Paris and you can only imagine the smile on his face at United’s smash and grab victory.
Coyle was excellent on his first appearance of the season, brought into the side as Stones switched to a back three.
It was a move that restricted their attacking threat but it worked a treat defensively as Coyle, Lokko and Anthony Acheampong limited Wood to a series of strikes from Report: distance, Angelo Balanta and Aaron Kuhl among those to miss the target.
Stones’ Ben Greenhalgh hit the post with a cross in the second minute while Smith’s only save of note saw him get down well to turn Alex Flisher’s 25-yard away for a corner.
Stones had a big chance to open the scoring in the second half.
Tom Murphy, who’d been unwell before the game, did well to work an opening after Flisher met a Lokko free-kick but fired over.
Balanta’s first-time effort was held by Lee Worgan at the other end while substitute Conor Clifford saw his 25-yard strike flash wide.
As the game started to open up Coyle got the run on his man at a Greenhalgh corner but headed over.
An injury to Acheampong on the hour saw Maidstone revert to a back four, Bobby-Joe Taylor taking his place in a reshuffle.
Wood were now finding it easier to get at United, Kenny Davis hitting the bar with a header from Adriano Moke’s cross with 15 minutes left.
The late pressure was coming from Wood but there remained a shortage of clear-cut chances, although Morgan Ferrier almost squeezed a strike through Worgan’s legs.
Dan Sweeney powered a header over from a Flisher long throw in the last couple of minutes.
That looked to be Stones’ best chance of a winner but there was still time for Lokko. Maidstone: Worgan, Hall-Johnson, Mills, Coyle, Acheampong (Taylor 60mins), Lokko, Rogers, Evans (Sweeney 72mins), Greenhalgh (Dumaka 69mins), Flisher, Murphy. Subs not used: Karagiannis, Richards. Attendance: 637 (314 from Maidstone).