Backpass gamble pays off for Liam
Maidstone’s new signings made an immediate impact in the 2-2 draw with Wrexham.
Striker Liam Enver-Marum scored a late equaliser while winger Nathan Mavila looked lively as United pushed for a winner.
Manager Jay Saunders had been looking for a new forward for weeks and in Enver-Marum he may well have found his man.
Saunders said: “He’s a lad I’ve always thought adds something. I’d heard rumours he might be available because Oxford had a few problems down there.
“He was someone I thought could do a job for us and add something different.
“I’m pleased for him. He got his goal and I thought he had some good little touches, so all in all, it was a decent debut.”
Mavila was released by West Ham in the summer and, along with Enver-Marum, appeared in a midweek friendly against Leatherhead.
Saunders said: “I remember him being on loan at Wealdstone last year. He was at West Ham and there’s an agent I know that had got in touch and said he’d left West Ham.
“He played in a friendly for us the other night. He trained with us a couple of weeks before and I just felt he adds something different.
“He can play left-back, left wing, he’s got good pace and he’s got a bit about him.
“Again, I thought he made a difference when he came on.”
Saunders felt Maidstone should have beaten Wrexham.
He said: “I think we deserved to win the game. At 2-1 down you take a point but I’m just a little bit disappointed we haven’t taken our chances again and then let in two sloppy ones.” Liam Enver-Marum predicted the mistake that led to his debut goal for Maidstone. The substitute pounced after Wrexham defender Curtis Tilt fluffed a backpass, to score Stones’ equaliser in a 2-2 draw at the Gallagher. He’d only been on the pitch six minutes, having completed his move from troubled National South club Oxford City on Friday night. Enver-Marum, 28, said: “We’d been discussing their back four on the bench and I said to one of the other lads ‘that centre-half’s got a mistake in him, he has’ and then just after I came on he puts me through one-on-one with the keeper, so I wasn’t wrong there, was I? “That’s why I gambled when he went to do the backpass.” Enver-Marum (pictured), who saw an injury-time header saved by Shwan Jalal, added: “I’m over the moon to get the goal but I’m gutted I missed the header in the last minute because I’d have been the hero then, wouldn’t I? “But I’ll take a goal on my debut and hopefully that’s one of many.” Enver-Marum played against Maidstone for Basingstoke last season. He joined Oxford City in the summer but, with his new team in financial trouble, was given permission to join Maidstone. The striker trained at the Gallagher while a deal was finalised. Enver-Marum said: “I knew the move was going to happen last Sunday but I was on contract at Oxford, so it was a case of cancelling the contract and getting all the paperwork transferred over. “It was only finalised early evening on Friday, so I was happy to be on the bench. I’ve been training with the lads all week and they’re a good bunch. “I’ve played against them many times over the years and always liked it here. They’ve got a great fan-base and when I scored it was a great feeling running off and hearing all the fans cheer.”