Fightback has Stones feeling happier again
YORK
A point against the bottom side wouldn’t normally be much of a reason to get excited – but this was different.
So outplayed were Maidstone in the first half on Saturday that to come back and leave in-form York with a point made this an excellent result.
It felt like a win and it perhaps would have been had referee Peter Wright spotted a clear foul by keeper Kyle Letheren on Alex Flisher instead of booking the Stones substitute for diving.
Still, no one could complain about a draw given York’s first-half dominance.
United trailed after only three minutes as City dominated the first half.
But Reece Prestedge scored a fine equaliser at the start of the second half as the visitors battled back brilliantly.
Stones were carved open on the edge of the box for Report: the opener, Sean Newton combining with Alex Whittle and Amari Morgan-Smith before Whittle’s cross was finished by Jon Parkin.
Parkin, whose former clubs include Stoke, Preston and Barnsley, is a big lump but he’s a huge asset in this league – strong, a clever operator and almost impossible to knock off the ball.
He featured in much of City’s best work in the first half, along with Newton in midfield and could have finished the first half with a hat-trick.
Not long after scoring, he missed the target from another Whittle cross and hit the post with a thumping volley shortly before half-time.
Stones’ only real chance of the first half came seconds after falling behind, Joe Pigott’s shot parried by Kyle Letheren with Stuart Lewis heading the rebound over.
Other than that, it was all York.
Further chances fell to Simon Heslop, who fired just over and forced a decent stop from Lee Worgan, while Morgan-Smith missed a glorious chance after Parkin’s dummy left him all alone.
Worgan and Kevin Lokko combined to snuff out a good chance for Vadaine Oliver at the start of the second half.
And moments later, in the 47th minute, Maidstone were level.
Delano Sam-Yorke’s cross just evaded Pigott but Stones kept the ball alive with Jack Paxman’s lay-off buried by Prestedge from 20 yards.
York were suddenly panicking from balls into their box, be it the shock of conceding or simply unsettled by the introduction of Alex Flisher, who was running about like a man possessed.
The turnaround was quite something as Maidstone took the game to City, going close to taking the lead when Lokko’s header from a Flisher long throw was clawed away by Letheren.
With 12 minutes left, Letheren got enough on the ball to keep out Flisher before taking him down as the pair chased the loose ball – but penalty appeals were waved away.
Worgan raced off his line to save bravely at the feet of Oliver in the last minute of normal time. Maidstone: Worgan, Twumasi, Mills, Acheampong (Flisher 46mins), Coyle, Lokko, Prestedge, Lewis, Paxman (Taylor 74mins), Sam-Yorke, Pigott. Subs not used: Phipps, Odubade, Loza. Attendance: 2,816 (219 Stones fans).