Calamity keepers costly
MAIDSTONE
It was one to forget for the goalkeepers at the Gallagher Stadium.
Eastleigh No.1 Ross Flitney mucked up spectacularly after only 30 seconds as Johan ter Horst gave Maidstone the lead.
He looked shaky for the rest of the game but ended up getting away with it after an uncharacteristic Lee Worgan error triggered the Spitifires’ late comeback from 2-1 down on Saturday.
Flitney has previous for early howlers – he once handled outside his area and was sent off after only two minutes playing for Barnet in a League Cup tie at Manchester United – and was at it again here.
This time, he chested down a backpass but slipped, allowing ter Horst to nip in and find the empty net.
Maidstone, with Jack Paxman pulling the strings, played good football in the rain and looked on top but it was 1-1 after 10 minutes after Worgan’s tip-over from Sam Matthews’ strike gave the visitors a corner.
It looked like something Eastleigh had worked on but Stones weren’t switched on as Mark Yeates rolled the ball to the edge of the area for Ayo Obileye to run on to and hammer home down the middle of the goal.
Ter Horst, only playing because Jamar Loza was out with a groin injury, tested Flitney from Stuart Lewis’ lovely pass before playing a key role in the move for United’s second goal in the 34th minute.
Worgan gathered and set him free down the left with ter Horst skinning his man on the touchline and continuing his run before finding Paxman.
Paxman fed Jai Reason, whose shot hit the post, and there was new skipper Lewis to finish the rebound for his third goal in as many games and first at the Town End.
Maidstone made the secondhalf running with Paxman and Reason going close and Josh Hare putting a diving header wide before ter Horst flicked the ball past the post when played in by Paxman.
At the other end, Joe Anderson cleared with Chris Zebroski ready to pounce but Maidstone were looking largely untroubled.
However, it all went wrong in the 79th minute when Worgan made a mess of Seth Twumasi’s backpass, clearing straight to Ryan Broom who found the empty net from 20 yards.
The winner followed on 86 minutes when Eastleigh won the first header from Sam Wood’s corner, allowing Obileye to nod home in the six-yard box.
Ter Horst had a late penalty appeal turned down as Maidstone threw everything at the Spitfires. Maidstone: Worgan, Twumasi, Hare, Wynter, Anderson, Lewis, Reason, Paxman, Osei (Richards 86mins), Sam-Yorke, ter Horst. Subs not used: Prestedge, Okuonghae, Muldoon, Healy. Attendance: 2,133 (93 away).