Early goal sets tone in defeat
AFC FYLDE
the keeper’s hands and we’re letting it bounce on the edge of our box.
“Second half we came back into the game and for the first 25 minutes we were good but didn’t take our chances.”
Stones were always up against it and were lucky to find themselves only two down at the break.
The visitors only managed two meek long-range efforts on goal from Delano Sam-Yorke, compared to Fylde’s almost constant attacking pressure.
The hosts’ first goal came on 13 minutes, after a warning shot had been scuffed wide by the division’s top scorer Rowe.
Sam Burke got free down the right and his cross from the byline was buried clinically from 10 yards by Bond.
Rowe hit the post from the edge of the area soon after as his aim started to improve, before he finally got on the scoresheet just before the break.
Jack Muldoon was given space in the Maidstone area, and his low centre rolled agonisingly home off the boot of Fylde’s No.9.
Stones came out after half-time fired up, creating two decent openings within the first five minutes.
Sam-Yorke did superbly to out-muscle Tunnicliffe before being thwarted by a superb Jay Lynch save.
From the rebound the ball fell kindly for Darius Osei but his curling shot just cleared the crossbar.
Unfortunately, the upturn in performance and attacking intent didn’t last long.
Sam-Yorke again tested Lynch from distance but once Fylde got hold of the half, they refused to let go.
Muldoon shot across goal and substitute Serhat Tasdemir went close to extending the lead with an effort that worried Lee Worgan, before Tunnicliffe’s superb late volley from Sam Finley’s corner capped off Maidstone’s miserable night. Maidstone: Worgan, Twumasi, Okuonghae, Wynter, Anderson, Lewis, Prestedge ( Reason 76mins), ter Horst ( Richards 71mins), Paxman ( Muldoon 71mins), Osei, Sam-Yorke. Subs not used: Hare, Healy. Attendance: 1,408 ( 58 away).