No rewards for continuity
WELLING
This page (right) from a 1992-93 match programme shows portraits of 19 Maidstone players, together with the names of their individual sponsors.
The page is headed ‘Stones Kit Sponsors’, despite the logos in the top corners clearly referring to ‘Maidstone Invicta Football Club Ltd’.
This was in fact the former youth team of the Maidstone United club whose controlling company had recently gone out of business; it would not resume the name ‘Maidstone United’ till three years later.
After finishing runners-up in two competitions, a number of these players would remain to form the core of the team that, the following season, would begin the long climb back from the bottom tier of the Kent County League. It’s two defeats out of two for Maidstone in National League South after losing at Welling on Tuesday night.
They stuck with the same XI who lost to Weymouth on the opening day, although there was a surprise appearance on the bench for transfer-listed left-back Dan Wishart. He came on for the second half, replacing the injured Jonny Edwards, and showed he can still be an option all the time he remains at the club.
It was far from a classic, a tight game with few chances and one in which defences always seemed to have the edge.
It had 0-0 written all over it but one bit of sharp thinking from Luke Rooney – one of three ex-Maidstone players in Welling’s starting XI – caught out Luke Pennell and led to the winner.
That came in the 55th minute after George Elokobi fouled Bradley Goldberg on the Report:
halfway line.
Rooney, who played under John Still in Luton’s Conference-winning season, played a quick free-kick in behind Pennell who had no chance of catching Aaron Cosgrave as he raced through and beat Jake Cole. Maidstone’s best chance had come moments earlier, with Gavin Hoyte squaring to Iffy Allen who was somehow denied on the line.
Nana Kyei had a good opening and also teed up Justin Amaluzor, who fired narrowly wide from just outside the box.
The visitors had more of the ball but, on the whole, struggled to open up a Wings defence led by ex-United defender Rob Swaine. In fairness to Swaine, he had Edwards in his pocket in the first half and probably didn’t lose a header all night.
It was difficult for Edwards, who’s been struggling with a knock, but he’s United’s only targetman and they took a chance on his fitness.
A fit Edwards will be an asset in this team with Amaluzor, Allen and Kyei buzzing around him but, like anything, the four of them were never going to click just like that.
Bar Allen’s opening, the best chances went to the hosts with Sanchez Ming’s effort blocked when through on goal and Cosgrave close after exchanging passes with Goldberg, while Stones defender Ryan Johnson almost sliced the ball into his own net.
Cosgrave could have put the game to bed after losing Pennell for the second time – the Stones man staying down and subsequently going off injured – but Cole made the save.