LOZA’S GOT IT MAID AS PORT PAY THE PRICE
MIDFIELD ace Jamar Loza played a starring role as improved Maidstone stretched their unbeaten run to five matches with a victory over fellow strugglers Southport.
A goal down inside three minutes, Loza scored twice in the space of seven minutes at the end of the first half before goals from Joe Pigott and Kevin Lokko sealed the points for Jay Saunders’ men.
As a result, Maidstone have now pulled five points clear of the relegation zone whilst the Sandgrounders find themselves propping up the National League table.
“We weren’t at our greatest in the first half hour,” said Saunders. “Today was hard mentally as having defeated Dagenham in the week we were just expected to beat Southport. But we dug deep and got the result we wanted.”
Southport boss Andy Preece might have thought the afternoon would have a different outcome after taking the lead on three minutes.
Neil Ashton’s cross fell to Ben McKenna who headed past Lee Worgan from close range.
As the half progressed, Maidstone started to get into their stride, coming close to an equaliser when Loza burst forward from midfield, took a touch to settle himself as Craig King came off his line only for King to get a leg to the ball and divert it behind for a corner.
With 38 minutes played, Tom Mills kept the ball in play at full stretch and his ball forward should have been dealt with by the Southport defence. But Pigott had other ideas and he nipped in to pass to Loza who despatched a neat finish past King. Then with the game in first-half stoppage time, Loza was tripped by Ryan Higgins inside the box before picking himself up to fire the spot-kick into the left-hand side of the net. But with 51 minutes on the clock, Southport drew level. Maidstone were unable to clear their lines following an Ashton corner and when the ball came back in, Jamie Allen volleyed in from about eight yards out. Having got themselves back into the game, Preece had hoped that the visitors would go onto get something from the match. “We totally stopped Maidstone early on,” he added. “We came back in the second half and were on top at that point and then we made a poor error and Maidstone punished us again.” This mistake from Southport came with an hour gone. Once again, Loza was instrumental and his hard work down the right paid off as he picked out Pigott, who side-footed in from a central position. And ten minutes later, Maidstone rounded off the scoring. Mills took a freekick from out on the left which went all the way across the box to Lokko, who casually brought the ball down and then swivelled before sending a fine finish into the far side of the net.