STONE ME! COMEBACK KINGS PUT MACC OUT

FOR the first time this season, Maidstone came from behind to win to dump Macc out of the Cup.

The first half was completely lacking in interest apart from the fact that Macclesfield took the lead on 14 minutes. Simon Walton was left to try to deal with Malachi Napa but he was unable to stop him squaring the ball into the middle where Ben Stephens was on hand to smash the ball into the net from close range.

The half time team talk was obviously instrumental for the Stones and Harry Wheeler said: “There was a little bit of a physical rough up in there and we needed to shake it up a bit. We needed to be more intense than we had been in the first half.”

After the dressing down at half-time, Maidstone were level six minutes after the restart. Walton was fouled deep in the Macclesfield half and a few yards in from the left hand touchline. Most in the ground would have been expecting Jack Powell to cross but he elected for a shot and he curled the ball in off the right post.

A header from Walton then appeared to cross the line for Maidstone although the goal wasn’t awarded but the Stones got the winner on 69 minutes. Elliott Romain was nudged in the back inside the box by Jamie Grimes and Blair Turgott managed to squeeze the penalty under Kieran O’Hara, who had dived the right way.

Joint caretaker manager Neil Howarth was despairing of his side after the game saying: “There was only one team who wanted to win the game more in the second half. We haven’t been in a position yet this season where we have looked confident about seeing a game out.”