Rory Hill put in a match winning
performance as the Fleet suffered a disappointing pre-season result
at the Gallagher Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Fresh off a 5-1 victory away at
Thamesmead Town, the Fleet continue their good start under new boss
Steve Brown as they were comfortably beaten. Rory Hill won two
penalties for the hosts before scoring a second half cracker in an
easy victory for the Stones.
The Fleet started with ten of the
fourteen players who had already signed and named one trialist in the
starting XI; former midfielder Giannoulis Fakinos, who enjoyed
promotion from the Conference South with Welling United. Joe Howe,
Brandon Hall, Tom Phipp and Stacy Long were on the bench with two new
trialists; former Woking and Macclesfield winger Dean McDonald and
former Crystal Palace Academy player William Johnson-Cole.
The Fleet were the first to create a
chance as Billy Bricknell hit straight at the keeper from just inside
the area. The hosts went very close soon after as a long throw into
the box bounced up kindly for Jerrome Sobers, who's header crashed
against the ball and the Fleet got it to safety.
The visitors best chance of the match
arrived five minutes later as a tidy through ball from Fakinos found
Sankofa in acres of space in the area – unfortunately he showed why
he's a defender as he blasted over the bar.
In a match that produced very few
chances, the hosts were having the better of them and Frannie Collin,
signed from Tonbridge, forced Preston Edwards into a good save with
his long-range drive.
Hill had the better of Aiden Palmer all
game and he made his mark on the game less than a minute later as
he's cross struck the full-back's arm. Referee Rob Whitton showed no
hesitation as he pointed to the spot. Collin stepped up and
confidently struck his penalty to Edwards' right, and the outstretched
arm of the keeper wasn't enough as the Stones took a one goal lead.
Just a few minutes later, Hill had
Palmer troubled again as he made a dash into the box with the ball.
Just as he was about to shoot, the left back took him out, leaving
the ref no choice but to award another penalty. Once again, Collin
stepped up and scored from the spot; this time he placed his effort
in the other corner, sending Edwards the opposite way in the
meantime.
McMahon got in behind the Stones
defence for the first time in the match and produced a fine cut back
for Ben May. He took a touch and his tame effort was blocked off the
line by the Stones number nine; Alex Brown.
That was the end of proceedings for the
first-half. The Stones were in total control as the Fleet struggled
to get a foothold on the game. 2-0 Maidstone.
The Fleet made six half-time changes
with Hall, Howe, Phipp, Long, Johnson-Cole and McDonald replacing
Edwards, Fakinos, Lorraine, Corcoran, Bricknell and May.
The changes made no impact on the game
whatsoever as the Stones continued to look comfortable. Anybody
watching these sides for the first time would think the Fleet were in
the lower division!
Johnson-Cole had an effort straight at
the keeper before an excellent driving run from the halfway line
ended in a free-kick for the Fleet. McMahon and Long were debating
who would take it so settled it with a good old-fashioned game of
rock, paper, scissors. Long won, and hit his free-kick straight at
the keeper.
Howe nearly gifted the hosts a third as
he smacked Orlando Smith's cross against his own bar, before the ball
was cleared to safety. The hosts did get a third though, as man of
the match Rory Hill pounced on a flick on by substitute Lea Dawson
and crashed home a superb volley from the edge of the area. Hall in
the Fleet goal had no chance whatsoever. The winger certainly
deserved it and look overjoyed as he celebrated with his team mates.
Youngster Charley Robertson was in on
the action soon after coming on as he drove into the box and forced a
decent save from Hall. The last chance of the game then fell to the
hosts, of course, as Hill sent in a ball over from the right, Paul
Booth headed over after Dean Rance got a touch on the ball.
FT: 3-0. Maidstone looking very
comfortable on the 3G with slick passing and great team cohesion.
Jerrome Sobers and Rory Hill the stand outs. Sobers with some
excellent defensive work, not allowing the Fleet a sniff and Hill
with a man of the match performance on the right wing.
Goals: Collin 33 (pen), 36 (pen), Hill
71.
Fleet: Edwards (Hall), Sankofa, Palmer,
Corcoran (Long), Huke, Lorraine (Phipp), Fakinos (Howe), Rance, May
(McDonald), Bricknell (Johnson-Cole).
Stones: Worgan, Sullivan, Flisher
(Johnson), Watt, Sobers (Humphrey), Sarvaiva (Dawson), Hill,
Phillips, Brown (Lye), Collin (Booth), Smith (Robertson). Subs not
used: Hart, Draycott, Parkinson.
Attendance: 746
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