Maidstone 3-2 South Saxons

A Chris Howson hat-trick was the difference between the two sides in the first encounter between the Stones and the Saxons in the 23/24 season.

The Hastings based side are renowned tough competitors. Although in past seasons they haven't challenged toward the top of the league table, they are a team who are notorious for earning battling results both at home and on the road.

As with any Saxons visit, the opening stages were cagey. The visitors' intentions, whoever they play, is to be combative and disrupt the flow of their opponents. The opening eight or so minutes were no different.

Fortunately, some fine play by Josh Hawkes down the right hand side allowed Maidstone a first opportunity to take a lead. Hawkes found Rob Clarkson who issued his classic reverse shave pass on to Chris Howson. Howson, who was up against a different keeper to the one who he put to the sword earlier in the season, maturely rounded the keeper with a big arc roll - taking his time to finish he placed nicely into the backboard. 1-0.

Saxons' main threat is always Alex Coombs. It was he who was pivotal to both Saxons goals. Firing his trademark slider into the D from just outside the 25 he managed to find an MHC foot, leading to Saxons' first short corner of the game. Coombs' winning of the short was followed by scoring of the short with a strong drag flick into the bottom right.

The game was not even for particularly long, however. Coombs again issued a slider from outside the 25 toward the Maidstone goal. An MHC misstrap fell fortunately to a Saxons forward who finished cutely when deflecting. The visitors led, 2-1.

With just a few minutes left in the half Maidstone managed to find a reply to the crash balling of South Saxons. Ben Stott, spurred by his hat trick in his last outing in blue and yellow, showed off his hands on the left hand side. Having the beating of a couple of Saxons defenders, he passed on to Rob Clarkson who finished well after a small kerfuffle with the keeper.

Evens stevens at 2-2 was how it remained at the half. In a scrappy affair, the game was crying out for magic to separate the sides. This came from the willing and dazzling hands of Will Day. Day received the ball on the left hand side of the pitch an cut in with vigour, beating 3 or 4 Saxons players in the middle of the pitch he continued to charge right. Entering the D you'd have assumed he was to hit at goal. However, he opted to continue his run towards familiar territory, the right hand side baseline, beating a few more for good measure on his way. Having embarrassed half of the Saxons side he felt it best to offer the ball to someone else, Rob Clarkson - the pass across the D found Clarkson at the P-spot who willingly swept toward goal, beating the keeper. 3-2.

You would be correct to assume that a one-goal lead would lead to a nervy end. However, this was certainly not the case for the Stones. Some naive lash outs on the part of Saxons meant they were offered some yellow cards in the late stages of the game. They finished the game with 9 men. A dampener to the game generally was the issuing of a red card by the umpire, as part of upgrading a yellow card. This was felt to be unjust by all and hopefully something that sees no match-ban.

A final Saxons short corner was the final event of the game. Chris Howson and Cam Knight charged out in their usual senseless manner, successfully preventing an effort at goal and negotiating the ball out the D.

The Stones will visit Burnt Ash next weekend, their first away day of the year.