Maidstone 5-4 Herne Bay

The Stones returned to ME15 after being turned over by a Burnt Ash side who, prior to the fixture, had won just three games all season. This time round they lay host to Herne Bay who sat second-from bottom with just two wins to their name.

MHC had a squad of twelve plus coach (now player-coach) Dean Wheeler who returned to regional Division One hockey for the first time in three years - his last outing being against Burnt Ash, where the Stones conceded 6 without providing a response.

Fast starts have characterised Maidstone performances this season, but this weekend was an anomaly. Herne Bay took the lead after a midfield runner found themselves un-tracked in the D, he hit nicely into the bottom left - a good strike that saw Phil Skillen sprawl without success.

The past couple weeks the pairing of Chris Howson and Will Day has seen the latter act provider. Roles were switched for Maidstone's equaliser, however. Howson rolled the baseline in elegant fashion before timing a ball sweetly across goal, Day could do no more than to finish.

Unfortunately for the home side, scores were not level for long as Herne Bay took another lead in rather innocuous fashion. A chuck into the D was missed by a Stones defender,

The Stones then equalised as the same pairing involved in the first linked up with one another again. Tom Elstone swept on the inside towards Howson, who played Day through with a nicely weighted push. Day received the ball outside of the 25 but was un-nerved by the prospect of beating the the visiting keeper finished confidently rolling strong to round the onrushing man between the sticks.

2-2 was how things stood at half-time. Maidstone had been a long way from their best but remained the better side of the two featuring.

The twenty minutes that followed the fixture's resumption decided the result. Rob Clarkson managed to muster some form of pass within the confines of the Herne Bay D after being threaded through for a 2-on-1 with the keeper by Cameron Knight , this was to the benefit of Ben Stott who got his fourth for the season and confirmed he can score goals against sides other than visiting Pilgrims.

MHC's fourth rounded off Will Day's first hat-trick for the club since his return from a Rochester based hockey club. This was perhaps his best of the lot too. Receiving the ball at the halfway line, he galloped willingly. Exchanging a clever one-two with Rob Clarkson, Day was returned the ball within the D before slotting beyond the outstretching keeper.

A three goal lead was earned following more Will Day brilliance. Running down the right he opted to to hit hard into the D as opposed to driving the baseline. The ball flew in shin high across what would be the six-yard box appearing to look destined for the sideline on the opposite side of the pitch. However, intent in getting in on the act, Rob Clarkson offered a reverse stick that managed to deflect the ball into the Herne Bay goal - a superb finish.

A manic last ten saw the Stones almost offer Herne Bay a point that they would not be deserving of. Losing the ball in the middle of the park, the seasiders were able to counter with an overload in numbers. Finding their skipper in the D, he slammed into the top right corner with back to goal - a true thunderbolt. Moments later the two-goal deficit was halved by the visitors. The visitors had shown a willingness to crash ball at every opportunity in the final third - naive to this, the Stones allowed a free-man in the D to deflect with panache on his reverse.

At 5-4 with five to go Maidstone were forced to defend stoically and truly earn three points in a fixture where they could have run away with things. They will live to learn from this as they remain undefeated at home since the turning of the year.