Maidstone 2-2 Concord Rangers

From the Gallagher Stadium

National League South

 

JOHN Easterford headed home a last-gasp equaliser to hand Concord Rangers a deserved share of the spoils against Maidstone United.

The Beach Boys were the better team for long periods against the Kent side, but a number of first-half chances went begging and looked as though they would prove costly.

Vas Karagiannis had put the Stones back in front after Steve Cawley had levelled 10 minutes after the half-time interval.

But Easterford had the last laugh as he bulleted home a header to level the sores.

Concord had won their last two matches, and were looking to avenge a 2-1 defeat to the Stones earlier in the season.

The match started slowly, although Concord were looking threatening on the break. The first clear-cut chance belonged to the visitors, and it was all through Sam Bantick’s own making.

The winger nicked in front of Callum Driver and sprinted down the left flank. He cut in from wide and bent an effort inches wide of the far post.

Back came Maidstone, with Dan Sweeney denied by a flying Ben McNamara save. Alex Akrofi was also kept out by a sprawling save from the Australian stopper.

However, Concord were proving more than a match for the team with the most miserly defensive record in the National League South. Cawley scuffed a volley wide of the post, after some excellent wing play by former Stones man Ben Greenhalgh.

Bantick saw a close range effort tipped over by home custodian Lee Worgan, while the winger was thwarted by the same man moments later, holding his long-range drive.

The Beach Boys were the better side, with Lewis Taaffe heading wide when he perhaps should have hit the target, so the opening goal came against the run of play.

A marauding run from Tom Mills down the left saw the ball played to the far post and Joe Healey headed powerfully past McNamara.

Concord didn’t deserve to trail at the break, and they missed a glorious chance to equalise on the stroke of the interval. Bantick was played through by Greenhalgh and he raced towards goal with just Worgan to beat.

But the stopper stood up and pushed the ball to one side.

The second-half started at a slower tempo, but that suited the away side and, 12 minutes into the half, Concord had equalised.

Cawley was played in 25 yards from goal but unleashed an early effort that caught out Worgan, who got a hand on the ball, but could not keep it out.

Just as Concord had got back into the game, they fell behind.

Eight minutes after levelling, substitute Adam Birchall found space in the box and was brought down by Steve King.

Up stepped Karagiannis and he sent the keeper the wrong way.

But Concord were not going down without a fight. Cawley was kept out by a brilliant sprawling save by Worgan, and King was denied a rare goal by a goal-line clearance from the resulting kick.

Chances were few and far between for the rest of the game, with the only chance of the last 20 minutes proving to be the one that mattered.

A cross was swung in and Easterford bulleted home to send the away fans into raptures.

Maidstone United: Worgan, Driver, Mills, Parry, Davies, Rogers, Banya (Flisher), Healy, Akrofi (Birchall), Sweeney, Karagiannis (Bodkin)

Concord Rangers: McNamara, Hammond, Stephen, Easterford, King, Dowie, White, Taaffe (Lee), Cawley, Greenhalgh, Bantick (Cornhill)