Maidstone United v Truro City match report by Paul Parkinson

Maidstone United 2-1 Truro City
WRITTEN BY PAUL PARKINSON
SATURDAY, 05 DECEMBER 2015 16:59

Maidstone United returned to winning ways, following a midweek defeat to Maidenhead, with a 2-1 win and in the process inflicted a first defeat since the end of August on Truro City.

For only the second time this season, Maidstone scored more than one in the league at the Gallagher. Jamie Coyle opened the scoring on 74, and when Jay May added his 10th of the season with a deft finish to good work by Joe Healy four minutes later, the game appeared safe. But Truro made the closing minutes a nerve-wracking affair when Shane White scored from 12 yards following a clumsy challenge by the otherwise outstanding Manny Parry.

After their first League defeat in 11 games last Tuesday, Jay Saunders rang the changes, making four alterations to the midweek side – only one was enforced due to suspension for Callum Driver – and the Stones’ manager admitted that at times his side was quite open.

Saunders wasn’t completely satisfied with the performance, as he said “the most important thing today was to get the three points. We struggled to deal with them in the first half, and did well getting the ball into their big man and getting players around him. In the second half, we weren’t quite at it, but got the ball into better areas and caused them a few more problems. I still think we can play better, and I’m sure we will.”

“Lee (Worgan) has shown why he is as good as he is, as they made some good runs off our defence. We’ve put a number of balls in from wide positions, but haven’t got enough out of it. I’d love to see how many times we’ve played a ball in, be it from a cross, throw or corner, and we’ve got to do better.

Both sides coped well with the wind, producing an end-to-end spectacle, although Truro’s counter-attacking seemed to be more potent until United had finally taken the lead. In the opening minute, the first of a number of Alex Flisher long throws was glanced on by Jamie Coyle, but as happened too often, no-one in an amber shirt was attacking the loose ball.

The threat shown by Truro on the break was demonstrated in the 5th minute, as from a Maidstone corner, Matthew Wright lifted the ball over the 2 remaining home defenders allowing the nippy Les Afful to break free. The former Exeter City forward attempted an early lob, which allowed Lee Worgan time to recover his ground at catch with ease.

Truro could consider themselves unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty following an apparent push by stand-in right back Alex Brown on Afful as the visitors started to impose their high pressing game on Maidstone. This was followed by a string of chances that allowed the Stones’ new club captain Worgan demonstrate why he is one of the best goalkeepers at this level.

Matthew Wright glanced a header into the path of Cody Cooke, whose rising shot was well held by the Stones’ custodian. Ollie Knowles curled a freekick into the keeper’s arms, and then, as Worgan was felled by a collision with Wright, Brown was forced to head off the line with the Stones’ defence coming to the aid of their stricken captain, by denying Cooke a further shot at goal.

The visitors, following their seven-hour journey from the South West, appeared to be the fresher team and were creating the best chances. Knowles hit a rasping drive that beat Worgan’s despairing dive, but to the relief of the home crowd, the shot skimmed off the top of the bar, and Ryan Brett attempted an audacious lob from 40 yards that Worgan could only watch drop inches over his bar.

Maidstone finally put together an attacking threat, as Tom Mills found Jay May down the left wing. May played in Flisher, whose whipped cross was met powerfully by Frannie Collin, escaping the attentions of his marker, but the header shaved the left hand post.

The second half continued in the same fashion. Maidstone playing some attractive football but with no effective delivery in the final third, and Truro still trying to play on the counter-attack. Cooke attempted a shot from the edge of the box that deflected off Coyle and, with Worgan wrong-footed, the ball appeared to be heading into the top left corner, until the keeper somehow threw himself across goal to tip the ball round over the bar. From the corner, both sets of players appeared static as the ball travelled to the back post, where Wright somehow scooped his shot over from inside the 6-yard box.

Maidstone’s response was to push both Matt Bodkin and Flisher further, and suddenly the home side seemed to have a threat on both sides of the pitch, as both started running at the Truro defenders earning a series of set pieces. Brown played a ball over the Truro defence to free up Collin on the right wing. Collin timed his cross to perfection, but Bodkin could only meet the ball on the stretch and the chance drifted away.

Truro substitute Isaac Vassell could have claimed an 18-minute hatrick having replaced Afful, but was denied on two occasions by the legs of Worgan. Knowles long ball into the right corner allowed Vassell to outpace Coyle, and he beat the defender against as he burst into the area, only for his shot to cannon off Worgan’s right knee.

May forced Truro keeper Martin Rice into a full length save to his left with a curling 25-yard shot before Vassell had his second chance. This time Brett played the ball into Vassell’s path and, with the forward choosing to stay on his feet following Coyle’s challenge, it was Worgan’s left leg that blocked the eventual shot.

May had another header from a Flisher throw deflect just past the post, and Joe Healy attempted to lob Rice, but Maidstone were struggling to create that one clear chance they needed. And it was almost Truro who made the breakthrough, as Wright’s knockdown dropped into the path of Vassell with only Worgan to beat, but the keeper’s approach unnerved the forward, who only managed to scuff the ball wide of the goal.

Truro were made to pay for this on 74 as Maidstone applied some concerted pressure to the visitor’s area. Flisher’s clipped corner from the right wing drifted through the area, and Coyle made a late run to sweep the ball into the goal for his first goal of the season.

Four minutes later the lead was doubled thanks to a commanding piece of midfield play by Joe Healy. The midfielder slid into a crunching tackle on the halfway line, and quickly recovered his feet to drive forward. Healy curled a ball round the retreating defenders into the path of May, who dinked his shot over the advancing Rice.

With the game seemingly safe, Maidstone appeared to take their foot off the gas. Manny Parry, who up to this point had been arguably Maidstone’s outstanding player on the day, and Brown struggled to clear a ball on the right side of the area. Connor Riley-Lowe intercepted the ball and as he drove into the area, Parry collided with the fullback with the referee pointing to the spot. Shane White almost burst the net with his spot kick.

Try as they might though, Truro were unable to fashion a clear opening, and Maidstone held on to maintain their second place in the National South table.

MAIDSTONE UNITED: Lee Worgan, Alex Brown, Tom Mills, Jamie Coyle, Manny Parry, Jack Paxman (James Rogers 71), Matt Bodkin, Joe Healy, Jay May, Frannie Collin (Charles Banya 83), Alex Flisher.

Subs not used: Bobby-Joe Taylor, Alex Akrofi, Adam Birchall.

Goals: Jamie Coyle 74, Jay May 78.

Caution: Alex Brown 37, Manny Parry 84.

TRURO CITY: Martin Rice, Pierce Mitchell (Shane White 80), Connor Riley-Lowe, Jake Ash, Jamie Richards, Ryan Brett, Ollie Knowles, Dan Green, Matthew Wright (Craig Duff 78), Les Afful (Isaac Vassell 54), Cody Cooke.

Subs not used: Danny Barrow.

Goal: Shane White 85 (pen).

Cautions: Craig Duff 90+1, Jake Ash 90+3.

Attendance: 2,002
Referee: Mr Carl Brook
Assistants: Mr Leigh Crowhurst and Mr Jamaal Horne