Match preview: Maidstone United (A)

Tomorrow, Luke Garrard’s men travel to Kent for our Vanarama National League South fixture away to Maidstone United, kicking off at 15:00.

Last Season for the Stones

The Stones suffered playoff heartbreak last season, conceding an 89th-minute Ollie Pearce winner to exit at the semi-final stage away at Worthing. The Kent-based side finished the regular season fourth with 83 points, while also enjoying an incredible FA Cup campaign, recording wins against Barrow, Stevenage, and Ipswich Town before their run ended in the fifth round at Coventry City.

Form Guide

Maidstone United have enjoyed a solid run of form heading into the final six games of the season, with three wins, two draws, and one loss in their previous six matches, placing them sixth in the Vanarama National League South form guide. This run includes back-to-back wins in their last two outings against Chippenham Town and Hampton & Richmond.

In their clash with the Beavers, Tom Leahy’s opener was followed by an Aaron Blair brace, earning them a valuable three points at the Beveree Stadium. This strong form has kept them in the top seven, although Weston-super-Mare are only four points behind.

Last Time We Met

The Wood were held to a 1-1 draw at Mangata Pay UK Stadium Meadow Park after Maidstone United’s Temi Eweka scored a late equaliser. David Agbontohoma had put Wood ahead on 39 minutes with a brilliant strike, but the visitors nearly levelled immediately when Aaron Blair hit the post. After the break, Wood controlled possession and threatened to add a second, but Maidstone grew into the game and Eweka eventually headed home from a long throw with five minutes remaining. It was a frustrating result for Wood, who failed to hold on against a disciplined Maidstone side.

One to Watch

Maidstone United talisman Aaron Blair will be full of confidence tomorrow afternoon after scoring a brace in his previous outing. The Stones’ number nine joined from Braintree Town last summer after contributing 20 goals to their promotion campaign last season. This term, he has enjoyed similar form with 15 goals and five assists in the Vanarama National League South so far and will be looking to add to that tally against the Wood.

The Wood

Luke Garrard’s men have struggled in recent weeks after back-to-back losses, which have seen us drop down to 13th in the Vanarama National League South form guide and sixth in the overall table. Wins against Aveley and Farnborough put the Wood on the path towards the top, but recent setbacks have forced us to look over our shoulder rather than ahead.

In our previous match, the Wood fell to a narrow defeat against promotion-chasing Dorking Wanderers at the Mangata Pay UK Stadium Meadow Park. Although Wood began the brighter of the two sides, the heroics of Wanderers shot-stopper Harrison Foulkes kept the scores level. The visitors made a lightning-quick start to the second half, which was rewarded by Jason Prior’s 100th goal for the club. The Wood pushed for a late equaliser, but Marc White’s side held on for an important three points in the chase for promotion.

Pre-match interview

Ticket information

Ticket information for tomorrow afternoon’s fixture can be found here.

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