Carshalton 1 - 2 Maidstone

So the first post of my West Ham blog commences with a Ryman League match played on a chilly Tuesday night at Colston Avenue. It felt a little bit like a rite of passage or unfinished business as I headed towards the bright lights of the football ground. I remember those lights from the front room of my Wrythe Lane flat and for many years I felt that I should really head around and support the local team but sadly never did. So it took a stop-start trip from the south of Maidstone for me to make my first visit and I was rather surprised to see the number of fans who had made the same journey. In fact it was safe to say that a majority of the crowd were supporting the 'Stones and doing a rather vocal job of it too!

It was a slow-starter dominated by the midfield battle, with Maidstone always looking threatening from the set-piece. Two Maidstone corners forced desperate saves from the wobbly Carshalton 'keeper and it was a Maidstone freekick that broke the deadlock on the 27 minute mark. A Fabio Sariuva low shot was kept out by a desperate Carshalton defense, only to land gratefully at the feet of Frannie Collins who steered the ball into the bottom corner.

Maidstone continued to dominate proceedings and it was a number of defensive mishaps that finally let the Robins back into the game. Miscommunication hampered the Stones defence and what was otherwise a domineering performance from Lee Worgan between the sticks and it was debutant Lee Pidgen who pounced on further defensive frailty, rounded the helpless Worgan and make the game 1 - 1 going into the break.

The second half commenced with more intensity (or so I was told, I was in the process of walking back from my trusty old kebab shop, Kebab World, on Wrythe Lane) and it did appear that Carshalton were indeed in the ascendency. That being said, Orlando Smith continued to be a nuisance with the ball at feet (a lazy bugger when he did not) and the Stones had a number of opportunities on the break.

Maidstone had a creditable penalty appeal turned down when Hollingworth appeared to pull Collins down in the area, much to the vitriol of the yellow and white travelling contingent. The Robins were given a free kick for a similar challenge, which caused a few nervy moments in the Stones defence, but ultimately it was their pacy breaks from their own box that led to the winning goal. It was super-sub Alex Brown who found himself in acres of space down the middle and managed to plant the ball perfectly into the bottom left hand corner to seal the points for the visitors.

Coming to the game as a neutral, being torn between the town I lived in for the best part of my twenties and the place I now call home, I certainly left as a Maidstone United fan. There was something quite alluring about the travelling army which outnumbered and outsung the home fans for a large portion of the match. As the Carshalton players warmed up there seemed to be two distinct camps training seperately. The Maidstone players joined together in a huddle in the build up to kick off. Finally, the quality of the football. From an outsider's perspective, there seemed to be a real continuity in the Maidstone team. Whether it was the trickery of Smith or the pace of Collins, Maidstone always seemed a threat, possibly the reason they see themselves sitting pretty in 4th position in the Ryman League.

In case my allegiance was ever in doubt, it was cemented by a comment from one of the backroom staff in the 'Stones camp. After yet another innocuous challenge, garnered a free kick for the Carshalton goalkeeper, the gentleman in question took great pains to gain the attention of the nearside linesman. "Lino, Lino! Is that how it works here? You get a free kick for being a sh!t keeper?" Rapturous laughter followed and even the poor old lino couldn't help but raise a smile.

Carshalton Athletic 1 - 2 Maidstone United