"We're Going To Wembley!"

FA Trophy First Round

Maidstone United 2-0 Salisbury City                                                          Attendance: 1,365

Maidstone United caused the biggest upset of the FA Trophy first round by knocking out last year’s semi-finalist’s Salisbury City, another scalp in their impressive form at The Gallagher Stadium.

It was a wet and miserable afternoon for spectators but the new stadium still brought in an impressive 1,365, just 300 under the average home game this year, but today the odds were stacked against them with Salisbury City fielding a whole host of players with vast experience in the football league.

But the first ten minutes it was neck and neck with both teams having fairly good chances to take an early lead only for lame shooting and the slippery surface getting the better of the forwards.

Impressing for Maidstone were both wingers, Alex Flisher and Warren Whitely, and it was them two combining that created the home side’s first real threat in the half. Flisher was facing the corner flag and looked to be going nowhere, until he cheekily back heeled it into the path of Whitely who, with a few step-over’s, went past one defender to the by-line where he drilled a low cross in only for James Clarke to clear ahead of Welford ready to pounce.

The game started to swing more into Maidstone United’s favour as the half progressed with the ball camped in Salisbury’s half the home side were starting to find gaps in the Salisbury defence.

It was Whitely again who found space down the right teasing the defenders with some more step-over’s which then opened space for himself to shoot at goal, only to shoot horribly over the bar.

Salisbury did have their chances though and on the half hour mark, the ex AFC Wimbledon midfielder, Ricky Wellard hit an absolute rocket from 20 yards out taking a slight deflection on its way to goal which rattled the crossbar.

But that proved the be Salisbury’s last chance of the half as five minutes later Flisher took one of his trademarks long throws where Ade Olorunda battled to win the flick on which found Nick Humphrey on the run to nod past the helpless Will Puddy and put the host’s 1-0 up.

The home fans were in raptures still celebrating by the time the second goal came. Three minutes before the end of the half Flisher picked up the ball 20 yards out and with one touch out of his feet hit a belter into the top left corner which then led to fans chanting, “we’re going to Wembley!”

The first half drew to a close and Maidstone were good measure for their lead and displaying why they are the only team representing the Ryman League South still in the competition.

There were slight worries at half-time if Maidstone had worked too hard in the first half and Salisbury were going to come out a changed team, and they did make one change bringing off Elliot Frear for their ever-present Daniel Fitchett, his first game of the season that he hasn’t started.

But the home side started where the left off and almost completed a carbon-copy of their first goal only with Shaun Welford taking Nick Humphreys place, but an awkward half-volley went wide.

It was getting very tense in the latter stages of the second half and it was getting frantic at the back for Maidstone with Salisbury finding space now and they couldn’t have come any closer when Fitchett rounded Mitten to shoot at an empty net only for birthday boy Tom Mills to run back towards his goal and intercept a certain goal.

The impressive Tim Olorunda copied his team-mates efforts moments later this time with a header off the line showing the home sides resilience.

Maidstone had weathered the storm and the last 10 minutes, as nervy as they were, the home side were coping much better with any attack from Salisbury and were able to hold up play more with Maidstone actually finishing how they had gone out all game, with the ball camped in Salisbury’s half and in the dying second Whitely could have added a deserved goal with a shot/cross that almost caught Puddy off-guard but he managed to scramble back and prevent the scoreline flattering Maidstone United.

After the game Maidstone United manager, Jay Saunders, revealed he has the upmost confidence in his team whoever he faces, “On our day we can give a lot of teams a good game,” he said.

Also with a huge win against a team two leagues above Maidstone Jay spoke about his ambitions for the club. “The main priority is getting out of the Ryman South,” he said, “I’m sure everyone at the club wants to get back in the league some day and AFC Wimbledon have proved it can be done.”

For now Maidstone can savour their sweet victory and Monday they find out their opponents in the second round, one thing is for sure that no team, after this result, wants to face Maidstone United at The Gallagher Stadium.

Maidstone United: Mitten, Mills, Osborne, Humphrey, Ward (Greenfield 17), Olorunda, Whitely, Phillips, Welford*, Olorunda (Bewick 82), Flisher (Woolery 85)Subs Not Used: Booth, Ibrahim

Salisbury City: Puddy, Udoji, Hart*, Clarke, Matthews, Wellard, Lewis, Sinclair, Frear (Fitchett 45), McPhee, White (Ademano 68)Subs Not Used: Scott, Baggridge, Clark

*Captains