Report: Stones 2-0 St Albans

St Albans City started brightly. Jasper Mather forced Maidstone’s trialist keeper into beating the ball away before the visitors had a good opportunity to take the lead on 12 minutes. A lovely ball was slipped into George Sippetts who found himself one on one with Maidstone’s trialist keeper and Sippetts went for a near post shot which went inches wide.

But it was the Stones who did break the deadlock on 22 minutes. John Gilbert was a good 20 yards from goal and he powered his free-kick past Magnus Norman who got his hands to the ball but could not prevent it from going in.

The second half saw numerous substitutes from both sides which disrupted the flow for a while. With 73 minutes Riley Court came inside and hit a shot which went just wide of the right post.

There was then a decent ball over the top to Court. Court was in the box and he picked out a trialist with a fine pass but the trialist shot well wide.

St Albans’ substitute keeper came off his line to block a shot from Court and then he made an even better stop from a Maidstone trialist. And this trialist was to get Maidstone’s second of the afternoon with a minute remaining. There was another good long ball forward into the trialist and he drilled a confident finish into the net.

Maidstone United: John Gilbert 22, Trialist 89

Maidstone United first half starting 11: Trialist (13. Lenny Holden 45), 2. David Sesay (Trialist 65), 3. Leo Hamblin (Trialist 73), 4. Lexus Beeden (5. George Fowler 62), 6. TJ Bramble (Trialist 65), 7. Jephte Tanga (Trialist 65), 10. John Gilbert (Trialist 65), 15. David Agbontohoma (Trialist 73), 16. Trialist (Trialist 73), 18. Trialist (14. Josh Redfern 59), 20. Trialist (17. Riley Court 59). Subs: –

St Albans City starting 11: 1. Magnus Norman, 2. Jack James, 5. Alex Dyer, 6. Jamal Fyfield, 11. Zane Banton, 12. James Sweet, 15. Jasper Mather, 16. Haziz Kone, 18. George Sippetts, 19. Nick Ralfe, 23. Riley Scott.

Report by: Ruth Pettifer