Report: Hemel Hempstead 1-1 Stones

This was a match where the Stones had looked like they were going to claim all three points and the Tudors had Michael Johnson to thank for making some excellent saves to keep Maidstone from extending their lead.

The Stones started to dictate the play from about 20 minutes. Deon Moore showed good strength before finding Jessie Nwabueze whose rising strike was heading for the top corner only for Johnson to push it over the bar.

From the resultant corner, John Gilbert’s delivery was deep. Lexus Beeden reacted quickly and his hard effort was diverted off the line by Olatunbosun Lateef Adenol.

Then with 28 minutes played, Maidstone United opened their scoring account for the season. Once again Moore held the ball up well and this time he found Dajon Golding who fired in.

Hemel didn’t have an attempt on goal until the 38th minute. Jake Gray’s corner came to Mauro Vilhete who headed down and wide. Then not long after this, Joe White was booked for diving as he went down in the box with TJ Bramble in the vicinity.

Maidstone continued to look the more likely of the two sides to score after the break. Early on, they kept up the pressure on the Hemel defence with George Fowler getting a touch in the box and Beeden thumped the ball wide of the right post.

The Stones then put together a neat move as they hit the Tudors on the break. Nwabueze slipped the ball through to Golding and he crossed for John Gilbert who headed at Johnson.

Nwabueze was involved again not long after this. He passed to Gilbert who put an excellent ball into the box and Johnson made a point blank save to deny Moore.

Gilbert played a nice diagonal ball into Golding. It struck Golding’s heel but he quickly recovered to get a shot away which went wide.

Hemel weren’t creating much but as the game moved towards its later stages, they began to grow in confidence. On 21 minutes, Darion Nathaniel Dowrich ran at the Maidstone defence before going for goal and his effort didn’t miss by much.

Maidstone then arguably had a golden opportunity to wrap up the points. Gilbert’s ball into the box came to Moore who was about eight yards out and he dragged the chance wide of the right post.

Hemel took heart from this and began to push for an equaliser. A long throw from Kyle Andre O’Connor-Ajayi came to Darion Nathaniel Dowrich whose strike struck the post.
Three minutes from time, Maidstone went close again. Gilbert advanced forwards and hit a low drive which was heading in only for Johnson to intervene to make a fingertip save and divert the ball behind for a corner.

However, two minutes into stoppage time, Hemel scored. Maidstone couldn’t clear their lines and the ball back in from Joe White came to substitute Millar Matthews-Lewis who fired the ball into the net.

Hemel Hempstead: Millar Matthews-Lewis 90+2

Maidstone United: Dajon Golding 28

Hemel Hempstead: 1. Michael Johnson, 2. Olatunbosun Lateef Adenol, 3. Darion Nathaniel Dowrich, 4. Kyle Andre O’Connor-Ajayi, 6. Jordan Thompson (22. Devante Trevaughan Stanley 75), 8. Jake Gray (19. Jack Cameron Bateson 86), 10. Joe White, 11. Finley Wilkinson (24. Hamza Bin-Semakula 60), 14. Adebayo Azeez, 20. Mauro Vilhete (9. Millar Matthews-Lewis 60), 21. Jermaine Anderson (12. Kyran Tonell Wiltshire 60). Subs not used: 18. Steve Arnold, 15. Mathew Achuba.

Maidstone United: 1. Nathan Harness, 2. David Sesay, 3. Leo Hamblin, 5. George Fowler, 4. Lexus Beeden (15. David Agbontohoma 90), 6. TJ Bramble, 10. John Gilbert (18. Sam Oguntayo 90), 8. Sam Corne, 20. Deon Moore (14. Josh Redfern 78), 16. Jesse Nwabueze (7. Jephte Tanga 69), 12. Dajon Golding (17. Riley Court 72). Sub not used: 13. Lenny Holden.