Monday 29th September 08

Ryman Youth League

Tonbridge Angels 0 - 3 Maidstone Utd


Maidstone Utd U18 continued their good early season league form with a convincing 3 - 0 away win at local rivals Tonbridge Angels on Monday evening. With four wins and a draw from their first five games Maidstone Utd retuned to the top of the Ryman Youth League following this latest victory.

The Stones were very impressive in the first twenty minutes of this game with wingers Steve Brading and James Humphris ripping the Tonbridge defence apart and providing good service and link play with the Stones starting forwads Scott Byers and James Learmouth.Following good work from Humphris down the right James Learmouth had his shot well saved but Scott Byers thrashed home the rebound to give the Stones an early lead.

This was soon followed up by a Rob Carter penalty when Scott Byers with good technique beat his marker before being felled in the area. Brading set up Byers soon after but his right footed effort just curled wide of a beaten Tonbridge keeper.Then moments later James Learmouth crashed the Angels crossbar from the edge of the area again following a great passing move.

There was a delay of over 10 minutes when the Tonbridge keeper suffered a rib injury when he collided with an upright preventing a Luke Bowerman header, and this delay disrupted the momentum for the rest of the first half.The unfortunate keeper being removed from the field of play after lenghty treatment.

The second half was a more even affair with both sides working hard and battling for possession but the Stones with a comfortable two goal lead looked the more likely to add to their tally. A third goal for the Stones did arrive late on in the game when Alex Flisher's free kick was saved by the deputising Tonbridge keeper only for Scott Ibbertson to head home the follow up into an empty net to secure another three points.