Avoid the Christmas crowds & join the throng as Dulwich entertain the Stones in a top 5 clash. Wassailing, mulled wine and mince pies not compulsory!

Avoid the Christmas crowds and join the throng at Champion Hill as Dulwich entertain the Kentish Stones in a top five clash. Wassailing, mulled wine and mince pies not compulsory!

It is the last game before Christmas at Champion Hill and what better way to blow away the post office party cobwebs than a meaty clash between last season’s Isthmian League Champions and the side they pipped to the title on that emotional day back in April when Xavier Vidal’s precision strike brought the trophy back to Dulwich. Some must have wondered whether the Stones had the stomach for the fight through the playoffs after losing their grip on a title that seemed to be theirs for the taking in the latter days of the campaign. However, Jay Saunders and his men girded their loins roused themselves once more and, in front of raucous home crowds evoked the glory days of football in Kent’s county town, Maidstone United made mincemeat of their playoff opponents and rightfully took their place alongside the Hamlet in this season’s Isthmian Premier League.

Whilst most might have been surprised by Dulwich’s place amongst the title chasers at this stage of the season, there can few that believed that Maidstone would not be in the mix from the first gun. However, summer saw the departure of a key cog in the Maidstone offensive unit as Ade Olorunda, scorer of some many vital game-breaking goals during the season left for pastures new. Also off was goalkeeper Deren Ibrahim whose athletic penalty save from Danny Carr in last season’s encounter at a rocking Champion Hill kept the Stones ahead in the title race at the time.

Yet to glance through the Maidstone squad is see a team where youth and experience are blended so well, experienced strikers such as leading scorer Frannie Collin, former Gillingham midfielder Alex Brown as well as ‘keepers Lee Worgan and the timeless Charlie Mitten lined up alongside the likes of zippy winger Alex Flisher, a graduate through the ranks of the club now with four years’ experience under his belt. The current campaign has also seen Saunders, himself younger than some of his charges, blood a number of promising youngsters such as teenage striker Jack Harris, late of Tunbridge Wells and scorer of 51 goals in 122 starts for them, as well as 17-year-old midfielder Charley Robertson.

After a busy preseason, Maidstone kicked off the season with an entertaining, if a little frustrating draw with Wealdstone in front of a 2000+ crowd at the Gallagher Stadium. It had been five years since the Kent Stones had won on the opening day of the season and once more it was not to be as a superb effort from Rory Hill was cancelled out by an equaliser from Chris Moore. However, three points was not far away as the Stones won their next three games on the spin before a scoreless shutout at home to Lewes. Two days later an August Bank Holliday outing to Margate proved as unappetising as sounds, the Stones putting in performance described by the boss as “The worst 45 minutes for a Maidstone team since I have been in charge. I thought that we were terrible.” Rumours that someone had mischievously rustled a couple of donkeys from the beach and slipped them into the midfield were vehemently denied by an official spokesperson for the club!

Yet after firing blanks all weekend and picking up just a solitary point, those games proved just thee spur the Stones need and soon they were back in the saddle and shooting for the summit. A top of the table clash at the Gallagher with unbeaten Kingstonian ended with a resounding result for the hosts as 2 goals early in the first half from Collin and Brown condemned the Ks to their first defeat of the season, becoming, by the turn, the first side to breach the watertight Kingstonian defence all season. Convincing away wins over first Hampton & Richmond Borough (3-1) then struggling Cray Wanderers (5-0 with Collin bagging a hat trick) saw the Stones scale the summit of the Ryman Premier Division in emphatic fashion.

Although it took a late Collin goal to progress in the FA Cup away to a stubborn Three Bridges, attention quickly switched back to the league as the enigmatic Harrow Borough came to call. Maidstone found themselves flummoxed as someone they let a three goal lead slip to draw 4-4. Two quick goals at the start of the second half put the Stones 4-1 up and seemingly on cruise control before smart substitutions from the Harrow bench turned the game on its head allowing Harrow to snatch a mindboggling point.

Though the Stones bagged four more in their next contest, the visit of basement boys Thamesmead Town, there were a lot less palpitations amongst the Gallagher faithful as the holes in the dyke had been plugged.

Once more the chase for silverware took precedence. First a trip to Merstham in the FA Cup and not such a squeaky afternoon for the Stones as they rattling home a quartet of goals for the third game running. Collin was on target with a brace, the first and last of these such 94 minute apart whilst Zac Attwood and Alex Flisher were also on target. Four more in the Kent Senior Cup as Thamesmead again let with nothing though this time it took extra time before a much-changed Stones side booked their place in the next round.

October league games saw a 100% return and not a goal concede as Maidstone continued to set the pace at the head of the pack. However the FA Cup trail came to an end as Maidstone failed to click into gear, going out tamely 2-0 at home to Boredom Wood. In the FA Trophy Maldon and Tiptree of the North Division proved troublesome opponents holding their more illustrious guests until the 82nd minute when substitutes Orlando Smith and Fabio Saraiva combined twice to grab the Stones two late goals to ensure the Stones came away from Essex with a place in the next round of the FA Trophy. The game set up a clash of the Stones as Maidstone travelled to Wealdstone for a place in the final qualifying round of the competition. The Middlesex Stones had the better of the first half and quickly established a 2-0 lead that might have become three and out but for Lee Worgan’s athletic save to deny the deadly Scott McGleish. Brown pulled a goal back late in first half stoppage time to give the visitors hope and when Flisher popped up with just two minutes for an equaliser. All back to our place for a replay and once more there was little more than gnat’s crochet between the two title challengers until a moment of class from late substitute Rory Hill proved telling as he set up Zac Attwood for a dramatic 90th minute winner which to put the hosts the next round where they would entertain Eastleigh.

Before that there was still a home league game to negotiate, the tricky matter of a Leiston side under new management and once more the Stones left it late before snatching a share of points they overcame a two nil deficit to salvage a draw thanks to teenager Charley Robertson’s maiden senior goal in the last minute. Against Eastleigh Maidstone performed at their best but with a number of injuries restricting Saunders' squad selection it was not to be as the Spitfires advanced thanks to a narrow 2-1 win despite late penalty claims. Three days later and the Kent Senior Cup was but a pipedream as resurgent Whitstable Town knocked them out thanks to a solitary goal from Charlie Smith after 71 minutes. Perhaps the Stones could have been forgiven for lurking on the horizon was a monumental match against many people’s Champions-elect, AFC Hornchurch. A tenth minute goal for Maidstone from Tom Phipps looked to have settled early nerves but the lead just barely two minutes before former Dulwich Hamlet striker Leigh Bremner restored parity. From then on in it was to a tale of toil without reward as the two teams cancelled one another out.

Still the rare back-to-back defeats had been finished and, following a routine win over Hythe in the Robert Dyas Cup, Stones have remained unbeaten in the league, goals from Hill and Phipps helping them to a 2-1 on a tricky away trip to battling Bognor, sharing the points at home to Bury Town after Collin’s goal was cancelled out by a superb strike late on from Jordan Patrick. Tuesday last the club progressed to the quarterfinals of the Robert Dyas Cup courtesy of goals from 16-year-old Liam King and Zac Attwood, setting them up for the weekend visit of Carshalton Athletic in the league. Victory was assured when Collin bagged the only goal of a frustrating afternoon against struggling opponents after just ten minutes, the attitude of the Robins serving to enforce Sanders assertion that sides tend to clam up in front of the intimidating big crowds at the Gallagher where the Stones might be unbeaten but where half of those games have ended with the spoils shared. On the road it is a different story where, away from home Maidstone have won six matches out of seven and lost just one.

This evening’s game kicks off at 7.45 pm at Champion Hill Stadium, Edgar Kail Way, East Dulwich, London SE22 8BD.

The turnstiles will be open from 5.30pm with refreshment facilities available in the ground for early arrivals. As a healthy crowd is expected, why not avoid the rush late and relax. Before the game enjoy a drink or snack in our cosy clubhouse with live sport on the big screens, conveniently situated just a short walk from the turnstiles?

ADMISSION PRICES

• £10 for Adults
• £4 for Concessions (Seniors - 60+, Under 18s, Unemployed (UB40, Full Time Students and Members of the Armed Forces and Blue Light Services. PLEASE present valid ID)
• Under 12s FREE accompanied by a paying adult.

Correct change would be appreciated in order to speed admission. Many thanks!

Programmes: £1.50