MAIDSTONE 0 HORNCHURCH 0
Blackburn Rovers had a 90 minute training session on the pitch this afternoon, which left a few bobbles on the otherwise impeccable surface. The ground is 24 miles from Maidstone, and four miles from the train station, with no bus connections. Despite this, there was a good turnout of away supporters, who were more than a bit puzzled when they forked out £2 for the programme, only to find that the Carshalton line up was printed instead of the Hornchurch line up.

Urchins, with Andy Tomlinson in the starting line up for the first time this season, almost made a disastrous start. Mark Janney was put through clear on goal and appeared to be brought down – no penalty, play on – and keeper Turner pumped the ball down the field, seemingly harmless enough, until Darren Behcet, right on the edge of his area, saw Saunders pop up to head the ball over his head and it rolled slowly goalwards, and then bobbled inches past the post.

A neat pass by Pinnock back to Paul saw the full back make ground and send over a good centre. Edge ran in to meet the ball but put his header over the bar. Then Ron Fletcher cleared from Bottle’s high centre and Paul Shave intercepted another raking pass down the middle. A long range shot by Pouton was held by Behcet, and Urchins slowly came back into the game, when Stevens played the ball out to Ross Wall whose cross was deflected for a corner by Paul. Stevens took the corner and Elliot Styles directed his header inches over the bar.

Urchins almost fell behind when Paul made a fifty yard run through the middle, and was only stopped by a well timed tackle by Spencer to concede a corner. Bottle floated the ball over and Fletcher headed away. Urchins almost took the lead with a well struck free kick by Joe Stevens, but Turner saved well to touch the ball over the bar. Stevens took the corner and played the ball short to Barnard, whose centre was headed out by Peacock. Sam Higgins then won a corner which Stevens sent over, and this led to another corner, this time on the left side of the field. Stevens again, and Ron Fletcher came up to power his header narrowly over the bar.

Paul again set off on a long solo run, with the defence backing off, and he hammered his shot just over the bar. At the other end Barnard’s throw found Joe Stevens, who twisted around two defenders and hit a magnificent shot goalwards, which brought an equally magnificent save from Turner in the home goal. Turner then held on to another Stevens corner. Saunders was booked for an off-the-ball incident – Stevens took the free kick on the edge of the area but directed his shot a little too high and over the bar. Almost on half time, Higgins made a good break on the left and sent the ball over to Wall, who hit his shot just wide of the post.

Maidstone started the second half strongly, when Bottle’s corner found Pouton, who shot wide, and another Bottle corner found an unmarked Saunders, who headed wide. Billy Coyne came on for Joe Stevens, and moved to the unusual position of left half instead of his more normal full back placing. Urchins were awarded a free kick when Dann fouled Janney and Behcet pumped the ball deep out to Ross Wall on the left. Ross cut inside and hit his shot just past the post. Back to the other end and Paul picked out Edge on the edge of the area, and Behcet made an excellent diving save to turn the ball around the post. From Bottle’s corner the ball was cleared off the line by Fletcher. Higgins fired a shot over the bar and Wall then almost created a goal with an excellent run on the left, where he turned the ball to Janney in the middle. Mark rounded the defender, and then hit a left footed shot wide of the post. Wall then won a corner, which Billy Coyne took and Hawkins headed away. On came Hernandez-Bradshaw and he almost raced through just seconds after coming on the field, but Fletcher made a timely tackle. Janney laid a good pass to Tomlinson who slotted it through to Janney, where Ulph just managed to play the ball away. A Goodfellow clearance saw Soz Yao run through, only to be brought down. Sam Higgins took the free kick and Turner made another good save. In the four minutes added on for stoppages, Yao went close twice and Edge hammered a shot high over the bar, the ball disappearing somewhere in the fields behind the goal.