On a day when all of this morning’s Vanarama National League bottom four teams won, the importance of this victory for Maidstone United cannot be understated.
The Stones’ first win since 29th November 2016, eight games ago, was confirmed by second half goals from Delano Sam-Yorke and Jack Paxman either side of an equaliser by Gulls’ substitute Brett Williams. But despite dominating the chances, and testing visiting keeper Brendan Moore on numerous occasions, the home side were indebted to a penalty save from skipper Lee Worgan to protect their vital three points.
Maidstone were quickly out of the blocks against a Torquay team who were also lacking in confidence. Within 90 seconds of the kick-off, Delano Sam-Yorke had picked up a ball from Jack Paxman inside the left edge of the Torquay area and curled a shot across goal that had Brendan Moore scrambling. This was followed up by a Sam-Yorke run and cross from the right into Bobby-Joe Taylor, but the winger’s first touch allowed Moore to get off his line to block the shot.
Torquay had a pair of early chances from a Dan Sparkes cross from the left that saw Taylor block a shot from David Fitzpatrick, then Paxman throw himself across Courtney Richards’ shot from the rebound. This though was a rare sight of the Maidstone net for the visitors as their general approach play from open play was poor; Lee Worgan only being concerned with the occasional cross and a shot from Richards that deflected inches past the right post, with Worgan diving in the opposite direction.
Maidstone’s high tempo for the first 30 minutes was putting the Torquay midfield and defence under pressure. Jamar Loza’s driving run through the Torquay half created space for Seth Nana Twumasi to cut in from the right onto his left foot, but his shot was dragged wide of the right post.
The best chance of the half came after 18 minutes, and Loza will still be wondering how he didn’t convert from within the 6-yard box. Tom Mills’ defence splitting ball allowed Paxman to feed a pass into the path of Taylor on the left. Taylor fizzed a low cross through the 6-yard box with Loza seemingly only having to tap in, but somehow the ball squirted back in the opposite direction and agonisingly past the left post.
Sam-Yorke, Loza and debutant Stuart Lewis were raiding forward regularly, and it was a Sam-Yorke run following a mistake by Ben Gerring, dwelling on the ball, that saw Maidstone break with a 2-on-1 opportunity, with Sean McGinty as the last defender. Sam-Yorke seemed to have done everything right to present a chance for Loza, but the Maidstone-born McGinty timed his interception to perfection.
Although Torquay seemed to have more control of the middle of the field as the tempo dropped, Maidstone were still creating the chances as the recent additions to the team appeared to bring a new energy and intensity to their play. Lewis had both a header and a shot fly over, then Jamie Coyle, Reece Prestedge and Sam-Yorke combined in a slick passing move that allowed Lewis a shot the slid just past the right post.
The second half started in the same fashion with Paxman finding Loza inside the Torquay area, on the left side. Loza skipped past the challenge of Gerring and just as the Stones’ forward pulled the trigger, McGinty appeared to deflect the shot for a corner. As with a majority of Maidstone’s set pieces on the day, the delivery was poor and set up a Torquay counter-attack. Shaun Harrad held up possession, waiting for the supporting run of Aman Verma, whose shot at Worgan was Torquay’s first on target.
Loza’s next involvement was on the right wing, this time found in space by Lewis. Loza twisted past Lathaniel Rowe-Turner and hit a low shot that was fumbled by Moore, but the keeper recovered to seize the ball before the predatory Sam-Yorke could intervene. Moments later, on 53, and Sam-Yorke wouldn’t be denied as Loza’s cut-back found the Woking loanee in acres of space on the penalty spot to pick his spot and score his first goal for the Stones.
Torquay made two changes to their forward line, and adopted a more direct approach that seemed to change the flow of the game. From another poor corner, the visitors broke forward with one long ball and, although he appeared to push Jamie Coyle off the ball as they both chased into the Maidstone half, substitute Brett Williams took the opportunity to hit a dipping volley over Worgan from 35 yards to level the game after 63 minutes.
The equaliser appeared to affect Maidstone’s confidence and they were almost made to pay as a cross from the right by David Fitzpatrick found its way through to McGinty, who hit a right foot volley through a crowd of players, but straight at Worgan.
Maidstone retook the lead on 69, with an almost carbon-copy effort to their first. Sam-Yorke played a pass out to Loza on the right, who cut inside Rowe-Turner’s challenge and fired a shot at Moore that the Torquay keeper could only parry out towards the penalty spot. Paxman was the only player running into that area and took his time to control the bouncing ball, before threading his shot between the keeper and two defenders for his second league goal of the season.
The lead could, probably should have been extended with 12 minutes left as Sam-Yorke laid a pass in from the left for Taylor, whose shot was saved by the legs of Moore. The rebound ran out to Alex Flisher, who also saw his shot parried away by the Torquay keeper, which led to a counter-attack. The long ball forward saw Williams break into the area behind Anthony Achampong, and the defender made contact leaving the referee with little option but to point to the spot. Williams picked himself up to take the penalty, but the spot kick was saved by Worgan low to his left, and scrambled away for a corner.
As Torquay through more and more bodies forward, Maidstone were still looking to hit them on the break. Sam-Yorke held up a long clearance on the right side of the area, holding off Paul Rooney’s attentions, before slipping a short pass into the path of Flisher, cutting inside. Flisher’s curling shot was clawed away from the top left corner by Moore’s right hand.
With time running out, the Stones’ believed they were denied a spot kick of their own as Paxman tumbled under McGinty’s challenge, but the home side had done enough to hold on for a result that lifts them back to 20th in the table only a point behind today’s visitors and Southport, and crucially outside the drop zone.
MAIDSTONE UNITED: 1- Lee Worgan; 22- Seth Nana Twumasi, 4- Jamie Coyle, 15- Anthony Acheampong, 3- Tom Mills; 16- Bobby-Joe Taylor, 8- Stuart Lewis, 14- Reece Prestedge, 10- Jack Paxman (6- James Rogers 90+2); 25- Jamar Loza (11- Alex Flisher 75), 9- Delano Sam-Yorke.
Subs not used: 5- Kevin Lokko, 7- Vas Karagiannis, 20- Joseph N’Guessan
Goals: Delano Sam-Yorke 53, Jack Paxman 69
Cautions: Seth Nana Twumasi 88
TORQUAY UNITED: 1- Brendan Moore; 17- Paul Rooney, 6- Ben Gerring (7- Sam Chaney 85), 15- Sean McGinty, 3- Lathaniel Rowe-Turner; 25- David Fitzpatrick, 12- Aman Verma, 10- Courtney Richards, 8- Luke Young (18- Jamie Reid 56); 9- Shaun Harrad (14- Brett Williams 56), 11- Dan Sparkes.
Subs not used: 26- Jamie Robba, 31- Jordan Lee.
Goal: Brett Williams 63
Attendance: 2,455
Referee: Mr Rob Whitton
Assistants: Mr Tom Hancock and Mr Martyn Holmes
Fourth Official: Mr Simon Finnegan