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Sport

Maidstone United 2 Concord Rangers 2 match report

By: Craig Tucker ctucker@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 16:55, 30 January 2016

An injury-time equaliser denied Maidstone at the Gallagher Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Joe Healy’s first-half header and a Vas Karagiannis penalty looked set to earn a fourth straight victory, only for John Easterford to head home at the death.

United made one change to the side who won at Bath in their last match three weeks ago, Manny Parry replacing the unavailable Jamie Coyle at centre-half.

Joe Healy (No.8) celebrates his opener with Maidstone team-mates Picture: Martin Apps

After a steady start, Healy was inches away from getting his head to a Vas Karagiannis free-kick, Callum Driver’s 25-yard cracker went just over, Dan Sweeney was denied by Ben McNamara from three yards and Charles Banya was thwarted from a tight angle.

Concord were better going forward than they were defending and enjoyed their fair share of opportunities, James White and the dangerous Sam Bantick missing the target while Steve Cawley volleyed over Ben Greenhalgh’s cross when he should have scored.

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They paid for Cawley’s miss when Maidstone took the lead on 35 minutes, Sweeney feeding Tom Mills whose cross was headed in by Healy at the far post.

Lee Worgan kept his side in front with an excellent save in a one-on-one after Greenhalgh pounced on a Parry mistake and played in Bantick.

At the other end Alex Akrofi - an absolute menace as the lone striker and a player Concord will be glad to see the back of after his match-winning effort in the away game - hit the outside of the post after making a chance out of a Parry clearance.

Maidstone keeper Lee Worgan denies Sam Bantick Picture: Martin Apps

Rangers were in luck as injury forced Akrofi out of the game early in the second half, meaning a return for on-loan Birchall, who hadn’t made a squad since being dropped at Hayes & Yeading before Christmas.

United had gone close to a second after space opened up for Driver on his left foot before Concord equalised on 57 minutes.

Rangers broke quickly and while Worgan got his hand to Cawley’s 25-yard strike, the ball nestled in the bottom corner.

A fierce Mills strike was kept out by McNamara as Maidstone hit back.

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And they didn’t have long to wait to restore their lead, a silly foul by Steve King on Birchall giving Karagiannis the chance to score from the spot after 65 minutes.

Adam Birchall is brought down for Maidstone's penalty Picture: Martin Apps

Worgan made another fine save when Cawley went through again and from the corner, it was Rogers who rose to clear off the line.

Concord remained a threat going forward but were almost put to bed when Rogers’ blockbuster, after Matt Bodkin’s cross was partially cleared, flashed narrowly over.

The match was in the first minute of injury time when Easterford met Greenhalgh’s corner for Concord’s equaliser.

Maidstone: Worgan, Driver, Mills, Parry, Davies, Rogers, Banya (Flisher 81mins), Healy, Akrofi (Birchall 54mins), Sweeney, Karagiannis (Bodkin 74mins). Subs not used: Taylor, Paxman.

Attendance: 2,355.

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