Maidstone United 1 Chippenham Town 0 match report
Published: 16:50, 20 November 2021
Updated: 18:30, 20 November 2021
Maidstone claimed their first league win in seven games with a nervy victory over Chippenham.
Joan Luque scored the winner from the penalty spot - United’s first goal at home in more than two months.
Chippenham had chances to take something but Hakan Hayrettin’s side held on for a much-needed win, ending the visitors' unbeaten away record in the process.
United rise three places to eighth in National League South, three points behind second-placed Ebbsfleet - their opponents on Tuesday night.
Maidstone ended their long wait for a goal at the Gallagher when Luque scored from the spot in the 22nd minute.
Chippenham protested at the award, with Spencer Hamilton adjudged to have handled a shot from Jerome Binnom-Williams just inside the area.
Replays showed his arms were up and he was booked by referee Callum Walchester before Luque coolly rolled home his spot-kick down the middle of the goal.
Earlier, a bit of magic in the box from Luque made space for cross which Roarie Deacon put wide from inside the six-yard box, while Christie Pattisson’s run on goal was cynically halted by Kieran Parselle, who joined Hamilton in the referee’s notebook.
Chippenham offered little at the other end in the opening 45, Ryan Sandford sharply off his line to snuff out an opening for Harry Parsons with the game goalless.
Sandford easily held a shot from Ricky Aguiar, who also fired wide at the end of the first half.
Pattisson fired over following a good run at the start of the second half and it was his cross, after George Fowler drove forward from midfield and played the ball wide, that saw Luque’s diving header go narrowly wide.
Parsons’ deflected strike went past the post for Chippenham before Sandford made a good recovery save after shanking a clearance straight to Aguiar.
Dan Griffiths then saw a header drop just over the top as Chippenham gave Maidstone another little warning.
Sam Corne headed straight at Henry from Binnom-Williams’ cross and Luque fired wide on the turn before trying his luck from a 20-yard free-kick up as the Stones picked up in attack.
Moving into the last five minutes, Stones defender Raphe Brown made a brilliant block to keep out a goalbound strike from Griffiths in the six-yard box.
Chippenham threatened again in added time with Cameron Hargreaves' deflected strike hitting the side-netting.
Maidstone: Sandford, Hoyte, Fowler, Brown, Binnom-Williams, Corne, Phillips, McGlashan (Odusanya 51mins), Deacon (Ghandour 50mins), Luque, Pattisson (Barham 78mins). Subs not used: Hadler, Walters.
Attendance: 1,856.
Referee: Callum Walchester.
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Craig Tucker