National League South 2015/16

[Aberstone]

That was my initial reaction last night, but even if we only have 70-80 down there, there's always the chance of a scuffle with both supporters in the same end.

I'm aiming to make it (provided I can get out of work on time). For somebody's who never been before, where can I park and go for a drink before the game?*

*Could check Conference Ground Guide, but like to get the opinion of a local.

Edit: Oxford City at home to Havant tonight. The latter are woefully underperforming, could be a match which Oxford slip up in.

 

[Joe.]

Christ how pathetic

Another over the top decision by Kent Police

Think yourself lucky, you'll be allocated more than 250! Few decent pubs in the town.

We beat a Reading U21 side 4-0 today. Didn't go but seems like a good run out for some players that aren't featuring as much (West, Sheringham etc) plus the likes of Shilow Tracey getting more chances to prove themselves. Gills boss Justin Edinburgh was in attendance.

Eastbourne away on Saturday. I hate going there. Half decent point against Oxford on Saturday, would have taken it pre game. Absolutely brilliant goal by them to take the lead.

 

[Raymondo316]

Seems rather weird to segregate the Wealdstone game yet on Saturday against Dartford there will be no segregation

As for pubs close to the ground id suggest
The Society Rooms (Weatherspoons) next to Maidstone East station - normally lots of fans in there before game & the usual cheap drinks
The Flower Pot - Lots of ales & local ciders http://www.flowerpotpub.com/aboutus.html

Bit further into town id suggest
The Thirsty Pig - The general public class it as a ''grunger'' pub so most of the annoying pikey/chav twats refuse to go in there which is a plus....good pub with lots of local ales & ciders like Biddendens, Double Vision & Turners Cider http://thethirstypig.co.uk/
Rifle Volunteer - Certainly a pub that needs to be experienced. Its like sitting in someones front room from the 60-70s
Style & Winch - nice pub which is pretty much chav free (rare thing in Maidstone)

As for parking id suggest the big carpark next to Maidstone East station (room for like 400-500 cars) or one of the many other pay & display car parks around that area

http://en.parkopedia.co.uk/parking/carpark/maidstone_east_station_north/me14/maidstone/
http://www.maidstone.gov.uk/residents/parking-and-streets/car-parks

 

[Silver Stone]

Yeah, Kent police are a bit weird with segregation. Did you see the FA Cup draw? Had Gills and ourselves won our games instead of being utterly shite, we'd have drawn each other at the Gallagher. Imagine what the Plod would have done with that.

 

[Joe.]

Yeah, Kent police are a bit weird with segregation. Did you see the FA Cup draw? Had Gills and ourselves won our games instead of being utterly shite, we'd have drawn each other at the Gallagher. Imagine what the Plod would have done with that.

I knew that would come up at some point!

Wouldn't have heard the end of it had it happened!

 

[publeaguelegend]

The Wealdstone game also clashes with England on the telly. Really bizarre decision to segregate in what is likely to be one of the lowest home gates of our season. Will have to extend the traditional Maidstonian beer drenching welcome elsewhere in town.

 

[Joe.]

17 year old Shilow Tracey is now being monitored by Spurs, West Ham, Stoke, Charlton and Wednesday. We won't keep hold of him.

 

[Super_horns]

Went to St Albans v Wealdstone.

The home side got a much needed win with potentially a controversial goal as the Stones centre half was off the pitch when Saints scored from a corner..

Not a bad game considering the conditions and a card happy ref.

Wealdstone had most of the ball but didn't create too much whilst St Albans were dangerous on the break.

 

[Aberstone]

St. Albans City 1-0 Wealdstone (Att: 708)

Ref was a total liability but to be honest we wouldn't have scored had we been playing now. Like you say, Tom Hamblin (the man defending Ben Martin who got the winner) was asked to leave the field of play and low and behold they score from the resulting corner.

James Comley (their #5) was very impressive, didn't put a foot wrong and Jefferson Louis was substituted because it was quite clear just how agitated he had become.

A frustrating game which we didn't deserve to lose, but offered 0 attacking threat, especially in the 2nd half when we were trying to force an equaliser.

Onto Maidstone on Tuesday.

Edit: St. Albans were dirty, Sam Corcoran easily could have walked after a couple of ropey challenges.

 

[Super_horns]

Think Comley has played for England C?

 

[Aberstone]

Believe that is the case. I forgot to praise Josh Urquhart (again) in that brief synopsis of the game. What a find he was getting him from Harlow Town.

 

[Raymondo316]

Must say after having to deal with Margate's BBB idiots last season im quite enjoying seeing them struggle

Another great performance from them today

 

[Aberstone]

Must say after having to deal with Margate's BBB idiots last season im quite enjoying seeing them struggle

Another great performance from them today

Margate are erratic. Think they're going to turn the corner after beating Eastbourne and Gosport only to go on a bad losing run. Then they comfortably dispatch Havant last week and I thought they'd give Whitehawk a real game today. Well they were until Scott Neilson decided to score a hat-trick... I'm sure they will climb out of the mire eventually but surely the pressure is building on Terry Brown?

I see one Saints fan is having a bit of a meltdown on their forum, ooh their supporters said some bad words.

 

[Super_horns]

Well it is St Albans - most expensive place in Britain (or one of them) so they probably aren't used to industrial language.

Cannot think its the most populated forum - think there was more of you guys there!

 

[Joe.]

Considering the conditions that was a very good performance. We could have been 1 down inside 5 minutes but at half time we could have scored 5. As it was, the two goals were down to a defensive error and very comical goalkeeping. For the first, the keeper decoded to play it short and he left Simpemba in trouble. Matty Godden nicked it off him and fired home. Via a deflection, but was on target anyway.

The second, I think it was their number 7 (man of the match!) Who played it back to the keeper, didn't bobble or anything and it went under his foot and rolled in. He probably could have got it if he tried, but just stood there watching. The keeper then blamed the defender everytime he kicked the ball over his head and out of play. He was very agitated.

Then he made two very good saves.

Some of the passing in the first half was the best I've seen us all season. Absolutely unreal. Jordan Parkes back in the side really made a difference. Kissock is a different man alongside him.

The pitch was slowing down, the ball was stopping in standing water and I thought it was going to be called off. Luckily we had the best ref of the season who let the game flow and got most decisions spot on. 1 minute was added on anx then they scored in the 92nd minute. Another 3 minutes was played. That was nervy.

5 points clear with a game in hand. 10 clear of Whitehawk and Maidstone with 1 and 2 games played more. Things are looking very good.

 

[Silver Stone]

Oh Joe, don't worry about us - we won't trouble you for the title. I said before the season is be happy with 8-10th, and I still think we'll end up falling short of the playoffs. We just don't score enough.

 

[Raymondo316]

We just don't score enough.

Good to see i'm not the only one who thinks that

Anyone who dares to mention it on our forum is jumped on for being ''negative''

 

[Joe.]

Oh Joe, don't worry about us - we won't trouble you for the title. I said before the season is be happy with 8-10th, and I still think we'll end up falling short of the playoffs. We just don't score enough.

I hope you're right!

I'm not sure I see us slipping up enough atm, but I'm not sure there's a side good enough to take over...

 

[Raymondo316]

Looks like we're freeing up money to make some changes. Our captain Steve Watt has just been released & Mitchell Pinnock has been told he can leave

Gotta feel sorry for Watty, he quit his job at Ebbsfleet for us & then we release him a few months later

I'm just hoping we use the money towards bringing in a decent forward cos our current bunch aint exactly setting the world a light

 

[Joe.]

Saw this earlier - it did shock me a bit. Could have had the academy managers job full time rather than being assistant to McMahon. Fair play to him for sticking with you, but looks to be a decision that could haunt him!

Molesey at home for us in the Trophy. Could be tricky.

Shilow Tracey on trial with Ipswich now; and played 61 minutes in their u21s 1-3 loss to Brentford.

 

[Aberstone]

According to an e-mail sent to shareholders, we've lost £90,000 on the football side of the club in the past 12 months. How!? I thought we didn't have a pot to piss in...

 

[Raymondo316]

According to an e-mail sent to shareholders, we've lost £90,000 on the football side of the club in the past 12 months. How!? I thought we didn't have a pot to piss in...

Money spent bringing the ground upto Conference South standard??

This ground expansion lark aint cheap at all. We only just got our capacity up to over 3000 & we already looking at expanding to 4000....our owners are saying its gonna cost anything from 500k to a million quid

 

[Aberstone]

Not good enough. Match report to come when I eventually get home.

 

[Raymondo316]

We only win 1-0, We only win 1-0, We only win 1-0

 

[Aberstone]

Maidstone United 1-0 Wealdstone (Att: 1,812)

A fair result. Essentially it was Saturday replicated, ie. we huffed and puffed but did little to trouble the Maidstone defence.

I've got to feel for Josh Urquhart, he played really well apart from the pass on the half hour mark which was intercepted by Maidstone in the middle of the park, lovely through ball and Jay May finished well. Maidstone had a couple of other chances (crossbar in the first half and scramble from a corner in the 2nd) but weren't that threatening, it was quite obvious how/why they win so many matches 1-0. If the (other) Stones supporters on here think they have striking woes, just look at ours.... Josh Hutchinson who started tonight quite simply isn't up to this level of football and is devoid of confidence.

Shaun Lucien and Scott Davies when he came on played well. Others battled but we weren't good enough.

Edit: Hope the Maidstone supporters on here who went tonight enjoyed our first half chant of "Our support is fucking shit"... I headcounted 41 or 47, either way - woeful.

 

[publeaguelegend]

^ Can't disagree with that. Hope you enjoyed your trip to the 'stone and fair play to those who made the trip with the shite weather/England on the box.

Feel a lot hangs on who Saunders brings in to boost things up top now Watt has gone. Supporters evening tomorrow night, will pop along work permitting to view/hear the plans for the next round of ground development to bring the Gallagher up to Conference National standard.

 

[Aberstone]

Wealdstone 2-0 Bath City (Att: Estimate of 500)

Roles reversed from the opening day of the season where we commit daylight robbery. Jefferson Louis (P) and Matt Ball with the goals.

 

[Raymondo316]

So we gone and done it again!! we won 1-0

2nd in the league but 4th lowest scorers......rather bizarre to say the least

 

[Silver Stone]

1-0, we only win 1-0...

 

[Raymondo316]

Just think with our defence & some decent forwards this team could actually be a legit title challenger