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Maidstone United 2 Grays Athletic 1 - match report

Maidstone did their bit against Grays on Saturday but missed out on a place in the Ryman League Premier Division play-offs.

They went into the final match of the season with an outside chance of sneaking into the top five on goal difference.

Stones beat Grays 2-1 thanks to a first-half own goal and a Frannie Collin strike after the break but other results went against them, meaning they finish seventh.

A scruffy goal summed up the first half with Zac Attwood's low cross from the left turned into his own net by Grays defender Phil Anderson after 15 minutes.

Dan Parkinson looked bright in central midfield and was at the heart of most of Stones' best work but promising moves from the hosts often lacked the final ball.

Attwood fired wide from Alex Brown's pass but, other than that, set-pieces looked the most likely source of a second goal, with Jack Parkinson and substitute Jack Harris close with headers from Charley Robertson corners.

Grays got in behind the home defence a couple of times, Joao Carlos pulling their best chance wide early on.

Grays' Lee Flynn curled a 25-yard free-kick past the far post just after the break.

Collin hit the post with a cracking strike from Harris' neat flick at the other end.

But Grays were back on the attack and it took a decent block from player-of-the-year Lee Worgan to keep out Carlos.

End-to-end action continued as Flisher exchanged passes and saw George Kamurasi touch his effort wide.

Frannie Collin Picture: Martin Apps
Frannie Collin Picture: Martin Apps

Stones then added their second with Collin racing clear of the defence and rounding the keeper for his 31st goal of the season on 64 minutes.

Worgan got down well to push Chris Benjamin's strike wide, while Craig Pope hit the post as Grays rallied in the last 10 minutes.

They were rewarded three minutes from time when Jack Parkinson missed a cross which fell to Benjamin, who worked space to beat Worgan.

Stones substitute Aiden Hayes denied Grays an injury-time equaliser with a goalline block from Leroy Griffiths' strike.

Maidstone: Worgan, Cox, Butcher, Mills, Brown (Hughes-Mason 80mins), D Parkinson (Hayes 76mins), Robertson, J Parkinson, Attwood (Harris 39mins), Collin, Flisher. Subs not used: Sullivan, Godmon.
Attendance: 1,984

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