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Hakan Hayrettin's verdict on Maidstone United's 2-2 draw with Concord Rangers

Hakan Hayrettin was in no doubt Maidstone should have beaten Concord Rangers when second met third in National South.

The visitors played the majority of the second half with defender Joe Payne in goal after keeper Myles Roberts’ red card.

Maidstone United manager Hakan Hayrettin Picture: Keith Gillard
Maidstone United manager Hakan Hayrettin Picture: Keith Gillard

United - who had Taylor Curran sent off in added time - threw everything at them and claimed a 2-2 draw thanks to Sam Corne’s 83rd-minute equaliser.

The point preserves Maidstone’s unbeaten record after six games of the National South season but Hayrettin felt it should have been more.

“It’s two points dropped, without a shadow of a doubt,” said the Stones boss, with the club on their longest unbeaten start to a season in 16 years.

“I thought first half was the best we’d played all season.

“We didn’t take advantage of that, especially balls in and around the six-yard box at the far post.”

Concord overturned a 1-0 deficit to lead 2-1 before Roberts - just booked for handling outside his area - took out Christie Pattisson and saw red in the 65th minute.

Left-back Payne volunteered to take the gloves and killed as much time as possible - much to the crowd’s frustration - before Corne’s leveller.

“It was definitely a red - there’s no debating that - and I think there was a penalty not given as well,” said Hayrettin.

“Rightly so, they’ve gone down to 10 men and they’re time-wasting, doing what they needed to do and I think the referee needs to have a closer look at that.

“We huffed and puffed, we should have done better with our chances and we paid the price, not because we didn’t deserve to win, I just don’t think we were clinical enough in the final third today.

“But the team we’ve got and the spirit we’ve got, we’ll always fight, we’ll always go to the death, we’ve got some good players, players that can make things happen, and I’m proud of them because they didn’t give up.

"We should have got the win at the death but it is what it is, we’re still unbeaten and we’ll continue what we’re doing.”

While Hayrettin described the players as a credit, he was far from impressed with the goals they conceded.

He wasn’t convinced referee Joel Mannix should have awarded the free-kick for Daniel Green’s equaliser, although Tom Hadler should have saved it, while Concord’s second, to go 2-1 up, came on the counter.

“I think we’ve got to have a close look at the way we conceded those two goals,” said Hayrettin.

“He’s given a foul, which I’d like to see if it was a foul or not.

“I think Tom’s got to do better with that - he’s done ever so well for us recently - and the second goal we’ve got to get tighter, they just caught us on the hop.”

Read more: The latest sports news in Kent

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