Post by dbbn on Jan 21, 2024 13:53:55 GMT
Match Preview
Tuesday 23 January 2024
Vanarama National League South
Maidstone United v Braintree Town
It’s a trip to Kent and the Gallagher Stadium to face fourth placed Maidstone United for the Iron on Tuesday evening, it’s the reverse fixture of our second home game of the season.
George Elokobi’s Stones have been rolling along quite nicely this season and will be looking at the play-offs as a must. They are sixteen points off pacesetters Yeovil Town at the top of the League so are unlikely to grab the automatic promotion spot back to the National League they were relegated from last season. To date their record is P 28 W13 D 7 L 8 GF 40 GA 35 Points 46.
At home it’s P 12 W 8 D 2 L 2 GF 20 GA 8 Points 26. The only teams to win at the Gallagher Stadium this season are Aveley (0-1) and Chippenham Town (0-1). Their home record shows that they are hard to score against with only eight conceded compared to twenty seven on their travels.
The big story so far for the Stones this season is their FA Cup journey which has seen them overcome six sides so far and earn themselves a 4th Round tie at Ipswich Town next Saturday and they remain the only team from non-league in the competition. The first four ties were all played away from home beating Steyning (0-4), Winchester (0-2), Torquay United (0-2) and Chesham United (0-2). Then came home ties with EFL clubs where Barrow were beaten two-one and then Stevenage one-nil.
The F A Trophy started with a one-nil away win at Dartford before being beaten four-nil at Barnet.
Leading scorers for the Stones are Levi Amantchi, the former Iron forward had netted twenty times before his move to Bromley just before Christmas. Another Iron player from last season finding the net regularly is Matt Rush, his early exploits at Aveley have seen him score eight for the Stones to add to the six he had already bagged and new signing Mo Faal has joined from strugglers Havant & Waterlooville, having scored eight for the Hawks he netted his first for Maidstone in their two-one defeat at Slough last Saturday.
The earlier meeting between the two sides this season was on 15 August 2023. Sam Bone opened the scoring for the visitors in the twenty ninth minute with a left footed drive from outside the box which went in off the post. Braintree levelled early in the second half with a header from Harry Beadle meeting Tom Blackwell’s cross from the left at the far post. It was another former Iron player, Sam Corner who would then secure the points for Maidstone when he hooked home a cross from the right, in off the bar. Highlights here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6q_6oWE4kY
The Iron’s last win at Maidstone was on 19 January 2021when an Arjanit Krasniqi goal and an own goal from Scott Rendell, both in the first half, gave the Iron all three points. Highlights here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zSwU-FHhh8
Two successive home postponements for the Iron have seen them slip to thirteenth place in the VNLS table, five points adrift of seventh placed Aveley. With wins on the road in short supply, this will be a stern test of Braintree’s resolve and play-off aspirations
Tuesday 23 January 2024
Vanarama National League South
Maidstone United v Braintree Town
It’s a trip to Kent and the Gallagher Stadium to face fourth placed Maidstone United for the Iron on Tuesday evening, it’s the reverse fixture of our second home game of the season.
George Elokobi’s Stones have been rolling along quite nicely this season and will be looking at the play-offs as a must. They are sixteen points off pacesetters Yeovil Town at the top of the League so are unlikely to grab the automatic promotion spot back to the National League they were relegated from last season. To date their record is P 28 W13 D 7 L 8 GF 40 GA 35 Points 46.
At home it’s P 12 W 8 D 2 L 2 GF 20 GA 8 Points 26. The only teams to win at the Gallagher Stadium this season are Aveley (0-1) and Chippenham Town (0-1). Their home record shows that they are hard to score against with only eight conceded compared to twenty seven on their travels.
The big story so far for the Stones this season is their FA Cup journey which has seen them overcome six sides so far and earn themselves a 4th Round tie at Ipswich Town next Saturday and they remain the only team from non-league in the competition. The first four ties were all played away from home beating Steyning (0-4), Winchester (0-2), Torquay United (0-2) and Chesham United (0-2). Then came home ties with EFL clubs where Barrow were beaten two-one and then Stevenage one-nil.
The F A Trophy started with a one-nil away win at Dartford before being beaten four-nil at Barnet.
Leading scorers for the Stones are Levi Amantchi, the former Iron forward had netted twenty times before his move to Bromley just before Christmas. Another Iron player from last season finding the net regularly is Matt Rush, his early exploits at Aveley have seen him score eight for the Stones to add to the six he had already bagged and new signing Mo Faal has joined from strugglers Havant & Waterlooville, having scored eight for the Hawks he netted his first for Maidstone in their two-one defeat at Slough last Saturday.
The earlier meeting between the two sides this season was on 15 August 2023. Sam Bone opened the scoring for the visitors in the twenty ninth minute with a left footed drive from outside the box which went in off the post. Braintree levelled early in the second half with a header from Harry Beadle meeting Tom Blackwell’s cross from the left at the far post. It was another former Iron player, Sam Corner who would then secure the points for Maidstone when he hooked home a cross from the right, in off the bar. Highlights here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6q_6oWE4kY
The Iron’s last win at Maidstone was on 19 January 2021when an Arjanit Krasniqi goal and an own goal from Scott Rendell, both in the first half, gave the Iron all three points. Highlights here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zSwU-FHhh8
Two successive home postponements for the Iron have seen them slip to thirteenth place in the VNLS table, five points adrift of seventh placed Aveley. With wins on the road in short supply, this will be a stern test of Braintree’s resolve and play-off aspirations