Weekly News Round-Up December 20th 2005
Fantastic win for The First Team, away at Thanet Wanderers, to kick off the second half of their League Campaign. This result lifts the club to 3rd from bottom, on equal points with Thanet and within 1 point of a further 2 sides. A win on January 7th at Sidcup would really start to consolidate Maidstone’s return to form and help to move the club away from the threat of relegation. On the evidence of the Thanet game, Maidstone are surely too good to go down.
Once again, The Mustangs were let down by a late-ish cry-off, this time from Old Colfeians III, who couldn’t raise a side at home to face Maidstone. In fairness, Colfes look heavily over-stretched with their 1s playing in London 1, Their IIs playing in the Canterbury Shield, their IIIs in Invicta League and their IVs playing in Mid Kent A, so it was not entirely surprising. Once again, the Mustangs move up the table without playing a match. At least the Mustangs should get a good run–out on New Year’s Eve when they are scheduled to play as a Maidstone XV against an Ashford XV.
Maidstone III despatched Aylesford 3rds 24-10 in the Mid Kent A division, a result that wasn’t too unexpected after having nearly accounted for Aylesford II in a friendly, the week before. The Dream Team head into the second half of the season unbeaten in their League.
Maidstone IV took the field under the captaincy of Monty for the last time, in a Mid- Kent C League match against a pretty good Aylesford 5th side who have been victims of their own success in previous seasons by gaining promotion and having now to play some pretty tough opponents in the League. With the brothers Yates in the second row and the brothers Lee in the back row (not to mention cousin Simon Lee scoring 2 tries) Maidstone never looked like losing. Man of the match though was hooker Peter Gray, who not only did all the place kicking but also pulled of and converted an amazing try after hoisting a highly implausible Garryowen to by-pass the Aylesford defence and to then touch-down the fumbled catch. Didn’t know he had it in him !! The 4s have played some great rugby this year despite the changes in Leadership they have experienced and under the highly enthusiastic new leadership of Tony Lee can now look forward to an exciting 2nd half of the season, (especially if the Lee family fan-club continues to turn up every week to cheer them on.)
Meanwhile, down on the bottom pitch, shielded from the view of all but the most partisan supporters, a war of attrition took place between the B XV and Maidstone Vets for the annual Peter McCabe Memorial Trophy. Not much news has escaped regarding the events of the afternoon except to report that age and experience triumphed over energy and endeavour to enable the Veterans to prevail once again. However, watch this space as it could be a different story when the fresh legs of the 4th team are added to those of the 5ths to confront the Vets on New Year’s Eve. Will this be a bridge too far for Glyn’s old soldiers ? Don’t miss the next exciting episode at the Mote.
Speaking of Veterans, the idea has been suggested that Maidstone should enter a team into next year’s Evergreen Cup Competition, (for players over 35). One thing we are not short of at Maidstone is players over 35 and bearing in mind how dominant our 3rd team have been in recent years, stuffed as it is with grizzled old die-hards from Maidstone’s illustrious past, it would be fascinating to see if they could re-capture some of the pre-eminence of former years by excelling in this competition.
Meanwhile, best wishes for Christmas and the New Year to all at Maidstone FC.
RE