Leahy Strike Settles A26 Derby as Maidstone United Edge Out Angels

Maidstone United: Tom Leahy (79')

A late goal from ex-Angel Tom Leahy gave leaders Maidstone United a narrow win at Longmead in Tuesday night's A26 derby, in what both managers agreed was a game Tonbridge Angels did enough to at least draw. The result stretches Maidstone's winning run to five matches and keeps them top of National League South, while Angels - who had won 4-0 at Farnborough only three days earlier - stay third.

Alan Dunne named an unchanged side, while Craig Fagan made just one change from the win over Weston-super-Mare, bringing Tom Leahy back into the XI in place of Jayden Davis - a switch that would prove decisive. It was Angels who dominated an even opening period, going close through Lamar Reynolds, Jephte Tanga, Ricky Korboa and Bailey Akehurst without finding a way past Lenny Holden. A Frankie Baker finish was ruled out for offside on 41 minutes, and Reynolds shot straight at Holden from a good position moments before half-time, by which point Maidstone were grateful to reach the break unscathed.

The second half was a more even affair, Maidstone's Riley Court forcing a save from Nathan Harness with a free-kick, before the game's only moment of real quality arrived on 79 minutes. Holden pushed a Lexus Beeden lob over his bar, then bowled the resulting corner out to Leone Gravata, who skipped past Sam Corne and slid the ball to Leahy. The forward, sold by Angels to Maidstone in the summer, took a touch and curled a left-footed finish beyond Harness. Leahy almost had a second ten minutes later when a drive crashed off the underside of the bar, and Angels pressed for an equaliser to the last kick, substitute Alfie Pavey heading over from an Akehurst corner in stoppage time.

"Congratulations to Maidstone," Dunne said afterwards. "It's tough to take because I don't think they deserved it and we deserved more, but in life and football you don't always get what you deserve. That's not to take anything away from them because they are a strong side and top of the table for a reason, but anyone who watched that game will be amazed at how we haven't scored because we've missed a hatful of chances. Overall I thought it was a great game which we dominated." Source: tonbridgeangels.co.uk