Maidstone United KYL U14 travelled to Kent United FC’s Efes Stadium on 28 September 2025 for a 12:30pm kick-off in a crucial away fixture. The 70-minute contest plus added time saw Maidstone United secure a commanding 4-0 victory over Kent United U14, showcasing clinical finishing and solid defensive organisation.
Maidstone United lined up in a 4-2-1-3 formation, as we welcomed back our number 1 Ollie Higginson in goal. The defensive line consisted of Blake Vince at right back, Liam Rich who fulfilled the role as captain and Tommy Monaghan as central defenders, and Max Carney on the left. In midfield, Rylee Rodgers and Tosan Okomi operated as the two central midfielders, with Bernie Farley playing just ahead as the attacking midfielder. The front three featured Zane Clements on the right, Zaph Kouassi leading the line as striker, and Sawyer Booth on the left. The substitutes available were Tank Evans, Harrison Smith, and Bertie Hayward. Some of the squad continued to carry injuries as Danny Lowe recovers from tonsillitis and team captain Eddie Ambrose sustaining a knee injury. Eddie and Cruz Robinson were in attendance as the squad aim to chalk up another win for Danny.
From the outset, Maidstone United showed intent. Within the first minute, Zaph Kouassi tested the Kent goalkeeper with a shot that was well saved. Immediately following, Zane Clements delivered a precise slide rule pass in the second minute, quickly followed by a long pass from Rylee Rodgers that created a clear chance, signalling Maidstone’s attacking threat early on.
Sawyer Booth attempted a shot in the third minute but sent it high over the bar. Defensively, Bernie Farley was alert, winning a header in the fourth minute, while Liam Rich blocked an effort and Tommy Monaghan intercepted a pass in the fifth minute, demonstrating Maidstone’s defensive solidity. Max Carney’s attempt in the sixth minute drifted wide, but just two minutes later he made amends by scoring a spectacular goal directly from a corner kick with his left foot, giving Maidstone the lead.
Bernie Farley continued to be influential, having a shot saved in the ninth minute and then making an interception and clearance shortly after. Tosan Okomi’s tackling and defensive work came to the forefront in the twelfth minute, followed by Max Carney winning a header in the thirteenth. Rylee Rodgers flicked a key pass in the fourteenth minute, creating another chance, although Sawyer Booth’s subsequent attempt went wide.
Tommy Monaghan contributed defensively with a header in the eighteenth minute. Zaph Kouassi’s slide rule pass in the twentieth minute set up further attacking opportunities. Rodgers’ shot in the twenty-second minute was saved, but Kouassi continued to create chances with another slide rule pass in the twenty-fourth minute, which led to a saved attempt from Zane Clements.
At the 27th minute mark, Maidstone made a double substitution, bringing Tank Evans on for Bernie Farley and Harrison Smith replacing Sawyer Booth, injecting fresh legs into the side. Just two minutes later, Kouassi converted a penalty with his right foot, doubling Maidstone’s advantage.
Harrison Smith quickly made an impact, providing a slide rule pass in the thirty-first minute. The first half concluded with Maidstone firmly in control. At half-time, the score stood at 2-0.
The second half began with Maidstone continuing their dominance. Kouassi scored again at the thirty-fifth minute, heading home a close-range goal from a corner delivered by Max Carney. Tommy Monaghan then provided a slide rule pass in the thirty-seventh minute, and Kouassi nearly added a fourth when his shot hit the crossbar a minute later.
Harrison Smith’s attempt in the fortieth minute went high, but Tosan Okomi’s defensive header at the same time helped maintain the clean sheet. Okomi then scored a superb goal in the forty-first minute, finishing from outside the box with his right foot after an assist from Zane Clements, extending Maidstone’s lead to 4-0.
Shortly before the forty-fourth minute, Maidstone made two substitutions: Bernie Farley returned to the pitch replacing Rylee Rodgers, and Sawyer Booth came back on for Zane Clements. Blake Vince cleared a danger in the same minute, and Farley delivered two long passes at the forty-fifth minute, keeping the pressure on Kent United.
Tosan Okomi continued his defensive work with an interception and a tackle in the forty-sixth and forty-seventh minutes respectively. Max Carney’s long pass in the forty-eighth minute created another chance, although Kouassi’s shot went wide and Farley’s effort was saved. Booth’s attempt also went wide shortly after.
In the fifty-third minute, Maidstone made further changes with Rylee Rodgers replacing Blake Vince and Zane Clements coming on for Kouassi. Both players were involved in the flow of the game as Maidstone maintained their attacking momentum, with Tank showing his engine keeping the intensity in the midfield battles.
At the fifty-seventh minute, Okomi and Farley combined with slide rule passes, demonstrating excellent interplay. Bertie Hayward, returned to the pitch after long term illness to replace Tommy Monaghan in the fifty-ninth minute, and Liam Rich’s long pass in the sixty-first minute created another opportunity. Rich also made crucial defensive contributions with a tackle, header, and block between the sixty-first and sixty-fourth minutes.
Hayward after bravely putting a shift in was substituted off for Monaghan again at the sixty-fourth minute. Attempts by Rodgers and Booth in the mid-sixties were off target, but Maidstone’s attacking threat remained constant. Max Carney’s slide rule pass at the seventieth minute set up a chance that Booth saw saved, and Zane Clements’ effort went wide in the seventy-first minute.
Throughout the match, Maidstone United’s tactical discipline and attacking verve were evident. Their 4-2-1-3 formation allowed for a balanced approach, with solid defensive coverage from the back four and midfielders, while the front three and attacking midfielder combined effectively to create and convert chances.
Maidstone United KYL U14’s comprehensive 4-0 victory at Kent United FC’s Efes Stadium was a testament to their clinical finishing, defensive resilience, and tactical execution, securing their progression in the league with confidence and style. Max Carney was awarded man of the match with his impressive display both defensively and as an attacking figure.
