Stevenage make the 144-mile round trip to Gallagher Stadium for a third-round FA Cup tie with non-league Maidstone United…
Last year’s FA Cup third round was one for the ages from a Stevenage point of view, as the side overcame Premier League Aston Villa at Villa Park in a memorable 2-1 victory.
This season, the journey to the third round has been far from simple, firstly defeating Tranmere Rovers in a 4-3 classic at The Lamex Stadium. The second round saw Boro welcome Port Vale to Hertfordshire, but a 1-1 draw led to a replay the following week at Vale Park.
The replay was also a thriller, as Stevenage scored a 96th minute equaliser, and then a 119thminute equaliser in extra time to take the game to penalties. Taye Ashby-Hammond’s two saves were the difference-makers in the shootout as Boro booked their place in the third round.
The Opposition
Maidstone United reached the first round of the FA Cup this season with three away victories over Steyning Town, Winchester City and Torquay United in the qualifying rounds. It was another non-league club, Chesham United, that the Stones overcame in the first round proper to set up a tie with League Two Barrow in the second round.
The Football League opposition took the lead inside twenty minutes, but goals from Sam Corne and Bivesh Gurung completed a 2-1 comeback in Kent as the Stones reached the third round of the FA Cup for the first time since the club’s reformation in 1992.
Maidstone play their football in the National League South after suffering relegation from the fifth tier last season. They currently sit in fourth place after winning 12 of their first 25 league games as they look for a return to the National League.
Their top scorer this season is 23-year-old Levi Amantchi with 13 goals in 20 league appearances so far. He is currently enjoying the best goalscoring form of his career but is yet to have played in the Football League.
The Manager
George Elokobi was appointed caretaker manager of Maidstone in January 2023 before being named the permanent boss in March. Prior to that, he played 55 games for the Stones before retiring as a player. Throughout his playing career, he appeared at centre-back for the likes of Wolves in the Premier League, Nottingham Forest, Colchester and Leyton Orient.
The Stadium
Gallagher Stadium has been home to Maidstone United since it opened in 2012. The ground has a capacity of 4,200 (792 seated), with a record attendance of 4,175 being set in May 2022. One of the most noticeable features of the ground is its 3G artificial pitch, which will be a new concept for Stevenage when they arrive tomorrow.
Officials
Stephen Martin has been appointed Match Referee for tomorrow’s game, with Mark Dwyer and Robert Merchant as his Assistants, and Craig Hicks as Fourth Official. Martin has dished out 71 yellow cards and two reds in 12 EFL games this season.
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