Maidstone United (Hive) The Infinity Stones Match Thread

[Bee_Forever]

So..... Saturday sees the bees taking on Maidstone United in the FA Trophy.

This is a bittersweet return to the competition for us after a swelled away following watched us collapse at Gateshead in the Semi last year. The absence of Kabamba and De Havilland was keenly felt and despite Deano's protestations that they were not fit (they played two days later), this remains one of the few blemishes on his managerial reign.

Maidstone have kept on rocking in the new world as they have ascended to 2nd in NLS with 12 points from their last 15, and will be hoping to be in a position to be relegated from the National League in the 2024/5 season. While the stones go up and down more often than Boris Johnson's pants while visiting the secretary pool, they are a very enjoyable away trip with Barnet connections so I wish them well for the season.

The original Maidstone United went to the wall in the 90s and the new club Maidstone Invicta only took on the United name in 1995 after reforming. There were a slew of clubs who went to the wall in the last 30 years before being snapped back in to existence faster than you can say infinity gauntlet. This just goes to show that the clubs are about the fans and the fans will save them. We had our own moment in the 90s but thankfuly the KBA stepped in and with the power of the Barnet faithful kept the club going. Maidstone now boast Gavin Hurt (sorry Hoyte) and Reiss Gangreenidge as well as Mike Pet-rescue (petrasso). All were oustanding players on the one game a season they were fit and clearly they have got a physio with the healing powers of Dr Strange to keep them fit on the plastic abomination at the Gallagher stadium.

And what of Barnet. With the Newport replay looming with the enticing possibility of McCallum FC in the 3rd round I am going to go against my usual view on the trophy and suggest rotation. We have a big squad of good players and it is time we used it and gave players who need a break, a well earned rest. There is a risk we may exit the trophy but the rewards outweigh this in my view. While clearly there is a risk of loss of momentum I am more worried about a loss of Kabamba so I would go:-

----------------------------------------Walker--------------------------------------

-------------------Revan--------------Oluwu----------------Potter---------------

---Hall-Johnson----------Gorman-------------Armstrong-----------Coker-----

-------------------Brunt-------------Hooper----------Stead----------------------

Subs: Happy, Collinge, Kabamba, Kanu, Pritchard

I am doing this one, hoping we progress if we can against tricky opposition.

COYBS

[becbee]

I'm all for your team and your thought process behind it but I'd be surprised if Deano sees it your way.

[antbfc]

Totally agree. DB got this very wrong last season so be interesting to see if he has learnt from it.

Game for our squad and those who need minutes, there is still enough quality there to win the game. FA Cup and league must be the priority.

[ETBee]

Looks like there will be more people on the pitch than in the stands!

[Tickets]

226 home
54 away

[PBBee]

226 home
54 away

Oh dear

[djhdjh]

Totally agree. DB got this very wrong last season so be interesting to see if he has learnt from it.

Game for our squad and those who need minutes, there is still enough quality there to win the game. FA Cup and league must be the priority.

If last season's FA Trophy run was so wrong why do you even want us to win the game?

I'm all for rotating players through the next few games. But this narrative that last year's FA Trophy run was a bad thing is just sad, and misrepresents why we lost the play-off game as it's not like we ran out of legs, we just got sucker punched and missed our chances.

I hope I never forget the joy in the stands after we got through against Maidstone or the excitement of the comeback at Gateshead as we got the closest that we have to Wembley in at least a quarter of a century.

[11bee717]

226 home
54 away

Unreal

[Tuesds]

Yeah, Brennan very much got the Trophy run right last year until the semi-final, when he didn’t.

[becbee]

You will never get 100% agreement on this. IMO I'd have preferred 3 points at Torquay to our FAT win against them 8 days earlier. I'd have also have preferred 3 points at York instead of watching the exhausted and indifferent performance we got there 2 days after the Gateshead match.

Nobody is right or wrong here, it's just opinions.

[mike_p]

226 home
54 away

I'll be there. Looking forward to it. It's what Saturday afternoons are for.
Forecast is for 40mph winds, so should be interesting.

[foxy]

Good work Cranners!

[becbee]

Solihull played at Scunthorpe tonight, 124 miles - they only took 29 supporters.

[jerroll]

Solihull played at Scunthorpe tonight, 124 miles - they only took 29 supporters.

And they are 2 clubs!

[hoppy]

226 home
54 away

I'll be there. Looking forward to it. It's what Saturday afternoons are for.
Forecast is for 40mph winds, so should be interesting.

The predicted wind is a westerly, so a cross-field wind. Hopefully the Legends stand will help to diminish the strength of the wind.