York City 4-1 Maidstone United: Shaq-trick helps Minstermen to big win

In a game where both sides were in need of a win to keep their hopes of avoiding relegation alive, it was Maidstone who struck first

In a game where both sides were in need of a win to keep their hopes of avoiding relegation alive, it was Maidstone who struck first.

Less than a minute had been played when Ryan Galvin played the ball into the box for star striker Jack Barham to slot home.

It was pretty much an instant reply from York, as they equalized through Shaqai Forde on six minutes. On loan from Watford until the end of the season, Forde had already netted on his first appearance, and he repeated the feat on his home debut too.

Lenell John-Lewis nodded it on to the young forward, and after the first attempt at goal was blocked, he cooly fired it in on the second try.

Moments later, a certain Yoan Zouma was put under pressure and forced to play a backpass to the Stones stopper Dan Barden, however his 30-yarder caught the 'keeper out and rolled home in humiliation.

Forde was back at it for York six minutes before half time, making it 3-1 with an exquisite slamming finish from a tight angle.

The Minstermen went in at the break full of confidence, and came back out that way too. It wasn't quite the goalfest that the first half was, but Forde managed to grab an impressive hat-trick on his home debut, dinking over the Maidstone 'keeper to complete the scoring.

Following on from the Minstermen's 2-2 draw away at Gateshead, just a sole adjustment was made to their starting eleven, as Shaqai Forde replaced Michael Duckworth.

Hakan Hayrettin made two changes to his Stones eleven, with Sam Corne and new signing Yoan Zouma coming into the lineup, as Jerome Binnom-Williams and Kodi Lyons-Foster dropped out due to injury.

Barely a minute had passed when Maidstone struck first blood, as a darting run down the left from Ryan Galvin gave him opportunity to cross into the box for Jack Barham to prod home past Ethan Ross and give the visitors a crucial early lead.

Alarm bells were certainly ringing for York, who hadn't seen the best of form against teams near the foot of the table this season - the worst possible start for them.

Popular midfielder Mitch Hancox didn't hesitate in having a pop a goal in a bid for an instant reply, but his strike from distance was deflected over the bar.

In fact, it wasn't long before the leveler came. Just five minutes after the opener has gone in, City were back on terms.

Frontman Lenell John-Lewis headed into the path of loanee Shaqai Forde, who made no mistake in slotting home after his original attempt had been blocked from within 12 yards. That wasn't at all a bad start from the young striker, boasting two goals in two games since joining from Watford.

Now it was the hosts who had the momentum - you couldn't write what happened next.

Yoan Zouma, the man who had put pen to paper with Maidstone a day earlier, was forced into playing a 30-yard pass back to 'keeper Dan Barden, but to his surprise, the Stones stopper had wandered off his line, and was in no position to be able to prevent Zouma's backpass from giving the Minstermen a lead from behind.

Three goals in the opening 10 minutes must have been pleasing for any neutrals, but maybe not so much for the Stones, for obvious reasons.

York's John-Lewis picked up the ball on the edge of the area on 23 minutes, with the action having cooled down a bit, but his effort was blasted into Row Z.

Nathan Thomas had been a bright spark of late for City, though his connection with Michael Duckworth's power cross wasn't the greatest, as the ball flew off him and into the side netting.

A rare Maidstone chance arose when captain Roarie Deacon made a move down the right - in the end, his deflected effort was an easy claim for Ross.

That half-chance might have been the lift that the Stones needed, as Galvin managed to beat his man on the left with a cheeky nutmeg, before pulling it back to a waiting Sha'mar Lawson, whose shot on the turn was driven just wide of the target.

Although the Stones were beginning to cause problems for their opponents, their short spell in the final third was soon abolished by a third goal for the Minstermen.

Yet again, it was 18-year-old Forde, who grabbed his second of the game in quite some style. Mitch Hancox threaded him through on the left of goal, and he only needed one touch to thunder it into the roof of the net from the tightest of angles.

A killer blow for Maidstone six minutes short of the break allowed City some breathing space, a situation which they aren't quite used to, having only scored three or more goals on one other occasion this season in the National League.

Barham, the early scorer for the away side, tried his luck in an attempt to regain a foothold in the game - his low strike through a flurry of bodies forced Ross to get down and turn the shot wide.

The resulting corner fell to Regan Booty on the edge of the box, and in trying a half-volley, sent a looping effort narrowly over the bar.

That was all for an action-packed first 45 minutes. The second wasn't to continue in the same manner.

Highlights of the opening 20 minutes of the second half were mostly substitutions, as things began to calm down slightly.

A crucial intervention from York defender Adam Crookes prevented Deacon from converting at point-blank range, in some incredible defensive efforts from the number 3.

Deacon was still very much alive in the match, and with nine minutes remaining, was in desperate need of a lifeline for the Kent outfit.

However, yet again, he failed to hit the target, as a first time hit from range ricocheted out for a corner, which was also cleared by City.

Less than a minute later, a ball in behind the dismantled visitors' defence was latched onto by Forde, who paced forward into an one-on-one with the 'keeper, before striking past Barden, with it taking a slight nick off the man between the sticks and looping into the net.

The finish from Forde not only sealed an emphatic 4-1 victory for the Minstermen, but it also made history, as the Watford-born forward became York City's youngest ever hat-trick scorer.

Four goals in two games will do no less than prove a point to manager David Webb, going into the remainder of the season.

York City: Ross, Fallowfield, Kouogun, Crookes, Hancox, Pybus, McLaughlin, Thomas (Sanders 78’), Forde (Whittle 88’), Hurst, John-Lewis (Duku 46’)

Subs not used: Whitley, Burgess

Goals: Forde (6’, 39’, 82’), Zouma OG (9’)

Maidstone United: Barden, Galvin, Ellul, Fowler, Corne (Odusanya 78’), Barham, Zouma, Booty, Ghandour (Fawole 58’), Deacon (C), Lawson (Wanjua-Smith 53’)

Subs not used: Pattisson, Mersin

Goals: Barham (2’)

Referee: Matt Corlett

Attendance: 3,832 (190 away)

Man of the Match: Shaqai Forde