MATCH PREVIEW: Chippenham Town vs Maidstone United | National League South | Saturday 24th August 2024

Harry Minton previews our home game against last seasons FA Cup fifth round participants

This weekend, Chippenham Town take on Maidstone United at Hardenhuish Park, as both teams will look to have good seasons. Last season, The Stones suffered playoff heartbreak in the semi-finals, losing to eventual runners-up Worthing by 2 goals to 1. The Bluebirds will look to improve on our 12th-place finish in the National League South last term after gaining momentum towards the end of the campaign. We were unbeaten in our final four home games, which included two wins and two hard-fought draws. In that unbeaten run, we would beat two playoff-finishing sides in Worthing and Chelmsford.

Both Chippenham and Maidstone have had similar starts to the season. Despite tasting defeat in our first two games of the season, 2-1 at home to Farnborough and 2-0 at Dorking Wanderers The Bluebirds can take solace in those defeats against top opposition by looking at the form guides of those opponents. Farnborough are, as of right now, the only team in the division to have kept their 100% record start to the season. Boro are also unbeaten in their last eight league away games, the last being in January. Dorking too are somewhat of a bogey side away from home, with Chippenham failing to ever take a point away against the Wanderers.

We then got our season up and running on Tuesday night with a 2-0 win away at Weymouth. The Terras have yet to get off the mark themselves so far this year. Luke Spokes and Will Dawes were on the scoresheet in that one, with the latter getting his first goal as a Bluebird.

Meanwhile, Maidstone would get off to the perfect start in their campaign, winning 1-0 away at St Albans City to secure their first win there since 2016. However, they then followed that up with a disappointing 2-1 defeat at home to Truro City. This would be the first defeat for the Stones against the Cornish club at home in their entire history.

The Tinners themselves have had a decent start to the season, picking up four points from three games. Most recently, George Elokobi’s side played out a 0-0 draw at the Gallagher Stadium against Hampton and Richmond Borough, who have yet to pick up a win so far this season.

Looking at the head-to-head between these two sides, it is the visitors who come out on top with four wins against Chippenham to two wins for the Bluebirds, with one draw in Kent in 2019. The last meeting between the two teams was just before Christmas last year, in a 1-0 win for Chippenham Town at the Gallagher Stadium thanks to a stunner from Jake Evans.

However, our last win against the Stones before that and the only win at Hardenhuish Park was back in February 2020, in a dramatic 1-0 win, with now Stones boss George Elokobi being sent off for a foul on George Rigg. Luke Haines would score the winner in a battle in the elements that saw two Stones men shown red cards and Scott Twine have a penalty saved.

Maidstone are set to reunite with a familiar face in Matt McClure. The former EFL forward spent time with the Stones during the 2019/2020 season, where he netted eight goals for the club in a season that had to be cut short due to COVID. He is a player to watch out for this Maidstone side; he was our top scorer last season with 12 goals in all competitions.

As for a player to watch for the away side, you have to look at the attacking options once again, with Shaq Coulthirst up front for Maidstone from Ebbsfleet United.

The striker spent last season out on loan at the National League South playoff winners Braintree Town, where he scored 11 goals. A good replacement for Matt Rush, who scored ten goals for the club last season after signing from Aveley, earning him a move to newly relegated National League side Sutton United.

It’s set to be a great game this weekend at Hardenhuish Park between two teams who have optimistic aspirations this season. Of course both teams have proved their exploits against higher league opposition in recent times in the FA Cup.

Chippenham Town in the 22/23 season beat League One outfit Lincoln City at home in the first round before getting knocked out in a 6-1 defeat away at Burton Albion. And last season Maidstone grabbed the headlines in the FA Cup, beating 3 EFL teams as they reached the fifth round. Along the way they took down Barrow 2-1, Stevenage by a goal to nil thanks to a Sam Corne penalty, and even beat now top flight club Ipswich Town 2-1 at Portman Road, which was a huge result for Elokobi’s side, before eventually getting knocked out to semi-finalists Coventry City 5-0 at the CBS Arena.

Both sides do have lots of quality, with Chippenham Town looking for their first win against the Stones at home in four years and looking to back up their win away on Tuesday night. Maidstone are looking to get back to winning ways for the first time since the opening day this season. This game is set to be an enthralling encounter at Chippenham Town on Saturday.

For more information regarding tickets, please see our match info article.