Stones sunk in perfect home opener

City opened their Twerton Park campaign in perfect style this afternoon with a 3-0 win over Maidstone United. After an even and largely uneventful opening 40 minutes the game came to life in the closing stages of the half. On 40 minutes Ewan Clark sent Scott Wilson away and he crossed for Jordan Thomas to steer the ball home at the far post. Just two minutes later Thomas struck again from Clark’s stunning 40-yard cross-field ball. The visitors were gifted a way back into the game in the final minute of the half when Danny Greenslade was harshly adjudged to have fouled Wanjau-Smith just inside the box. However, the Stones striker saw his spot kick saved by Ollie Wright. And the keeper produced an even better stop moments later, turning the same player’s header onto the crossbar. The second 45 minutes rarely lived up to this breathless conclusion to the opening half but City capped a perfect afternoon three minutes into stoppage time. Cody Cooke did well to keep the ball in play and he set up Elliott Frear to cross for Tom Smith to fire the ball into the roof of the net.