Chelmsford City 0 Maidstone United 0 match report: Stones miss out on top spot in National League South after goalless draw at 10-man Clarets

Maidstone missed the chance to go top of National League South after being held to a draw by 10-man Chelmsford.

The Stones played the entire second half with an extra player after Jordan Greenidge - brother of Stones defender Reiss - saw red for kicking out at Temi Eweka before the break.

Victory would have sent them top, at least for 24 hours, but they couldn’t break down a Clarets side who deserved their point.

They have moved up from fifth to second, however, trailing Boreham Wood on goal difference.

Maidstone made four changes to the side beaten by Worthing two days earlier with Reiss Greenidge, Jordan Higgs, Ricardo German and Baylin Johnson named in the starting XI.

Raphe Brown, Tayt Trusty, Shad Coulthirst and Sol Wanjau-Smith were the players to make way.

Defender Greenidge found himself up against brother Jordan for the third time in two seasons but the battle was over before half-time after the City striker’s red card, catching the grounded Eweka in the head.

That happened five minutes before the break in what was otherwise an uneventful first half.

The conditions played a large part in that with Maidstone playing into a swirling wind.

It was difficult for them to get over the halfway line at times, while Chelmsford had the opposite problem of seeing overhit balls run through to Stones keeper Alexis Andre Jr.

United dealt effectively with City in that goalless first half, restricting them to one long-range effort on target from Jake Hyde.

For Maidstone, it was a case of staying in the game against the wind and trying to make the most of their limited opportunities to play in City’s half.

Aaron Blair had the Stones’ only effort of the half, picking up the ball in midfield and driving forward before firing wide