Maidstone United manager George Elokobi questions decision to rule out the first of Matt Rush’s two disallowed goals in 1-1 National League South draw with St Albans

George Elokobi was adamant the first of Matt Rush’s two disallowed goals should have stood in Maidstone’s draw with St Albans.

With the score at 1-1, Rush chested down George Fowler’s deep ball into the box and fired home but referee Lisa Benn felt he had handled.

The striker, making his first appearance since rejoining on loan from Sutton on Friday, had the ball in the net again in the final 10 minutes.

With fans unaware Reiss Greenidge’s initial shot had gone out of play, hitting the wheel on the base of the goal before coming back on, there was fury on the terraces when Rush’s latest effort was chalked off.

Stones boss Elokobi knew that was the correct call but couldn’t see why the earlier strike was disallowed.

“I thought Matt Rush scored a perfectly good goal,” he said.

“The second one came off the wheel of the post but the first one was a perfectly good goal and that was deemed handball.

“The officiating needs to be better.

“It was a good game, we shouldn’t be speaking about the officials.

“I don’t talk about officials but today was a poor showing in terms of where we are.

“There’s two good sides going at it here at the Gallagher Stadium and it’s important we don’t lose sight of that and make it about the officials.

“There were too many stoppages and not enough urgency to restart the game and this is just me saying it as it is.”

Report: Maidstone 1-1 St Albans

Antony Papadopoulos put Maidstone in front midway through the first half.

But they failed to build on the lead and were pegged back by Ken Charles’ second-half header before the late drama of the disallowed goals.

The Stones are 11 games unbeaten but have slipped a place to 12th in National League South, a point behind Tonbridge, who won at Weymouth.

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