Leahy strikes late as Maidstone end barren run and stay top

Monday 12 October 2026 · By Roger Ashenden

Maidstone United are back to winning ways and still top of the Enterprise National League South. Craig Fagan’s side won 2–1 at Horsham on Saturday, with Tom Leahy scoring the winner in the 87th minute to end a run of three games without a victory.

Nana Boateng put the Stones ahead from the penalty spot on 22 minutes, his second penalty in successive matches. Horsham hit back straight after half-time through Charlie Hester-Cook, and for a long time it looked as though the points would be shared. But with three minutes left, Jack Brivio’s weak back-header fell to Leahy, who made no mistake.

It was Maidstone’s first win since 8 September, when Leahy also scored the winner, that time against Tonbridge Angels. Before Saturday they had lost back-to-back league games against Braintree Town and Truro City and gone out of the FA Cup after a replay, before a blank weekend on 3 October.

Fagan believes that break made the difference. He told KentOnline that the free Saturday gave his players six training sessions to “recap”, and he admitted: “If this was maybe two weeks ago, we end up losing that game.”

The Maidstone boss also took the chance to correct a common assumption about his squad. “Everybody says we’re full-time – we’re not a full-time team,” he said. “I’m sick of hearing it.”

Full-time or not, the numbers are impressive. Maidstone have 22 points from 11 games, with seven wins, one draw and three defeats, and they are a point clear of Salisbury, Billericay Town and Truro City. They have scored 20 league goals and conceded 12. Their away record is particularly strong, with five wins and one defeat from six games on the road. Their last five league results read won, won, lost, lost, won.

The Stones will be at home this weekend, when Maidenhead United visit on Saturday 17 October. With Salisbury and Truro both in FA Cup action that day, a win would give Fagan’s side the chance to open up a bigger gap at the top. Maidenhead are 16th and lost 1–0 at home to Tonbridge on Saturday, but they won 4–0 at Chesham United in their previous away game, so they will not be easy opponents.

After that comes a trip to Torquay United on Saturday 24 October, and then a Kent derby at home to Ebbsfleet United on Tuesday 27 October. Ebbsfleet are unbeaten in the league and have games in hand, so that midweek meeting already looks like one of the fixtures of the autumn.

Saturday’s result was not spectacular, but it may prove important. Maidstone had started to wobble, and the late winner at Horsham showed that they still have the resilience that took them to the top. Fagan will hope it marks the start of another strong run.