Ipswich Town vs Maidstone Utd. The FA Cup Fourth Round.
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Report as non-League Maidstone United stun Championship side Ipswich Town; Lamar Reynolds gives the National League club a first-half lead; Jeremy Sarmiento levels for Ipswich in the second half but Sam Corne nets winner; FA Cup fifth-round draw takes place on Sunday from 2.10pm
Sunday 28 January 2024 07:09, UK
Maidstone United produced one of the biggest FA Cup shocks of all time to reach the fifth round with a 2-1 victory at Portman Road to stun Championship high-flyers Ipswich Town.
The National League South club, who sit 98 places below Ipswich, made history by becoming the first side outside of the top five tiers to progress this far in the competition since Blyth Spartans in 1978, having entered in the second-round qualifying.
Ipswich hit the woodwork three times in the first half as the Stones rode their luck before Lamar Reynolds put the visitors ahead two minutes before half-time with their first shot, sending a superb chip over goalkeeper Christian Walton.
The hosts levelled early in the second half when Jeremy Sarmiento nestled a shot into the bottom left corner although Kieran McKenna's side were frustrated by 12 saves from Maidstone goalkeeper Lucas Covolan before Sam Corne struck the winner for the non-League club at the end of a counter-attack.
Maidstone had banked over £230k in prize money on their way to the fourth round and while they had already knocked out League Two and League One opposition, Ipswich were a step up in class.
McKenna made 10 changes from Monday's draw at fellow promotion hopefuls Leicester, but it was still one-way traffic early on. Brighton loanee Sarmiento hit the post from 25 yards and Omari Hutchinson's follow-up effort was saved by Covolan inside five minutes.
Hutchinson was in the thick of the action and struck the woodwork soon after before Brazilian stopper Covolan thwarted Cameron Humphreys.
An intriguing battle between Chelsea youngster Hutchinson and Covolan had already developed with his next left-footed effort parried wide.
This was all before the 15-minute mark and while Ipswich's relentless waves of attack momentarily calmed, Sam Morsy, Hutchinson and George Edmundson all squandered opportunities.
Sarmiento glided past one challenge and then another before his long-range strike deflected off Paul Appiah and flicked the top of the crossbar.
Sone Aluko was the next guilty party for Ipswich when he scuffed wide after Dominic Ball's mishit, but it still felt a matter of time before the opener arrived.
It duly did with 43 minutes played although astonishingly went to the non-League outfit. Maidstone broke from a corner and Sole produced a wonderful lofted pass through to Reynolds, who collected and sumptuously scooped over Walton with his left foot from 18 yards to spark pandemonium.
Ipswich had 78 per cent of possession and 18 shots in the first half and finally, they found a way through 11 minutes after the break when Jack Taylor found Sarmiento, who shot into the bottom corner.
Yet Maidstone hit back only 10 minutes later as Sarmiento gave away possession to Reynolds by the halfway line and the Stones scorer turned creator with a pass into Corne, who impressively held off Edmundson and rifled home from 12 yards with 24 minutes left.
McKenna watched Ipswich substitute Harry Clarke test Covolan before Wes Burns fired wide and Edmundson was then booked for simulation in the 76th minute after going down with Manny Duku nearby.
Ipswich pushed for one last chance and their big moment arrived with six minutes left, but Conor Chaplin's bundled effort was brilliantly tipped onto the crossbar by Covolan to ensure Maidstone progressed into the fifth round.
Maidstone manager George Elokobi told the BBC: "This is what it means to our community, it is all about us being together on days like this. It was up to the players to go out and enjoy competing against a fantastic Championship side.
"We had to be lucky in the first half but then we had to be resilient. And we knew they played so high, so can we catch them on the break if we played the right passes and had the runners behind?
"I doff my cap to our community, this is for Maidstone and again it's the magic of the FA Cup. We had to believe.
"Lucas was one of my last signings 48 hours before the league started. In games like this, big games, he commands the box and leads by example. He has kept us in so many games this season and that was exceptional. Amazing from him but exceptional performances from the entire group of players.
"There were a few tears. We have come to Ipswich, with their history, they are flying high in the Championship and for our group of players to be clapped off is amazing. History has been made here and back in my country, Cameroon, it is an inspirational moment for us all.
"Always believe there is hope and fate. Always stay humble and respectful and if you do that you can create a group like we have done.
"Our boys have run themselves into the ground and that is what we said, 'leave nothing in the changing room'. This binds us for life, what our boys are achieving right now. What our boys are achieving now has not been done over over 100 years. The magic of the FA Cup is very much alive."
Maidstone goalkeeper Lucas Covolan told the BBC: "It means a lot. I just want to thank my whole family, wife and everybody supporting us. My career in the last few years was not very good and now all the bad part comes in my head and we produce this. It's unreal.
"It's a normal day at the office! I had a great game. I am so happy I could help my team-mates. We are in the hat again and hopefully, I can get a move now to the Championship.
"What we have achieved is something unbelievable. To be in the last 16 teams in England it's brilliant. We kept fighting until the end, bodies on the line and everything."
Ipswich return to action at Preston in the Championship on Saturday; kick-off 3pm. The Tractor Boys then host West Brom on Saturday February 10, live on Sky Sports; kick-off 12.30pm.
Maidstone's next game is at home to Punjab United in the Kent Senior Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday; kick-off 7.45pm. George Elokobi's side then host Yeovil on Saturday in the National League South; kick-off 3pm.
