Lamar Reynolds’s 43rd-minute goal has given National League South Maidstone United a 1-0 half-time lead over the Blues in the fourth round of the FA Cup at Portman Road.

Town boss Kieran McKenna made 10 changes with George Edmundson the only player remaining from Monday’s 1-1 Championship draw away against leaders Leicester City.

Christian Walton was in goal with Dominic Ball at right-back and Cameron Humphreys on the left with Axel Tuanzebe and Edmundson the centre-halves.

Skipper Sam Morsy returned in central midfielder alongside Jack Taylor with Omari Hutchinson and Jeremy Sarmiento, making his full Town debut, the widemen with Sone Aluko in the middle and Nathan Broadhead the out-and-out striker.

Town named a strong bench but with young striker Gerrard Buabo and keeper Cieran Slicker joining the likes of Wes Burns, Conor Chaplin, Leif Davis and Luke Woolfenden.

For Maidstone, the lowest-ranked side still in the competition with 4,800 fans in the Cobbold Stand, forward Jacob Berkeley-Agyepong returned to the side for the first time since the 1-0 victory over League One Stevenage in the last round and new signing Manny Duku starts.

Former Town defender George Fowler was also in the XI, while one-time Blues trialist Reiss Greenidge was on the bench.

As was to be expected, the Blues dominated from the off and in the second minute Hutchinson crossed from the right, Humphreys knocked back at the far post and Broadhead turned it against Fowler, the ball cannoning off the Wales international and out for a goalkick.

Four minutes later, Sarmiento went very close to his first Portman Road goal, the on-loan Brighton man hitting a low effort from distance which beat Stones keeper Lucas Covolan and struck his right post. The ball bounced out to Hutchinson on the edge of the box to the right but the Chelsea loanee’s rebound was too close to Covolan, who claimed.

It continued to be all Town and in the eighth minute, the Blues hit the woodwork again. Hutchinson cut in from the right and hit a shot which deflected off Sam Corne, wrong-footing Covolan but this time hit the keeper’s left post.

Maidstone made heavy weather of getting the ball clear and Edmundson was able to pick it up on the edge of the area but shot across the face and wide.

Broadhead should have made 1-0 in the 12th minute, Aluko threading it through for the Welshman, who found himself one-on-one with Covolan, but was thwarted by the keeper’s outstretched left leg.

Three minutes later, Hutchinson curled an effort from the edge of the box, which Covolan palmed wide with the game still one-way traffic. From the corner, Edmundson headed over.

On 17, Morsy shot from distance and Covolan pawed wide at his right post with the ball destined for the corner of the net.

Four minutes later, Aluko sent Hutchinson away down the right and the winger cut in and hit another shot, this time a deflection off Paul Appiah diverting it wide.

From the corner, Edmundson should have scored. The defender was given a free header six yards out at the far post, but the ball scuffed off his head and well wide.

Maidstone subsequently had a period of respite and even had a couple of forays forward but without too much concern for Town, before Sarmiento shot over on the turn from 20 yards in the 29th minute. Soon after, Walton had the ball in his hands for the first time after coming off his line to claim a through ball.

Morsy curled over left-footed in the 32nd minute as the Blues continued to look for their opening goal.

Three minutes later, Sarmiento brought the ball forward from inside the Town half before hitting a 20-yard shot which deflected off Appiah and over.

As the game passed the 40-minute mark, Town had two more chances to go in front. First, Sarmiento played in Humphreys on the left of the area, the youngster sending over a low cross which Taylor seemed destined to turn in until Broadhead with his back to goal intervened and hit an effort on the turn which was blocked.

The ball came out to Ball, who played a clever pass in for Aluko, who scuffed well wide from 10 yards out when the veteran should have scored.

Taylor hit another shot which deflected over in the 43rd minute and following the resultant flag-kick, the visitors went in front.

Maidstone broke quickly down the right and a superb ball from the right by Liam Sole played Lamar Reynolds in on goal with Town caught short of numbers at the back and the former Braintree man delicately clipped the ball over the advanced Walton to send the travelling support and bench wild, the players piling on top of one another on the touchline.

There was no time for Town to hit back before referee Anthony Taylor blew his whistle to a huge roar from the Stones fans.

The Blues had been hit by a sucker punch - Maidstone’s only serious attack of the game - having missed innumerable chances to go in front, although their attacks had lost something of their impetus the near the game had got towards half-time.

Town: Walton, Ball, Tuanzebe, Edmundson, Humphreys, Morsy (c), Taylor, Hutchinson, Aluko, Sarmiento, Broadhead. Subs: Slicker, Clarke, Woolfenden, Davis, Burns, Travis, Harness, Chaplin, Buabo.

Maidstone: Covolan, Hoyte (c), Fowler, Appiah, Berkeley-Agyepong, Corne, Duku, Reynolds, Kyprianou, Bone, Sole. Subs: Earle, Ezennolim, Greenidge, Court, Smith, Gurung, Iandolo. Referee: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire).

Photo: Matchday Images

Stato added 13:33 - Jan 27 Aluko off for Chaplin at half time ideally but probably have to wait for 60th min
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TimmyH added 13:34 - Jan 27 Shocking!...a mix of being unlucky, poor finishing and not really being at it and terrible defending for their goal. Get Ball and Aluko off.
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Gforce added 13:44 - Jan 27 0-1 down to Maidenhead utd ?
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