X reacts as Maidstone United pull off historic FA Cup upset against Ipswich Town

“Whatever the outcome,” Maidstone United’s enigmatic manager George Elokobi said, “we’re going to have a fantastic day.”

The 4,500 travelling Stones fans and every neutral watching on had an even better day as Elokobi’s side penned another chapter in their gripping FA Cup fairytale. The sixth-tier, semi-professional outfit went to Portman Road and twice took the lead against high-flying Championship side Ipswich Town, eventually clinging on to a famous 2-1 win.

Victory ensures that Maidstone are the lowest-ranked side to reach the fifth round of England’s oldest cup competition since Blyth Spartans in 1978.

Before the match had even kicked off, the eloquent Elokobi was capturing more hearts and minds with an impassioned speech to supporters.

As Ipswich predictably dominated possession, territory and chances, Lamar Reynolds speared through the hosts on a rare foray forward for Maidstone, bypassing Ipswich’s Christian Walton with an impudent dink that received rave reviews.

Ipswich’s mounting shot count hinted towards the 98 places that separate the two sides in the English football pyramid but Maidstone managed to hang on to their slender advantage until half-time.

Brighton loanee Jeremy Sarmiento fired Ipswich level in the second half but the Tractor Boys didn’t maintain parity for long.

Within ten minutes of the equaliser, Maidstone were back ahead. Sam Corne, a scorer in rounds two and three, capped off another ruthless forward surge three-quarters of the way through Saturday’s tie.

Most onlookers could scarcely believe the turn of events, although some with a vested interest pointed towards the rough handling of Sarmiento in the buildup to Corne’s finish.

The final 24 minutes plus stoppage time took an age to tick away.

Some took the interminable wait for the final whistle as a chance to gnaw at their fingernails. Others distracted themselves from the painful purgatory by reflecting on the circuitous careers of the history makers on the pitch.

If ever there was a result – and a performance – to play on the stereotypes of an FA Cup underdog upset, this was it.

As the three sharp parps of the referee’s whistle rang around the ground, players collapsed to the turf, some burst out in tears and Elokobi tried to extricate himself from a pile-on to shake hands with Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna. All will surely join celebrations that run deep into Saturday night.

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