Maidstone FA Cup hero had to work during fifth round draw as non-Leaguers dream
Lamar Reynolds watched Sunday’s FA Cup fifth round draw doing his day job as a social care worker who looks after young adults with autism.
And while one of Maidstone’s heroes would love to have been alongside his team-mates when the National League South side learned of their next opponents, Sheffield Wednesday or Coventry away, there was zero chance he was taking a day off work.
“No rest for me,” Reynolds said. And he would have it no other way. A 28-year-old journeyman born in Jamaica but brought up in Barking, he scored Maidstone’s first goal and assisted the second in one of the great FA Cup shocks.
As the big clubs angle for changes to the format, Maidstone are providing the perfect antidote to elitism. They have already banked close to £500,000 and will earn another £85,000 when their next tie is shown on terrestrial TV.
That will be used to install a new pitch at their stadium because the current artificial surface must be replaced. They might even get new toilets. Transformative money, then, that can seem like spare change for those keen on diminishing the Cup.
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Yet on a remarkable afternoon at Portman Road, it was the human side that stood out. A triumph for the ordinary man, a victory to inspire every non-League team.
Off the pitch Reynolds can be found behind the wheel of a minivan transporting people with support needs around east London - and on Sundays he brings them to watch local events such as wrestling or basketball. “They’re just young lads who want to enjoy themselves,” he said.
On Saturday he did a fine job of bringing joy to the 4,472 Maidstone supporters who travelled to Ipswich with high hopes, low expectations and departed with an experience they are unlikely to have again.
The Stones may be part-time, training three mornings a week before the players head off to work, but manager George Elokobi’s attention to detail means they possess a full-time attitude. Last week they rented a grass pitch for training and the coaching staff measured it out to the exact dimensions of Portman Road’s surface.
George Elokobi salutes the 4,472 Maidstone supporters. (PA)Such meticulous preparation went a long way to explaining their defensive resolve – although Ipswich’s finishing was occasionally dismal. Yet both Maidstone goals came from some individual brilliance and it would be a huge disservice to explicitly put their victory down to good fortune.
Reynolds’ was his first of the season and it will take some doing for him to score one as special as the chip over Christian Walton’s head. Was it worth the wait? “Most definitely,” he said. “I’d wait another ten seasons for that scenario again. It was amazing.”
It was also planned the night before in the hotel room he shared with assist-maker Liam Sole. “We said that we’d score and assist each other. Then we came out and… it just happened. Initially I thought of a different type of finish but not a lot of people will be in a position like that to express themselves. I went for it and it turned out to be a pretty good goal.”
Sam Corne celebrates at full-time. (Michael Zemanek/REX/Shutterstock)The winner was rather impressive, too, as Reynolds turned provider by playing in Sam Corne, who also scored the third round winner against Stevenage and works as an academy coach at Welling. In the moment Reynolds was thankful he had company on the counter because he was out of fuel, unable to run much farther.
“I thought I was alone but then I saw Sam bursting through,” he added. “I was happy because I was knackered. I had to play him the ball, he took a great touch and smashed it into the bottom corner.”
With that their place in the fifth round was booked. “The last 16, imagine that,” Reynolds said, shaking his head as reality sank in.
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