Town’s FA Cup run came to an embarrassing end at the fourth round stage as National League South Maidstone United defeated the Blues 2-1 at Portman Road. The Kent side, 99 places and four divisions below Town, went in front via Lamar Reynolds’s goal two minutes prior to half-time, before the Blues levelled on 56 via Jeremy Sarmiento and from there looked set to go on to win it. But Portman Road was stunned once again by Sam Corne’s second for the Stones and Town huffed and puffed without being able to find another equaliser, and crashed out of the cup.

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 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 4,472 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 earlier impetus the near the game had got towards half-time.

Ball struck the first shot of the second half four minutes after the restart but hit Aluko and it looped wide.

Maidstone were next to threaten, Town failing to clear their lines on a couple of occasions and allowing an attack to reach the penalty area but Sam Bone’s effort from the area was easy for Walton.

On 52, Broadhead almost played in Hutchinson but the Wales international’s through ball was just too strong and Covolan was able to slide in and clutch it to his chest.

It had been a not entirely convincing opening to the half by the Blues but on 56 they levelled.

Appiah lost possession having brought the ball forward after what looked to be a foul on Aluko just outside the box. Taylor strode forward towards the area and fed Sarmiento to his left and the Ecuadorian international cut in and hit a low shot to Covolan’s right and into the corner of the net.

The on-loan Brighton man’s second goal in a week and first at Portman Road came as a great relief to a Portman Road which had begun to show signs of nervousness.

Town immediately made their first changes, Harry Clarke, Leif Davis and Conor Chaplin replacing Ball, Humphreys and Aluko.

Chaplin wasn’t far away from putting the Blues in front on the hour, Davis playing a now-familiar low corner from the left towards the penalty spot but the Town top scorer shot over.

The Blues continued to dominate and create chances, Sarmiento hitting a low cross from the right against his standing leg and wide, then scuffing another effort through to Covolan.

However, on 66, the non-league side restored their lead. Sarmiento lost possession in the middle of the pitch - with his shirt appearing to have been pulled - giving it to Reynolds on the left from where the earlier goalscorer played a ball inside for Corne, who took it into the box before clinically finishing past Walton. The away fans were again sent into delirium.

Town went about looking for a second equaliser, Wes Burns and Gerrard Buabo replacing Sarmiento and Hutchinson for the final 22 minutes.

Clarke hit a shot which Covolan gathered in the 72nd minute, then two minutes later Burns was fed in on the right of the box by the former Arsenal youngster, but shot across the face of goal and wide.

On 77 the Blues were denied the most stonewall of penalties, Edmundson going past Duku on the left of the box before being tripped. Referee Taylor failed to give the spot-kick and to add insult to injury booked Edmundson for diving. Video replays suggested it was a very poor decision from the Premier League official.

The game continued to played almost entirely in the Maidstone final third, the Blues prodding and probing and looking for openings but all too often finding Maidstone players in their way and Covolan saving from Chaplin.

As the game moved towards the final 10 minutes, Buabo sent a dangerous low ball across the edge of the six-yard box but with no teammate there to add the final touch.

Town almost levelled in 85th minute, Chaplin powering a header goalwards from a corner and Covolan palming into the air. The ball dropped and following an almighty scramble in which no one was able to get in a clean shot, the keeper gratefully dived on it. Play was subsequently delayed due to several Stones players feeling the effects of cramp.

The Blues continued to look for their second goal but without particularly convincing, however, in the final scheduled minute, as the fourth official indicated eight additional minutes, Burns headed goalwards from a Morsy cross and Covolan did well to get across to his top corner and palm over.

The Blues subsequently won a succession of corners but without being able to test the keeper further with the Maidstone defence remaining resolute.

Buabo flicked a header which Covolan saved as time started to run out for an increasingly frustrated-looking Town side.

And with seconds left on the clock, Clarke stood up a cross from the right and Edmundson looped a header into Covolan’s arms.

But Taylor’s final whistle signalled that time had run out for Town and the visiting fans cheered a famous day for their club and a humbling one for the Blues.

The Maidstone players and fans continued their celebrations long after the final whistle, and deservedly so after continuing their remarkable cup run, which has now taken in defeats of sides from Leagues One and Two, and the Championship.

Town were left to rue failing to take the bagful of chances in the first half and then conceding counter-attacking goals, Maidstone’s only two real chances all afternoon.

The shots total of 38-2 illustrated the overall balance of the game but it was Maidstone who made their two count.

Having got back on terms, there seemed only one winner but the Blues for a second time allowed the Stones to break away and score.

From there, the visitors defended steadfastly with Covolan in goal handling confidently, while Town ran out of ideas and lacked a cutting edge, as they did in a number of Championship games over Christmas. A striker, ideally two, is a must before the transfer window closes next Thursday.

The Blues last lost to non-league opposition in 2017 when they were beaten 1-0 at Lincoln and most recently at home when they were defeated 3-2 by Peterborough in 1960.

Town are next in action in the Championship at Preston North End next Saturday afternoon.

Town: Walton, Ball (Clarke 57), Tuanzebe, Edmundson, Humphreys (Davis 57), Morsy (c), Taylor, Hutchinson (Burns 68), Aluko (Chaplin 57), Sarmiento ( Buabo 59), Broadhead. Unused: Slicker, Woolfenden, Travis, Harness.

Maidstone: Covolan, Hoyte (c), Fowler, Appiah, Berkeley-Agyepong (Gurung 63), Corne, Duku, Reynolds (Court 74), Kyprianou, Bone (Iandolo 74), Sole (Greenidge 59). Unused: Earle, Ezennolim, Court, Smith. Referee: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire). Att: 27,763 (4,472).

Photo: Lucy Copsey/Focus Images Ltd/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect

RobsonWark added 16:31 - Jan 28 With FFP being a very important part of our transfer budget it is galling to go out against Maidstone. When you think of the prize money lost, tv money lost, gates receipts lost, advertising money lost, merchandising money lost - it's probably cost us upwards of £1 million that we could have well done with to bring in quality players. All for the sake of giving playing time to the likes of Ball, Taylor and Aluko.

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Saxonblue74 added 18:47 - Jan 28 No Robsonwark, for the sake of protecting our assets for a promotion push
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RobsonWark added 18:59 - Jan 28 Saxon we did not need to make 10 changes. We are not a team when we make that many changes. We are just 11 individuals on the pitch. We lost loads of money for a promotion push. A game most would have predicted a 10-0 win. I bet the investors are not happy with that result.
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Boocat added 19:34 - Jan 28 It’s a funny old game. Our front line look low on confidence, this will get worse whilst people are on their backs. Let’s get behind them and move on.
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warktheline added 19:45 - Jan 28 So many need to get over themselves! It was a freak result….I really hope so many of you continue to input opinions on our push for automatic promotion against 3 other clubs that dwarf our current squad in terms of money spent chasing success! Yeah remember that…not a once in a lifetime FA cup result! Oh the shame…short memories, ‘Evans era!’..how many goals did Peterborough put past us?

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IpswichT62OldBoy added 21:21 - Jan 28 I wish Leeds Leicester Soto and Coventry all the best and hope the exhaust themselves over the next couple of rounds.
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Wooly74 added 08:49 - Jan 29 Plastic fans, embarrassing some of you need to get a grip ffs
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brittaniaman added 10:17 - Jan 29 Of all the shouting and celebrations of Maidstone and taking the P**s over there win over us, there was just one Little thing they have not realised We had made TEN CHANGES to our team that Played at Leicester !!!! So cut out the chant of Premiership your having a Laugh !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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