Ryman League Division One South

Maidstone United 2

Whyteleafe 0

IF STEVE Griffin didn't know the size of the task facing Whyteleafe in their quest to avoid relegation this season before this game, he will now.

The new Leafe boss, taking charge of the side for the first time on Saturday following last week's departure of Nicky English, has taken the helm of a side desperately short of confidence and seven points off safety.

And that gap is effectively nine points once Croydon Athletic's results have been removed from the table.

That said, overall this was not a bad performance against a side in the play-off positions, but it is possible Griffin will look back to rue the two goals his team gave away in worryingly sloppy fashion.

Leafe had got off to the worst possible start. Stones' Ellis Green was brought down by Scott Simpson on the edge of the area when Green seemed to be going nowhere. The referee pointed to the spot and Baff Addae fired home for a third minute lead.

It had looked as though Leafe had got back into the game in the 17th minute after a good through ball from Karl Douglin found Jerson Dos Santos in the box, but celebrations were cut short after he was judged to have fouled keeper Daren Hawkes in the run up to the goal.

With 24 minutes on the clock Addae then made a good run and cross in to find Alex Waugh in the box, but Fred Fleming did well to block his effort. Soon after Paul Smith then made a good save in the 37th minute to deny Alex Flisher.

Smith had been having problems with his kicking all afternoon, putting the ball out of play from some of his clearances, but his miss-kick in the 40th minute was to prove costly and presented the hosts with a gift of a goal. Attempting to clear a back pass, he sliced his clearance into the path of Waugh who headed firmly into the unguarded net.

The Stones thought they had increased their lead in the 52nd minute when Flisher sent Addae clear. He found the back of the net but was flagged offside after slightly mistiming his run.

Dan Aldous did well to block a 57th minute shot from Green, then two minutes later Smith was perhaps fortunate to escape with a yellow card when he charged out of goal and brought down Waugh.

A great passing move by the hosts involving Flisher, Addae and Green in the 63rd minute set up Sam Bewick whose shot was just off target.

The closest Leafe came to scoring was in the 82nd minute. Jordan Simmonds' cross found Jensen Grant in the box and keeper Hawkes did very well to reach it, just managing to finger tip it over the bar.

Both sides made some late changes but although Leafe continued to attack the Maidstone goal, the hosts held on for a comfortable victory.

The local derby against Chipstead next weekend (February 11) has now taken even greater significance than usual.

Whyteleafe: Smith, Dudley, Simmonds, Fleming, Aldous, Mitchell, Douglin (Henry-Brown), Grant, Garrick, Dos Santos (Halili), Simpson. Unused subs: Cartledge, Williams, Palmer.