Maidstone United's FA Cup run may well be over after losing 3-0 to Coventry City on Monday night but the club's loyal fanbase certainly made the most of their final cup game of the season.
After miraculously defeating Ipswich Town at Portman Road in the fourth round, the non-league side were given another Championship away day at the Coventry Building Society Arena. Around 5,000 Maidstone fans made the trip to Coventry dreaming of the quarter-finals and although their team ended up losing 5-0, they still made the most of their big day.
They outsung the Coventry City supporters throughout and they stayed behind for half an hour after the final whistle to serenade their team. Manager, George Elokobi, was seen orchestrating the away end while Coventry Mark Robins made a point of calling the Maidstone fans “outstanding” in his post-match interview.
Plenty of videos were captured throughout the match with one video showing the Maidstone fans creating incredible noise on the concourse before kick off.
An unbelievable cup run for Maidstone, and the fans certainly enjoyed their trip to Coventry 🕺
What the FA Cup is all about 🙌#MaidstoneUnited #PUSB #FACup
— FanHub (@FanHub) February 27, 2024
Supporters from other clubs recognise Maidstone fans' efforts
Football fans from around the country were quick to heap praise on Maidstone fans for the atmosphere they generated on Monday night. Taking to social media platform, X, one person was quick to slam the decision to put the match on ITV4. They said:
“Magical Maidstone! They epitomise what the FA Cup is all about, sadly the game was played on a Monday, hidden away on ITV4… doubt we’ll ever see the likes of a Maidstone after next season”.
Another football fan said: “Fantastic support from Maidstone, even at 5-0 down you still carried on playing. Fans made some great noise and you never gave up. I hope your fans had a top day out!”
There were some cynics, however, with one person posting “I'm hoping that all the Maidstone fans that came out of the woodwork for the last 2 games, turn up for the next league game.”