Preview: Horsham vs Maidstone Utd — National League – South, National League South – 11

Match preview · Compiled from live api-football data feed at the time of compilation

National League – South · National League South – 11
Saturday 10 October, kickoff 15:00 · The Fusion Aviation Community Stadium

Maidstone United make the trip to The Fusion Aviation Community Stadium on Saturday 10 October, kicking off at 15:00 BST, as they look to maintain their position at the summit of the National League South. Standing in their way are Horsham, a side desperate for points as they look to climb away from the lower reaches of the table. For the Stones, this is an opportunity to underline their title credentials against a team fighting for survival — but as the head-to-head record shows, nothing about this fixture is ever straightforward.

The form guide

Maidstone United head into the weekend sitting top of the National League South with 19 points from ten games, and while their overall standing is impressive, their most recent form tells a more nuanced story. John Still’s side have won three of their last five matches, but back-to-back defeats in their two most recent outings will have raised a few eyebrows. Their form rating of 60 per cent, combined with an attack rating of 53 per cent and a defence rating of 67 per cent, suggests a side with genuine quality — but one that has shown vulnerability in recent weeks.

Horsham, meanwhile, have endured a difficult run of results, going winless in their last five matches — a sequence that reads draw, loss, draw, draw, loss. Di Paola’s men have managed just two wins all season and find themselves in 17th place with 11 points. Their form rating of just 20 per cent reflects a side struggling for consistency, particularly in attack, where a rating of 27 per cent highlights a real need for goals. Defensively, a rating of 47 per cent suggests they have at least shown some resilience, but they will need to be far more clinical at the other end if they are to take anything from this game.

The head-to-head record

Date	Competition	Home	Score	Away
22 Jul 2023	Friendlies Clubs	Horsham	2-0	Maidstone Utd
16 Nov 2024	FA Trophy	Horsham	2-1	Maidstone Utd
6 Sept 2025	National League – South	Maidstone Utd	0-3	Horsham
11 Apr 2026	National League – South	Horsham	0-0	Maidstone Utd

The recent history between these two sides makes for fascinating reading and will give Horsham genuine cause for optimism. In November 2024, Horsham claimed a 2-1 victory at home, and they backed that up with a 2-0 win in July 2023. Perhaps most strikingly, Maidstone suffered a 3-0 defeat when the sides met in September 2025, a result that will not have been forgotten in the Stones’ dressing room. The most recent encounter, in April 2026, ended goalless, suggesting that even when Maidstone are the stronger side on paper, Horsham have the ability to frustrate them. The head-to-head record firmly favours the hosts, and that historical context adds an intriguing layer to Saturday’s contest.

The men in the dugout

John Still is a vastly experienced manager at this level and above, and guiding Maidstone to the top of the National League South is a testament to his organisational ability and man-management. He will be keen to arrest the recent dip in form and ensure his side respond positively after two consecutive defeats. Opposite him in the technical area, D. Di Paola faces the challenge of galvanising a Horsham squad that has found wins hard to come by this season. With the head-to-head record working in his favour, Di Paola will be looking to set up his side to be hard to beat and capitalise on any Maidstone uncertainty.

Players to watch

There are no standout individual scorers from either side to highlight heading into this fixture, which may well mean the game is decided by a moment of individual quality or a set-piece rather than the influence of a prolific marksman. Both teams will be looking for someone to step up and take responsibility in the final third — and whoever does so on Saturday could prove to be the decisive figure in what promises to be a tightly contested affair.

The prediction

The statistics paint a picture of two sides heading in very different directions — Maidstone’s superior form, attack and defensive ratings all point towards the league leaders. However, the head-to-head record is a significant counterweight, with Horsham having demonstrated on multiple occasions that they can match and beat the Stones. The probability models suggest this is a genuinely open contest, with a draw or a Maidstone win the most likely outcomes. Given Maidstone’s recent back-to-back defeats and Horsham’s knack for making life difficult for their Kent opponents, a hard-fought draw would not come as a surprise — though the quality and experience in Still’s squad may ultimately prove the difference. Expect a tight, competitive match, with Maidstone edging it by the narrowest of margins.

League standings

#	Team	P	W	D	L	GD	Pts
15	Folkestone Invicta	10	3	3	4	+3	12
16	Chelmsford City	9	1	8	0	+1	11
17	Horsham	9	2	5	2	-1	11
18	Farnborough	9	3	2	4	-5	11
19	Chesham United	10	3	1	6	-3	10

Preview data via api-football. Form, head-to-head, standings, manager and prediction figures sourced live at the time of compilation; squad and team-news availability subject to last-minute change.