Maidstone United manager Jay Saunders is under no illusion of the tough test that awaits his side on Tuesday night. Leyton Orient travel to the Gallagher stadium as Saunders’s men look to bounce back from defeat on Saturday. Speaking to BBC Radio Kent “it will be difficult, there are no easy games in this league. We won’t get too down and we’ll move onto to Tuesday”.

Maidstone’s August Fixtures and Results

The Stones fell to their first defeat of the season at Halifax on Saturday. Goals either side of half time from Cameron King and Ben Tomlinson saw Halifax go 2-0 ahead before Dayle Southwell slotted home from the spot to make it 3-0.

Saunders felt his side were growing into the game as the first half wore on but the goal before half time was the sucker punch against his side. Speaking to the NonLeaguePaper he stated “the goal before half time really killed us. We had just started getting into the game and it knocked the stuffing out of us”

• Maidstone are unbeaten in their last three home games – W1  D2
• Have only lost one of their last seven home league games – W3  D3  L1

Blair Turgott wasted a chance for Maidstone before the opener with Saunders explaining that the goal changed their whole view of the second half. Speaking to BBC Radio Kent “When we thought we were going in 0-0, the deflection killed us, it was a different outlook on the game. We come out second half and conceded poor goals really”.

• Turgott has netted all three of Maidstone goals this season

It was the third consecutive game in which Maidstone failed to keep a clean sheet with Saunders highlighting his defence were vulnerable down their left hand side with two of three goals coming from that side. Halifax play with two physical striker and Saunders felt his defence were bullied by them, “they get it up to the two front men, and we couldn’t deal with them today. We fell down on our left side which caused us too many problems”.

• Kept one clean sheet in last five league games
• Kept two clean sheets in last three home games

After speculation linking him away in the summer Saunders committed himself to Maidstone for the upcoming season. The 39 year old who has been with the Stones since 2011 has been pleased with his sides start but insists there is more to come. Speaking to kentonline.co.uk ” I still think there’s a lot more to come from us. There’s loads of little things we need to work on with them but a lot of the mistakes we’re making is down to that youth we’ve got in the side. It’s just decision-making. We’ll go through that and get that out of them”. 

Summer Transfer Arrivals

Saunders’s side finish 19th last season, six points above the relegation zone and the Stones manager will be looking for an improvement this season. With a hectic fixture schedule, Saunders feels that “after 12-15 games is when you the league sorts to level out, you will then get an idea”.

The Past Four Meetings Between Sides

Team News

Will De Havilland should have overcome double vision to be fit for Tuesday’s clash. Strikers Jamar Loza and Blair Turgott looks set to start against one of their former clubs.