Maidstone's penalty practice paid off as Dan Sweeney scored the winning kick in the play-off final.

Sweeney took United's fifth penalty at Ebbsfleet, giving his side a 4-3 lead in the shoot-out before Lee Worgan denied Danny Kedwell.

The Stones substitute was reluctant to volunteer despite a perfect record from the spot in training.

But having agreed to step forward, he knew he would score, coolly sending Nathan Ashmore the wrong way.

Sweeney said: "We practised a few penalties in training the other night, a few of the boys stepped forward and I was one of them.

"We just did a sudden-death thing. If you scored you stayed in and if you didn’t you were gone.

"I was one of the ones who stayed in but, to be fair, I wasn’t one of the ones who stepped forward today.

"I stepped forward last because we needed another one.

"I was confident I was going to score there though. I'm that sort of character.

"I’ve never had a feeling like this. Football’s my life and I love the game so much.

"I’ve come from the Ryman with Kingstonian and Dulwich and now we’re going into the Conference Prem. I can’t even describe the feeling. It’s just a joke."