Jay Saunders is backing his Maidstone players to rise to the occasion ahead of their biggest game of the season.

Stones make the 250-mile trip to west Yorkshire to take on Blue Square Bet North FC Halifax in the FA Trophy second round on Saturday and, after an overnight stay, Saunders, pictured, believes his side are capable of pulling off an upset.

He said: "Why can’t we go there and get a result? Don’t get me wrong, it will be a tough game, but we go there as underdogs and can enjoy the day.

"We’ve got a good report on them and they’re a big, well-organised side.

"Everybody said we had no chance of beating Salisbury in the last round but we did it."

Captain Shaun Welford starts a three-match suspension and Stuart King is cup-tied, while Charlie Mitten (broken arm) and Alex Flisher (hamstring) join Ben Davisson (foot) on the sidelines.

With Sam Bewick set to join Herne Bay, Maidstone have boosted their midfield by signing Alex Brown on a month’s loan from Gillingham.