Simon Walton feels the players deserve the credit for Maidstone's improvement.

United have taken six points from three games since Walton and Tristan Lewis were made caretaker managers.

They've transformed the mood at the Gallagher and are getting the best out of the side, highlighted by Saturday's 2-1 win at Hartlepool.

But Walton said: “They’ve got to do it for themselves. It’s no good people saying they’re playing for you, they’re playing for their own careers.

“When I play I’m playing for my career.

"They’re individuals, they’re playing for their own careers, and the more they play for themselves, they play for each other.

“My message to them when I took over was it’s a short career.

“I’ve played 15 years now and I can remember it like it was yesterday, my first game, so for them they’ve got to make the most of this opportunity they’ve got because it won’t happen forever and you don’t get many chances in this game.

“That’s what they seem to be doing, each individual has upped their game, so as long as they keep going we’ll be fine because the better they do individually, the better we do as a team, which we’re trying to get across."