Maidstone boss Jay Saunders hopes the FA Cup will provide his team with a welcome confidence boost.

The competition has been kind to Stones in recent seasons but the boot is on the other foot this time around as they host lower-league opposition in Ryman League Billericay on Saturday.

“It’s a difficult one,” he said. “The last few years in the FA Cup have been good runs but they’ve been a distraction because you lose momentum in the league. But this year the FA Cup has come at a good time. If we can get a good win and performance then it will be a welcome break from the league.

“It’s a massive mental thing for the players and they need to be prepared right. A lot of our players have come up the divisions in recent years so I don’t think they will be (thinking they are) too above the level.”

The Stones lost 3-0 at Barrow last Saturday and have now conceded 10 goals in their last three National League games and, after three successive defeats, Saunders knows the importance of a good start.

He said: “A good start is always important but especially when you play teams from a lower level as you don’t want to give them any encouragement. Billericay have got a bit of pace and they’ve got Greg Cundle on loan from Gillingham who is a player I’ve looked at before.”

Saunders has not ruled out making a new signing with at least one forward departing on loan this week.

“I’ve spoken to a few clubs and we might have one in by the weekend,” he said.

Dumebi Dumaka, meanwhile, is joining Ryman League Dulwich on loan for a month while Vas Karagiannis has returned from his loan spell at Margate but another club have already shown interest in taking him on loan.