Jay Saunders says Alex Flisher is still a massive player for Maidstone and that a dip in form was inevitable.

Flisher has been an automatic choice over the years but he's been used as a substitute in recent weeks while he works to rediscover his best form.

He turned the game at York on Saturday after coming off the bench at half-time and boss Saunders is pleased to see him getting back to his old self.

Flisher is well over a year into his comeback from a serious knee injury and Saunders expected him to suffer sooner or later.

He said: "Do you know what, I think people have got to realise he had 10 months out the game.

"He came back, finished the season well last year, started this season well and at some point he was going to have a dip.

"You can't miss 10 months of football and not have a dip at some point.

"He's gone from playing no football for 10 months to all of a sudden playing week in, week out and I think it catches up with you.

"He's had a little dip but Flisher's a massive player for us.

"I just feel that of late the workrate's been there - you can never doubt his workrate - but he's maybe lacked that little bit of quality.

"But he's come on against York and done very well for us and I'm delighted for him. He was a handful."