Frustrated Maidstone manager Jay Saunders has warned players to get their act together or face being dropped for the National South play-offs.

Saunders felt Stones were lacking at both ends of the pitch in their 2-1 derby defeat by Dartford on Saturday but the defence remains his biggest concern after a third loss in four games.

Manny Parry could count himself unfortunate to concede the penalty for Darts’ opener but Saunders was annoyed with the defending in the build-up to Nathan Ferguson’s winner.

He said: “I just question our desire in both boxes today to be honest, a desire to get on the end of things in the attacking box and a desire to defend in our box.

“That’s the story with us at the moment, we just keep giving away goals and I keep saying it, all the time you give away goals you’re not going to win games.

“I can’t remember the last time I thought, ‘yeah, that goal couldn’t have been avoided’ and it’s getting on my nerves.

“We go through stuff with the back four and the midfield and they’re not taking on board at the moment and they need to start doing that.

“To be honest, if I had the chance to go out and sign some players I would because they’re not stepping up to the mark at the moment."

Saunders has defended his back four in the past but patience is wearing thin.

He added: “You can say confidence but you get to a point where I’m bored of using confidence and the young thing.

“You’ve got to deal with things. They’ve not passed it round us today or done anything special, they’ve come and done an away performance which was be nice and solid and get the ball up the other end of the pitch and try and cause problems.

“You can keep working on things and we will do but they’ve got to get it right because they’ve got three games and I’ve just said to them there’s six or seven that have got their shirt pretty much guaranteed and there’s a lot of others that haven’t and they need to step up to the mark otherwise when the big games come and the play-offs are on, they won’t be involved.

“I don’t want to panic but it’s back-to-back defeats at home, which isn’t ideal.

“There’s some people, and I praised them earlier in the season, who were doing very well and at the moment they’re not performing.”

Dumebi Dumaka’s car broke down en route, so he could only be named among the substitutes, while Vas Karagiannis and Alex Flisher were fit enough only for the bench.