Hakan Hayrettin saw the Maidstone he knows in their late win over Torquay.

Manager Hayrettin told his side they owed supporters a performance after 4-2 and 5-0 defeats against Dorking and Wrexham.

And they obliged, battling away to stay in the game as visitors Torquay dominated the first half before emphatically turning the tables after the break.

Second-half pressure was rewarded when substitute James Alabi scored the only goal with three minutes left as Maidstone secured a seventh successive win over the Devon club.

“Today we saw the Maidstone that we know,” said Hayrettin, after a second win of the season moved his side up to 13th in the early National League table.

“Today we saw a Maidstone that’s willing to work hard and I’ve always said the most important thing is their understanding to work hard and then their ability will be secondary and we got that today.

“It was a game of two halves.

“They may have had the better of it in the first half, we were in the game, we did OK.

“But in the second half we turned the screw, I think we got the subs right and we deserved to win on that performance.

“For me I turned a negative into a positive at half-time.

“The positives were we’re still in the game and we haven’t conceded, now we’ve got to kick on and that’s what we did.

“We know how to win at home, with the support behind us, it was a tough ask for them to try and constrain the way we got the ball down and passed.

“I think the substitutions were the key.

"I brought James in for his experience and his knowledge.

“He’s still only 27, he’s been round the block, he knows he needs to work as hard as possible to stay in that team or work as hard as everybody else to be in contention.

• Report: Maidstone 1-0 Torquay

“When I looked at the time I said you’re going to go on with 10 minutes to go, let’s see what you can do, and he did it.

“I think today the substitutions won us the game.

“I always get my subs right because I know my players.

“If you look at me I’ve always got one eye on the clock, thinking is it time, is it time? I timed it right and I got it right. I’m just pleased for everybody.”

Hayrettin handed a surprise first start to local lad Bivesh Gurung in central midfield, at the expense of Henry Woods.

The 21-year-old is highly rated by the manager but, with just a handful of substitute appearances in National South behind him, Hayrettin said it was a brave call.

It paid off, however, with the former MGS pupil not fazed in the slightest by National League football.

“People probably didn’t expect Biv to play,” said Hayrettin. “I made sure I gave him an opportunity because of his hard work and endeavour. That quality alone is as good as anyone’s ability.

“I’m happy for him and he must continue to keep striving to be the best version of himself, that’s what he needs to do.

“I do things other managers wouldn’t do, I give people opportunities that other people won’t.

“I see different qualities and for me the biggest quality has to be that, you’ve got to work hard and he works hard. It was very brave by me, but he did very well.”