Hakan Hayrettin felt Maidstone played as well as they have done for some time in their win over Dulwich Hamlet on Tuesday.

A goal in either half from in-form Joan Luque - his 20th of the season - and striker Jack Barham capped a brilliant performance and earned the Stones a 2-0 victory which moved them level on points with leaders Dorking at the National League South summit.

Boss Hayrettin had been disappointed with the manner in which his side lost 2-1 at Slough last weekend but he was much more satisfied with their midweek display.

He explained: “I wasn’t overly happy on Saturday - not because we lost - but in the manner that we lost.

“We didn’t work. Sometimes, you can afford to carry two players, maybe three, but we carried eight or nine.

“In the first half, there was no intensity, there was no sprint work, there was no closing down, there was no commitment, I don’t think, and we lost our way. I told them so.

“I wasn’t holding back when I told them so because I want them to be as successful as they can. They deserve to be.

• Match report: Maidstone 2-0 Dulwich Hamlet

“On Tuesday, to a man, they were absolutely phenomenal.

“It’s the best game we have played in a long while.”

The Stones put in a dominant display against Dulwich and could have even won by a bigger margin.

But Hayrettin said: “It’s like a cliche, I keep saying it, but they (Dulwich) are a good team.

“But I’m so proud of them (his own players) for what they have done, how they have done it and the manner that they have done it in.

“It was just phenomenal, I thought, on Tuesday.”

A productive night for Maidstone was made even better with Eastbourne Borough coming from behind to beat frontrunners Dorking 3-2.

The Stones are now level on points with the Surrey side and just three goals behind them on goal difference, too, with things really hotting up.

News of Eastbourne taking the lead against Marc White’s side saw Stones fans start to chant “Eastbourne” at the Gallagher as they provided a major tonic to their title hopes.

However Hayrettin insisted: “I wasn’t even aware (of Dorking’s defeat). I swear, I wasn’t even aware.

“I was more concentrating on making sure we had a bit of discipline and that, when we lost the ball, we got into shape.

“My voice is a bit croaky because I was shouting till the end to keep players on their toes because, with the way they play, both their full-backs push on, so it was important we did our jobs - and we did.”