Dan Wishart is so confident Maidstone will make the play-offs he’s delayed booking his holiday.

The Stones remain four points adrift of the National League South top seven following back-to-back defeats by Chippenham and Bath.

But Wishart, who’s back from suspension against play-off rivals Hampton this Saturday, is convinced Maidstone will extend their season.

He said: “We do talk about the play-offs and we’re confident we’re going to get in the play-offs.

“It’s not like we’re a million miles away.

“We seem to win, win, win and then the game that will get us in there, we always lose, but I’m pretty confident we’ll get there.

“I’m not booking my holiday until after the play-off time, that’s how confident I am.

“I think pretty much everyone is confident we’ll get there.

“I just think we need to be a bit more consistent and stop losing the silly games that on paper you’d say are winnable.”

Wishart’s return is timely as George Elokobi and Noah Chesmain start three-game suspensions.

He’ll replace Chesmain either at left-back or wing-back, depending on whether Maidstone revert to a flat back four or stick with 3-5-2.

Wishart said: “Noah played without a winger in front of him against Bath and I think that would suit me down to the ground and give me licence to run up and down.

“I’m not sure whether we’ll stick with 3-5-2, that’s down to the management, but I’m comfortable playing wing-back, left-back, winger.

“I’ve played every single position all my career.”

Wishart has nine goals from the wing and is just two behind the club’s leading scorer Ibby Akanbi.

It’s a great return for a player who’s enjoyed the chance to get forward in National League South, having been used at left-back last season.

“My best position depends what league I’m playing in,” said Wishart.

“The higher you go, you’ve got to be a bit more special in the final third.

“I’m not saying I can’t do it but the level is a lot harder as you go up.

“At this level, I can rely on my pace and my strength to get by and I’m enjoying playing higher up the pitch.

“I think there’s less pressure because if you make a mistake, you’ve got all the back-up behind you.

“Maybe it’s a psychological thing where you feel more free higher up.”

The goals have slowed down for Wishart after his flying start to the campaign but he’s determined to reach double figures.

He said: “I’m not thinking about finishing top scorer.

“Nine is good for me – I just want to get to 10.

“That was my aim for the season when I started scoring.

“Number 10 is proving the hardest one. I haven’t scored in six or seven so it is in the back of my mind. I want to start chipping in with goals again and I think I’ll come back fresh after two games out.”

Wishart’s time on the sidelines has given him an opportunity to think about his game.

He added: “When you watch a game of football, you’re always going to learn different things.

“I think I can probably shoot more in the final third because I’ve seen there’s a lot of space and I can probably cross the ball a bit earlier.”

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