George Elokobi knows Maidstone have a job on their hands as he bids to lead them back into the FA Cup first round.

The Stones host Kent rivals Ebbsfleet in the final qualifying round at the Gallagher Stadium on Saturday (3pm).

Fleet are struggling at the foot of the National League, winning only once this season, and last month changed their manager with Harry Watling replacing Danny Searle.

But they still play a level above National League South Maidstone, who are five unbeaten in all competitions since being thumped 5-1 by Chelmsford City in September.

And their status commands respect in Elokobi’s eyes, with the Stones boss fully aware of their qualities.

“They’re a National League side, let’s not forget that,” said Elokobi, who took Maidstone to the fifth round last season.

“That’s the respect we have to pay them.

“In the FA Cup, form doesn’t matter. They’ll want to progress into the first round proper and so do we.

“We have to make sure we show them every bit of respect in terms of our preparations, making sure the boys understand the personnel they’re going to be coming up against and the system we may be facing.

“We’re playing in front of our home crowd and I’m sure they’re looking forward to a fantastic cup tie at the Gallagher Stadium.

“But we have to be mindful, let’s not play the occasion too much, let’s play the Maidstone way and then see where that takes us.”

Maidstone did the double over Ebbsfleet en route to winning the National League South title in 2022 and beat a much-changed Fleet 4-0 in the Kent Senior Cup final last season.

Elokobi loves a derby and appreciates the rivalry.

“It’s a healthy rivalry,” he said. “I think it’s always been there.

“In my time here, all the rivalries we’ve had in terms of Kent derbies have been good.

“It’s not just Ebbsfleet, it’s Dartford, Welling, Tonbridge.

“The games are always played in a good competitive spirit and we expect no different on Saturday. It’s good for both clubs.

“We played last season in the Kent Senior Cup final and that was played in good spirit and I’m sure our players will want to test themselves against a National League side.

“We have to measure ourselves in terms of where we are as a squad and allow our players to go out there and play with the freedom they’ve been doing in these last five games.”

Maidstone have made progress since the Chelmsford debacle of five weeks ago.

Unbeaten since then, they produced their best performance of the season in a 2-0 win at Worthing last weekend.

It gives them confidence going into the Ebbsfleet tie.

“Things have always been moving in the right direction but we’re going to find challenges along the way,” said Elokobi.

“We’ve built a new team and we’re going to come up short in certain games where the personnel might not suit one another in the positions we’re playing them.

“When that happens, we’ve got to find the right balance within the team, the right relationships.

“We want to build on this run we’re on and we’ve got to look at it as progress in terms of where we are after getting beat by Chelmsford and getting beat well.

“I’m not saying a result like that might not happen again this season but the boys have taken on board the information we’ve given them and worked tirelessly in training.”

In the event of a draw, the replay will be at Stonebridge Road on Tuesday (7.45pm).

The FA Cup first-round draw takes place on Monday (BBC2, 7pm).