Stuart Lewis says Maidstone's remarkable turnaround starts at the top.

Loan players Lewis, Reece Prestedge and Joe Pigott have been widely credited during an eight-game unbeaten run that's lifted United out of the National League relegation zone.

But midfielder Lewis, who scored the winner against Barrow on Saturday, feels boss Jay Saunders deserves plenty of praise.

He said: "The manager's been brilliant, just so honest and straight and it's so refreshing to have that.

"Some managers in football are not like that and he's one of the best I've played for because he's just honest, you want to run through a brick wall for him.

"It's really shown in the last few weeks the spirit we've got and he gets that going himself and we're all pulling together to get out of relegation.

"I'd heard good things about him before I came here and to get three promotions in a short time, he's got to be doing something right.

"But to experience it for myself and just his man-management, he's a top guy."

Lewis put in another big shift against Barrow, capped by his winning goal when he threw himself into a tackle and forced the ball into the net.

He said: "It was probably the first goal I've scored with a tackle.

"I just saw it bouncing there and I thought there's only place this is going and that was in the back of the net.

"It was great to get my first Maidstone goal and it's always good that it's a winner.

"I've heard the crowd sing my name, so that was a real buzz, and to score the first Maidstone goal in front of the new stand was a brilliant feeling."

It's little wonder Lewis is so popular with the fans, given his commitment since joining on loan from Ebbsfleet.

He said: "The way I play and the way I am, I try to be quite infectious.

"I've just been working hard and that's what I believe in.

"In everything in life, if you work hard at any job you'll be successful and you'll get results.

"I think since myself, Reece, Pigs have come in, and the lads that were here, we've got some real good momentum going and we're just working so hard.

"That's the thing we say before we go out, everyone just works hard and we've got players that can change games.

"I think it's shown, the last seven or eight games we're top of the form table.

"I know we're 18th in the league but the way we're playing and attacking games, no one's going to work harder than us and, secondly, we've got players that can score goals."