Manager Jay Saunders has called for an end to the doom and gloom as Maidstone fight to stay in the National League.

Stones have lost 10 of their last 13 games and their task hardly gets easier with a double-header against Kent rivals and promotion contenders Dover.

United go to Crabble on Boxing Day (3pm), with the return game at the Gallagher on New Year’s Day (6pm), live on BT Sport.

No one felt more disappointed than Saunders after United’s defeat by fellow strugglers North Ferriby last weekend.

But after three promotions in four years, there were always going to be difficult times this season – and it’s time for a reality check.

Saunders said: “As down as I was, you kind of say ‘right, that’s it,’ or you may as well pack in and finish the season now.

“There’s a long way to go and I still think two or three signings will make a massive difference.

“People have got short memories, they forget what we’ve done in the last four years.

“We’ve won something every year – some clubs go 10 years without winning a thing. We’ve been fortunate here and it was going to catch up with us sooner or later.

“We’ve had a bit of a stumble this year. It’s not nice but we need everyone pulling in the same direction.

“One thing I will say is the lads will give their all and I’ll give my all. We’ll do everything we can to make sure we stay up. We need everyone sticking together.

“Maybe people thought we’d come in and breeze it. I set a target of top half, that’s because I’m ambitious, but I knew how hard it was going to be.

“We’ve gone from Ryman South to Conference National in such a short space of time and we’re now playing catch-up in this league.”

Read the full story in Friday's Kent Messenger