Maidstone were taught a lesson by National League title favourites Forest Green on Saturday afternoon.

The margin of defeat was distorted by two late goals but full-time Rovers were a classy outfit and well worth the points.

Stones trailed inside five minutes and while they levelled through a Jack Evans free-kick, Green went back in front in first-half injury time.

Jay Saunders’ side were enjoying their best spell of the match before Forest Green killed the game with two goals in four minutes.

Maidstone made one change to the team beaten at Tranmere last week, with Dan Sweeney replacing Tom Murphy in a change of system to a three-man midfield.

The extra man in the middle didn’t stop Green dominating possession and, at times, it was more like a practice match at the visitors probed away in the Maidstone half.

The attack v defence nature of the first half certainly had an effect on the crowd, who were ever so quiet, just how Rovers wanted it.

A Jack Paxman mistake led to Rovers’ opening goal after only five minutes.

He ran into trouble on the halfway line, with Keanu Marsh-Brown playing in ex-Birmingham man Darren Carter whose strike trickled into the far corner.

Worgan saved well from Marsh-Brown after a clever corner routine then, having barely touched the ball, Maidstone were level on 12 minutes.

Bobby-Joe Taylor led a breakaway from a Tom Mills pass, he was brought down on the edge of the box and Evans stepped up to curl a 20-yard strike into the bottom corner.

Stones briefly enjoyed more of the ball after the goal but Forest Green were soon in their stride again, Worgan with another good save from the latest Marsh-Brown strike.

Christian Doidge thought he’d restored the lead only for the linesman’s flag to cut short his celebrations, Worgan kept out the impressive Liam Noble’s free-kick and Rhys Murphy curled wide when well placed.

Worgan saved Stones once again when Paxman, attempting to snuff out a dangerous break, gifted the ball to Murphy eight yards out.

Just when it looked as though United were going in level, Ben Jefford lost Dan Sweeney, got down the left and crossed for Doidge to slot home in first-half injury-time.

Early in the second half, Tom Mills made a key block after a lovely one-touch move opened up the home defence, Noble finding Murphy, whose backheel set up Carter.

Stones enjoyed a strong spell around the hour mark, Ben Greenhalgh’s shot blocked after Paxman’s quick free-kick saw Mills feed substitute Tom Murphy for a cross, then Murphy curled wide from inside the box.

More of the game was being played in the Rovers half now, Paxman resisting the chance to shoot when the ball sat up nicely before Greenhalgh headed wide from Murphy’s far-post cross.

But Rovers added their third against the run of play on 75 minutes, the defending questionable as Rhys Murphy went through the middle and thumped his strike into the corner, Worgan with no chance.

The fourth followed on 79 minutes, substitute Kieffer Moore getting up the left and squaring for the unmarked Murphy to finish again.

Alex Flisher hit the post as Stones went close to a late second.

Maidstone: Worgan, Evans, Mills, Acheampong, Lokko, Rogers (Dumaka 72mins), Sweeney (Hall-Johnson 65mins), Paxman, Flisher, Greenhalgh, Taylor (Murphy 46mins). Subs not used: Coyle, Karagiannis.

Forest Green: Russell, Jefford, Traore (Frear 67mins), Bennett, Marsh-Brown (Robert 80mins), Doidge (Moore 74mins), Carter, Noble, Pinnock, Racine, Murphy. Subs not used: Clough, Lefebrve.

Attendance: 2,274.