Maidstone suffered back-to-back defeats at the Gallagher Stadium for the first time when they lost 1-0 to Oxford City in National League South on Saturday.

United made three changes to the side beaten by Ebbsfleet with Alex Brown, Mitchell Pinnock and Jack Paxman replacing James Rogers, Matt Bodkin and Frannie Collin.

An Oxford team featuring a number of Spanish players looked neat and tidy early on with left-back Jose Lapoujade involved in the build-up before Steve Watt blocked from Darren Pond.

Brown, Stones’ best player in the first half, saw an effort diverted wide for a corner after Pinnock’s free-kick was cleared to the edge of the box, then Jay May had an effort ruled out for offside when Watt headed on a Pinnock long throw.

At the other end, Lee Worgan saved smartly with his legs from Bradley Bubb, Ander Del Alamo fired wide after Watt played the ball across his own 18-yard line and Carlos Pifarre had the ball taken off his toe by Callum Driver when well placed.

Maidstone finished the half well with Tom Mills 30-yard strike held by Laurie Walker before Paxman robbed Adrian Santiago, only to hit the side-netting.

In injury time, the lively Bobby Joe-Taylor and May combined to play in Pinnock who was denied by Santiago’s last-ditch challenge.

Decent build-up lacked an end product - Mills and May with wayward efforts - as Maidstone took the game to Oxford after the break.

But they fell behind on 59 minutes when the ball broke to Lapoujade 20 yards out and his low strike beat Worgan.

Maidstone introduced Collin midway through the second half and he sent a 30-yard free-kick over before Watt’s interception from Jamal Lawrence’s cross denied Oxford a tap-in.

Stones boss Jay Saunders turned to Matt Bodkin and Alex Akrofi as the hosts looked for a way back.

There was plenty of effort but no genuine chances as the visitors slipped to a second defeat in three games.

Maidstone: Worgan, Driver, Mills, Watt, Parry, Brown, Taylor (Bodkin 71mins), Healy, May (Collin 65mins), Paxman (Akrofi 74mins), Pinnock. Subs not used: Coyle, Johnson.

Attendance: 2,037.