Two goals in four minutes late in the second half saw Maidstone to victory over Truro at the Gallagher on Saturday.

Player-coach Jamie Coyle put United in front and that was quickly followed by a classy Jay May strike.

Truro replied with a penalty but Jay Saunders’ second-placed side held on to win an excellent National South game.

Maidstone made four changes to the side beaten by Maidenhead on Tuesday night.

Last year’s Ryman League-winning strikeforce were reunited with Frannie Collin handed a first league start since August in place of Adam Birchall and Jay May back from suspension at the expense of Alex Akrofi.

Matt Bodkin returned for Bobby-Joe Taylor out wide while Alex Brown made his return from injury as a makeshift right-back, with Callum Driver serving a one-match ban.

Truro started well and having looked to find a way through with a couple of early straight balls down the middle, they went on to show they could play decent football.

Dangerman Cody Clarke had an effort well held by Lee Worgan before seeing a header cleared off the line by Brown, the Stones keeper injured in the process.

Worgan recovered and kept his side level by sticking out a foot to deny Les Afful when the Truro striker found himself clean through.

A cracking 25-yard drive by Ollie Knowles clipped the top of the bar as Truro went close again, while Ryan Brett wasn’t far away with an ambitious lob.

Maidstone’s best source of joy in the first half appeared to be Alex Flisher’s long throws, a series of bombs into the box dealt with by the visitors.

United, having been on the back foot for spells, finished the half well and went close when Collin nodded wide from Flisher’s near-post cross.

Worgan saved Stones just after the break when Cooke’s shot took a big deflection off Coyle and from the corner, Matthew Wright should have done better at the back post.

The chance of the game fell Maidstone’s way before the hour with Collin’s low cross picking out Matt Bodkin, who lifted the ball over the bar from six yards.

Worgan then did well once again after Knowles dispossessed Jack Paxman and sent substitute Isaac Vassell away.

With the game becoming more open, a break by Tom Mills was picked up by May whose strike from the edge of the box was met by a flying one-handed save from Martin Rice.

Back up the other end, Vassell shook off Coyle as Truro broke but Worgan was there to stick out a leg.

Stones went in front on 74 minutes. Flisher’s inswinging corner came off a Truro defender and Coyle pounced from a few yards out.

Four minutes later and Stones had their second goal. This time Joe Healy played in May who continued his run and coolly lifed the ball over Rice.

There was hope for Truro with five minutes left when a foul by Manny Parry gave Shane White the chance to reply from the penalty spot.

Maidstone: Worgan, Brown, Mills, Coyle, Parry, Paxman (Rogers 71mins), Bodkin, Healy, May, Collin (Banya 83mins), Flisher. Subs not used: Taylor, Akrofi, Birchall.

Attendance: 2,002.