Joe Pigott’s free-kick competition against the boss paid off with his goal against Crystal Palace.

Pigott bent a superb 25-yard strike over the wall and into the top corner to briefly draw Maidstone level against the Premier League club’s youngsters.

Pigott and manager Jay Saunders had been working on free-kicks the day before the game.

The striker, who hit the wall with a later attempt, said: “Me and Jay were having a competition and he was trying to claim that he won. He did to be fair, he hit some better ones but luckily today I got one right.

“It was a good goal. I enjoyed it. It was a shame about the second one, though. I probably should have tried to go under the wall because of the angle.”

Pigott enjoyed being part of the Gallagher’s fifth anniversary celebrations, playing in front of more than 4,000 fans at his hometown club.

He’d have liked the chance to face the Palace first team but ultimately it was a pre-season friendly.

He said: “It was always going to be a hard game, no matter who they brought down. It was another good run-out, except for the result and the sloppy goals but it was just another game.

“We’re still a bit off it but it’s minutes in the bank again and that’s exactly what pre-season is about."