Maidstone will move into the National League South play-off places if they win at Braintree tonight.

The two clubs came down together last season and go into the game locked on 22 points, although United have the better goal difference.

Braintree were the form team in the division until back-to-back defeats by Tonbridge and Weymouth.

It's a return to Cressing Road for Stones head coach Hakan Hayrettin who left the Iron in January to link up with John Still at Maidstone.

Their fans enjoyed giving him stick at the Gallagher last season but Hayrettin has nothing but good things to say about his old club.

He said: "I worked for Braintree and set up a really good team there.

"I'm pretty sure if I'd stayed I'd have kept them up last season.

"I get on really well with the chairman there - he's a fantastic guy.

"It is what it is. They're a family club trying to make ends meet and they've done ever so well to do that.

• The best we've played

"I'm looking forward to going back."

Justin Amaluzor and Iffy Allen look likely to face their former club after impressing in Saturday's 2-1 win over Billericay.

Stones captain George Elokobi also had a loan spell with Braintree during Hayrettin's first spell in charge there.

Maidstone are in fine form with two defeats in 15 games and could go as high as fifth tonight with a win.

The management's methods are doing the trick with Still and Hayrettin getting their message across.

"We've got to keep that momentum up," said Hayrettin.

"Sometimes the players might think it's a bit monotonous in training but it it isn't, it's stuff that's valuable to what we're going to do and we're getting the rewards slowly."

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