Simon Walton described Maidstone’s success at Hartlepool as a special day.

United made it two wins from three games under caretaker managers Walton and Tristan Lewis with Saturday’s 2-1 victory.

The pair have big faith in the squad and were rewarded with another three points in the Stones’ National League survival bid.

Walton said: “It wasn’t anything that we didn’t expect or we didn’t believe the players couldn’t produce. We’ve told them.

“I think a key word’s been belief and trust and for those boys to put in that performance and attitude, grit, determination, heart, it was a special day.

“I said in there, that doesn’t surprise us. From the outside looking in I’m sure it does but that doesn’t surprise me that that group of players can turn in that type of performance.

“It wasn’t backs to the wall. We had to defend, and we defended well, but I think we could have won that comfortably in the end.”

Jack Powell scored Maidstone’s two goals with well-timed runs into the box - “That’s a player doing what he’s good at,” said Walton - while Jake Robinson laid on both and caused big problems with his movement up front.

But the story of the day was arguably goalkeeper Ethan Ross, whose debut included a magnificent save from a Carl Magnay header after Maidstone went 2-1 up.

He met his team-mates on the way up to Hartlepool after signing on loan from Colchester at the last minute following Ross Worner’s recall by Sutton.

At 21, he hasn’t played a senior game for the U’s and was no doubt targeted by Pools but he didn’t put a foot wrong.

Walton said: “I’m not going to stand here and pretend I’m the next star-finder.

“I didn’t know an awful lot about him, I don’t think anybody really did, but he looked like he’d played at this level and higher for a long time.

“He was brilliant. His kicking, his catching, that save he made, he was such a presence back there and for a young lad who came in yesterday, not meeting anyone, he can be proud of himself.

“For him to go on in his career, whether he be here with us longer term, whatever, that stands him in good stead because he was superb and he’s won us the game evidently with that save.”

Maidstone will hold a board meeting on Tuesday for further discussions over Harry Wheeler’s successor.

Walton said: "I’m just doing as I’m being told. I’m here no matter what, whether it be a player or whether someone asks me to carry on."

Read the match report from Maidstone's 2-1 win at Hartlepool