Battling Maidstone coughed and spluttered their way into the FA Trophy second round - quite literally.

A number of Stones players were unwell but came through 120 minutes to beat Woking 3-2 after extra time in Tuesday night's replay.

Boss Harry Wheeler was proud of his side, particularly with so many feeling under the weather.

He said: "They're all coughing and spluttering and we just said try and get through it.

"You could see at the end that some of them were lagging behind a little bit.

"It's nice that they all got through it and dug in because that's hard.

"That duration is not easy and they deserve the credit.

"None of them have hinted they don't want to play because it's not in their nature, they're all honest, strong lads.

"All they want to do is play but they were coughing and spluttering.

"Put it this way, if it was training, they wouldn't be training so they've dug in for the cause and they got their just rewards."

Goals from Michael Phillips and Jake Cassidy were cancelled out as Woking twice hit back.

But Maidstone set up a second-round tie against Maidenhead or Oxford City when substitute Will De Havilland headed home a 116th-minute winner.

Wheeler said: "I'm delighted and proud of the boys.

"I think it was a resilient performance, a strong performance.

"It's not easy going in the lead three times.

"They've put away a league side in the FA Cup two weeks ago, Alan Dowson always has good teams, they don't give up, they keep going and so it was a battling performance, which I think the team needed and it will bring them closer."

Cassidy's goal was his first in 16 appearances since joining on loan from Hartlepool.

The hard-working striker broke his duck after a chat with the management.

Wheeler said: "He works so hard, his tempo's brilliant, his flick-ons, he creates a lot for the team.

"But if he can start getting those goals, we said to him, do more of your work between the two goalposts because you'll be in the right area.

"He wants to work so hard that half the time, when we do get the attacks, he's not in the box.

"We're trying to get him to be more central at times and it helps when you've got wide players who are starting to carry the ball and it allows him to get in there."

Read the match report from Maidstone's 3-2 win over Woking