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John Still felt Maidstone produced the perfect away performance in their victory at Concord.
The Stones’ 1-0 success was down to hard work, organisation, discipline and a moment of class from Matt McClure for the winner.
They’re qualities that go a long way in National League South as Still’s side made it four unbeaten and moved up to 12th in the early standings.
The Stones boss said: “I think it was the perfect away performance.
“All the games, if you look anywhere, they’re all tough, tough, tough.
“I think to come away from home and our keeper not really have too much to do, the defensive side of our game is good.
“Matty’s come in and given us a little edge up front.
“I thought the two midfield players, Saidou Khan and Sam Corne, did their job perfectly and the back four were strong - Jake Cole never had much to do.
“These are a tough side, particularly here.
“We had to work hard but the good thing is, every performance, whether we’ve won or lost, I can never fault their work rate, which is the first thing.”
Head coach Hakan Hayrettin said: “That’s four games now we haven’t lost, four games now they’ve been solid, so we’ve got to keep building and making sure the understanding between each player is correct.
“We keep going back to detail and I think the detail in the game won us the points.
“We defended when we had to do and we put the ball into the right areas.
“John made a point at the death, clip it in the corner and keep it there.
“These are the things that will get us the points.
“The understanding is slowly getting better and better.
“That’s four unbeaten now and we want to make it five.”
The chance to make it five comes at the Gallagher tomorrow with Chelmsford in town for a Bank Holiday Monday fixture.
Jonny Edwards, who set up McClure’s winner, may miss out as Maidstone nurse him back to fitness after a thigh problem.
They wanted to give him minutes against Concord but two games in three days is perhaps ambitious.
It’s a shame because there looks big potential in McClure playing off the big man.
Still said: “We wanted to give him a game to get him a little bit fitter.
“To get him fit, you’ve got to suffer a little bit.
“We play him here and we might not be able to play him Monday.
“It’s just a matter of getting him fit but I think him and Matt could make a pair.
“If you’ve got two good forwards, play two good forwards.
“Matt’s an intelligent player, he knows when to drop into the hole, he knows that job and I think actually coming off it without the ball, he’s finding a bit of space when he arrives a bit later. His finish was top drawer.”
Nana Kyei missed the Concord match through injury and is also likely to sit out Chelmsford.
Cty’s squad is set to include Maidstone old boys Jamar Loza, Ollie Muldoon and Tom Wraight, while Alex Osborn had a brief loan spell at the Gallagher during his Ebbsfleet days.
