Maidstone became the first team to beat Sutton this year after Stuart Lewis' winner at the Gallagher Stadium.

The U's had won seven and drawn three of their 10 games in 2018, a run that's put them firmly in National League title contention.

But the Stones, high on confidence after ending their 17-game winless run last weekend, made it back-to-back victories with a fine display against Paul Doswell's fliers.

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The 1-0 success moves Maidstone up to 16th place, nine points clear of trouble.

Stones boss Jay Saunders said: "I thought it was a very good performance.

"First and foremost, Dos has got a very good side.

"They're having a great season and we knew it would be a tough game but, to be honest, I thought we were the better side.

"We looked like we had a little bit more desire and wanted it a little bit more.

"I would like to have got that second goal and a cushion but overall it was a very good performance.

"Before the game I said in the team talk I felt their run had to come to an end, a bit like I've been saying with our winless run, and why couldn't it be today?

"We took the game to them.

"First five or 10 minutes it took us a little while to settle down but once we got to grips with things I think it always breeds confidence in a team and a management team when the other team are changing shape and making subs quite early on because it shows you're probably getting the better of the game and I thought we were at that point."

Saunders cleared up the mystery of Jamar Loza's disallowed first-half goal - with the referee claiming he'd spotted a foul.

The Stones boss added: "The referee said to me it was a two-hand push in Jamie Collins' back.

"He said they didn't appeal for it, Jamie Collins actually thought it was somebody's body that hit into him but the ref said it was a blatant two-hand push.

"My only answer to that was if that's the case then second half there was a blatant penalty for a two-hand push but he didn't give it.

"To be fair, the ref's just come up to me and said, 'look, I'm going to have a look at both incidents again and I'll send you an email', not that it really matters now but at least he's had the decency to acknowledge he may have got something wrong."

Lewis' 75th-minute goal capped a terrific display from the Stones captain after a two-game ban but Saunders felt his side were strong all over the park.

He said: "He's been a big miss to us. He's your captain, he's someone that works hard for 90 minutes but I don't just want to single him out."

Read the match report from Maidstone's 1-0 win over Sutton