Maidstone’s match at AFC Fylde was abandoned after 48 minutes with the visitors 2-1 down.

Ground staff spent half-time sweeping water off the pitch but the ball wasn’t rolling in some areas.

Referee Marc Edwards took the teams off to see if the rain would ease but decided to abandon the match minutes later.

Stones players returned to thank travelling fans who’d made the long trip to the north west.

Earlier, Joe Pigott had cancelled out Fylde’s opener, with the hosts quickly restoring their lead.

Seth Twumasi and Jai Reason returned to the Maidstone side while Josh Hare moved from right-back to defensive midfield with Reece Prestedge unavailable through family commitments and Ollie Muldoon not 100%.

Muldoon was initially named among the substitutes but pulled up in the warm-up and was replaced on the bench by keeper Tommy Taylor.

Heavy wind and driving rain wrecked the game as a spectacle.

United had it in their faces for the first half and it was a nightmare to defend against for Lee Worgan and his back four.

Going the other way, unless it was a six-yard pass to feet, the ball would hold up horribly in the wind.

United did threaten early on when Hare’s header from a Joe Anderson corner was nodded off the line.

But shortly after Jack Muldoon’s header was well held by Worgan, Flyde were in front.

It came on 16 minutes with Sam Finley taking a pass through the middle and continuing his run before firing into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

A lovely move, started by Anderson and featuring a sharp exchange of passes between Pigott and Zavon Hines, led to a good chance for United but Delano Sam-Yorke, sliding in at the near post, put the ball wide.

Stones were, though, level in the 25th minute with Pigott played in and coolly beating keeper Jay Lynch.

It proved short-lived with Fylde back in front four minutes later following back-to-back corners.

There’d been a warning from the first one when Danny Rowe found himself unmarked and went for goal, with the shot deflected wide.

He was the target for the follow-up, too, turning with his back to goal and aiming for the far post, with team-mate Muldoon getting the final touch on the line.

Home keeper Jay Lynch made a brilliant save from Pigott as United went close to an equaliser, while there was a blow before half-time when Anderson went off injured, replaced by Tom Wraight.

Maidstone: Worgan, Twumasi, Anderson (Wraight 39mins), Wynter, Finney, Hare, Lewis, Reason, Sam-Yorke, Pigott, Hines. Subs not used: Loza, Paxman, Taylor, ter Horst.

Attendance: -