Maidstone are relegated with five games to play after being thumped at home by Boreham Wood.

United conceded after just 53 seconds on their way to a 4-0 defeat which confirmed a quick return to National South.

It’s been a dreadful campaign for the Stones, who won three of their first six games but only twice since.

They’re on a run of 20 National League games without a win and have taken only three points from a possible 42 under George Elokobi, who has a major rebuilding job on his hands.

Yusuf Mersin took Tom Hadler’s place in goal after returning from his emergency loan at Welling, while Roarie Deacon came in for the suspended Raphe Brown.

Mersin’s first action was to pick the ball out of his net as Wood took the lead inside a minute.

Dennon Lewis latched on to a ball through the middle of the Stones defence and fired low past Mersin into the bottom corner - the visitors’ first goal in open play in five games.

One soon became two as Boreham Wood doubled their lead in the 10th minute.

Bivesh Gurung presented the ball to Tyrone Marsh on the edge of the box and he lifted it over Mersin to turn the mood at the Gallagher a little more sour.

Maidstone lost defender Mamadou Jobe to injury shortly after, leading to a change in system, with forward Ryan Viggars on in his place.

Viggars glanced a header wide - a reasonable chance - but that was about it in terms of genuine openings for the Stones, who looked like a beaten side.

Wood had good opportunities to extend their lead before half-time, including one for Zak Brunt, whose effort was cleared off the line by Kevin Berkoe.

Lewis twice went through on goal, Mersin making a good low save from the first and Gurung getting back to snuff out the second.

Boreham Wood eventually extended their lead in the 57th minute, with George Broadbent’s header from Lewis’ cross adjudged to have crossed the line.

They scored again five minutes later - a goal that had some Stones fans heading for the exits.

It was another lousy one to concede with Lewis left all on his own from Brunt’s through ball and making no mistake.

Dominic Odusanya went closest to pulling a goal back, forcing a good low save from Nathan Ashmore in the last couple of minutes.

Maidstone: Mersin, Fowler, Jobe (Viggars 17mins), Bone, Deacon, Gurung, Booty, Odusanya, Berkoe, Shonibare (Marshall 60mins), Wanjau-Smith. Subs not used: Hadler, Touray, Walters.

Boreham Wood: Ashmore, Kelly-Evans, Ilesanmi, Broadbent (Ricketts 87mins), Marsh (Newton 75mins), Fyfield (Coxe 46mins), Lewis, Payne, Brunt, Bush, Agbontohoma. Subs not used: Rees, Ndlovu.

Referee: Wayne Cartmel.

Attendance: 1,774 (75 away).