Maidstone are back in the FA Cup first round after continuing their recent hold over Kent rivals Ebbsfleet with a dominant victory at the Gallagher Stadium.

Fleet may be in a higher league but they were second-best against a Stones side who eased through thanks to a pair of Aaron Blair headers and an Antony Papadopoulos strike.

Victory continued Maidstone’s good recent record against their Kent rivals, having done the double over them en route to the National League South title in 2021/22, as well as beating them 4-0 in last season’s Kent Senior Cup final.

Maidstone, who reached the FA Cup fifth round last season, took the game to their National League opponents from the start.

Driven on by skipper Sam Corne from midfield and with the equally impressive Blair keeping Fleet’s centre-backs busy, United were in the zone.

And they were soon celebrating an opener, albeit in controversial circumstances, as George Elokobi’s side took a sixth-minute lead.

Charlie Seaman’s long throw bounced in the box and reached Blair whose header, after climbing well, was adjudged to have crossed the line despite the best efforts of keeper Mark Cousins to keep it out.

A 35-yard drive from Corne went inches wide - he couldn’t have struck it any cleaner - before a half-chance for Rakish Bingham at the other end from Ben Chapman’s pass.

Blair bent a deflected effort past the far post after combining neatly with Jon Benton around the edge of the area before Maidstone doubled their lead in the 32nd minute.

Benton chipped the ball to the edge of the box where Papadopoulos took a touch to get away from his man before rifling past Cousins, who might have done better at his near post.

Stones keeper Alexis Andre Jr was quick off his line to deny Bingham at the start of the second half - just a little reminder that one goal for the visitors could change the game.

The next goal went to the home side, though, with Blair starting and finishing a counter-attack from an Ebbsfleet corner in the 53rd minute.

Play was worked right to George Fowler and his ball to the far post was headed back across goal by Papadopoulos for Blair to nod home.

Chapman bent a free-kick wide for Fleet after Fowler brought down Kwame Thomas on the edge of the box at the expense of a yellow card.

But that was as close as Harry Watling’s side came to pulling a goal back, while Blair had a couple of chances to complete a hat-trick at the other end.

Maidstone: Andre Jr, Eweka, Brookes, Fowler, Brown (Fonkeu 77mins), Corne (Gurung 74mins), Blair, Seaman, Trusty (Higgs 67mins), Benton (Coulthirst 83mins), Papadopoulos (Krasniqi 90+1mins). Subs not used: Holden, Lodovica.

Ebbsfleet: Cousins, Wright (Lawson 81mins), John, Kellermann (Fonguck 46mins), Bingham, Domi (Stewart 36mins), Tanga (Thomas 61mins), Chapman, Dallison, Tanner, Kane. Subs not used: Berry, Cundle, Olagunju.

Referee: Farai Hallam.

Attendance: 2,910 (483 away).