The damage was done in the first half as Maidstone lost at Wealdstone.

Jack Cook scored an early opener and Corie Andrews made it two as United were punished for a poor opening 45 minutes.

They improved vastly in the second half, pulling a goal back through Josh Shonibare, but couldn’t find an equaliser.

Defeat saw Maidstone move another step closer to relegation, now 12 points from safety, and extended their winless run in the National League to 16 games.

Skipper Jerome Binnom-Williams returned from a calf injury as one of four changes to the side who lost 2-0 at Solihull on Saturday.

There were also starts for James Alabi, Tushaun Walters and Dominic Odusanya, with Kevin Berkoe, Sha’mar Lawson, Mark Marshall and Sol Wanjau-Smith the players to miss out.

Maidstone’s hopes of ending their long wait for a win quickly unravelled in a terrible start that saw them trail in just the sixth minute.

It was a poor one to concede, too, with the ball returned across goal following a corner and going all the way through to Cook at the far post.

A confident home side were on top in every department as Maidstone struggled to get into the game.

A second looked inevitable and it arrived in the 24th minute following a goal spell of possession in midfield.

The ball was moved left by Sonny Blu Lo-Everton to Brooklyn Illunga and his cross was headed home at the near post by Andrews.

Jack Barham and Binnom-Williams briefly argued among themselves as frustration grew, the Stones striker demanding better quality.

The visitors finally had a shot six minutes before the break, Odusanya firing wide from the edge of the box.

Wealdstone might have added a third before half-time when Andrews ran clear but Mamadou Jobe made an excellent challenge to snuff out the danger.

Maidstone introduced Bivesh Gurung for Walters in a change of system at the break, switching to a back four.

And they were back in the game in the 51st minute with Roarie Deacon breaking into the box and dinking the ball past keeper Samuel Howes, with Shonibare making sure the ball crossed the line.

Andrews somehow headed wide from Max Kretzchmar’s cross with the goal at his mercy as Wealdstone missed a golden chance to restore their two-goal cushion on the hour mark.

They nearly paid for that when Deacon swapped passes with Shonibare and fed James Alabi, who forced a good low save from Howes.

That led to a decent spell for the visitors with Wealdstone struggling to clear their lines as George Elokobi’s men hunted an equaliser.

At the the other end, Dan Barden made amends for fumbling Andrews’ shot by making a superb block from Dominic Hutchinson’s follow-up.

Seconds later, Ashley Charles curled a free-kick inches wide.

Wealdstone: Howes, Cook, Charles, Andrews (Olomola 89mins), Obiero, Lo-Everton (Hutchinson 61mins), Dyer, Ilunga, Kretzchamar (Ferguson 90mins), Barker, Habergham. Subs not used: Barrett, Whittaker.

Maidstone: Barden, Jobe, Fowler, Binnom-Williams, Shonibare (Marshall 73mins), Bone, Odusanya, Deacon, Walters (Gurung 46mins), Alabi (Lawson 81mins), Barham. Subs not used: Mersin, Brown.

Referee: Stephen Parkinson.

Attendance: 1,102.