Maidstone manager Jay Saunders has told his players to go out and enjoy themselves against title rivals Sutton at the Gallagher on Tuesday night.

United have the National League South championship in their sights after securing a play-off place at the weekend.

The importance of the game is clear, with second-placed Stones five points behind leaders Ebbsfleet with two games in hand and the visitors a point further back with three in hand after a 20-match unbeaten run.

Saunders makes Sutton favourites to overhaul Fleet and maintains there is no pressure on his side, having already met their objective of a top-five finish.

But he knows if Maidstone do end the U’s long unbeaten record, the chance is there to win the league at the first attempt.

Boss Saunders, who has striker Dumebi Dumaka available after an ankle injury, said: “I won’t be putting any pressure on the boys. It’s up to them.

“If they go and win the game then they’ve put themselves in a great position but as I’ve said to them, we’ve done what we set out to do at the start of the season and that was to make play-offs.

“What I want them to do is just enjoy Tuesday night. With the amount of work they’ve put in and the way they’ve stuck together throughout the season, I think they deserve to be in big games like that.

“I’d hate to have been at this stage of the season sat in mid-table with nothing to play for.

“We’ve always had something to play for since we’ve been in here and it’s nice they can go into a big game and still be fighting for something.”

United upset Sutton 2-0 on the opening day of the season - Joe Healy and Alex Akrofi with second-half goals - but Paul Doswell’s side arrive at the Gallagher on a phenomenal run stretching back to November.

Saunders said: “Dos has done ever so well there. If you look at Sutton over the years they seem to go on good runs after Christmas.

“I said last week the title is in their hands. If they come to us and win, they’ve got Ebbsfleet to play and they’ve got the games in hand so if they win their games they obviously go top.

“Like I’ve said all along, I don’t really feel there’s any pressure on us. We can go into the Sutton game and I’ll be telling the boys to enjoy it.

“They’re the sort of games you want to play in. I’d give my left arm to play on Tuesday night and the players have got to go out there and enjoy it, and if they do that and we play how we can, then we’ve got a chance.

“There’s five games left and who’d have thought we’d be where we are?”

The match is a pay-on-the-night fixture. Gates open at 6.15pm.