Jay Saunders felt Maidstone’s first-half performance in the 1-0 win against Havant was up there with the best football they’ve played this season.

The way Stones moved the ball was a pleasure to watch at times and the clearest sign yet they are getting to grips with how Saunders wants his team to play in National League South.

Havant finished strongly but United defended well for their fourth clean sheet in nine games.

Boss Saunders said: “You’ve got to remember we’re playing a team in Havant who are well-established at this level and we’ve gone out there first half and played very, very well.

“I think it’s a confidence thing. You’re telling players to go and express themselves.

“Some games it’s going to come off and some it won’t but if we keep trying to play that way I think we’ll cause teams problems.

“They stepped on us a lot more and tried to stop us playing second half and I thought for them at times it worked.

“They’ve got a lot of ex-pros and a lot of experience and we knew they’d come back into the game but we dug deep and I thought we deserved the points.”

Maidstone have conceded only six goals all season and once again the back four looked strong, with Jamie Coyle keeping fit-again captain Steve Watt out of the side for the second game running.

Saunders said: “I think you’ve got to give Coyley a pat on the back. It’s not easy to leave your skipper out but in fairness to Coyley he’s come in and done very well and I felt he deserved to keep his place.

“Manny Parry probably had his worst game last week but it would have been harsh to drop him and today he was very good.

“At the end of the day if we can keep it tight defensively we’ve always got players who are going to cause teams problems.”

Frannie Collin was an unused substitute in his final match before joining Herne Bay on loan for a month.

Saunders said: “There was that temptation to put Frannie on. I just felt in the last 10 minutes, when Havant were pushing higher up the pitch and tiring, that Alex Akrofi’s pace could cause them problems.

“Frannie will go out now, get some games and we’ll get him back when he’s firing on all cylinders. That can only be a bonus for us.”

Maidstone go to Maidenhead on Tuesday (7.45pm).