Maidstone players responded to a half-time dressing-down to beat Concord and go third in National League South.

For the first time in weeks, boss Jay Saunders had reason to criticise his side with Concord dominant and leading through ex-Stones man Ben Greenhalgh.

Two goals in a minute from Alex Akrofi and James Rogers turned the match the visitors’ way for a ninth win in a row in league and cup.

Saunders said: “I don’t think we were great today. It is a difficult place to come. They’ve always got a good home record, they’re a side that was on the back of two good results and I thought first half we were nowhere near good enough, miles off it all over the park.

“They looked more up for it than us and looked like they wanted it a bit more and we let them know at half-time we can’t have that.

“There were a few things we needed to sort out but you’ve got to give full credit to the boys, they kept going and turned it around.

“I’m just glad with the character we’ve shown. I thought Concord were good and we really had to dig deep.”

Akrofi levelled four minutes after coming on and seconds later set up the winner for Rogers, who was only playing as Jack Paxman was suspended.

Saunders said: “We were struggling to get the ball through midfield so we had to go a little bit longer and Alex helps you stretch them.

“When I found out Jack Paxman was suspended, I did feel if he was going to miss a game, this wouldn’t be a bad one because I don’t think it would have suited him. It was set up for Rogo and he’s come in and done well.”

It was ex-Stones man Greenhalgh who ended his old club’s remarkable defensive record.

They’d gone 634 minutes without conceding a league goal, a run stretching back to August, before Greenhalgh sidefooted home.

Stones would have conceded sooner but for an extraordinary save by Lee Worgan from Steve Cawley’s header.

Just getting down to the ball was an achievement but Worgan somehow turned it over the bar.

Saunders said: “He should have held it! We could have gone in two or three down at half-time and it would have been a fair scoreline.

"Fortunately we’ve got someone like Worgs on those occasions and he’s pulled off a great save. It was magnificent."