It was more of the same for Maidstone boss Jay Saunders after his side’s 1-0 defeat at Margate.

United dropped a place to third in National League South after a fourth defeat in five games on Boxing Day.

Again the manager felt his side deserved something and pointed to four big opportunities against their Kent rivals.

Dan Sweeney put a free header over after a minute and Jay May was denied by a terrific Chris Lewington save in a goalless first half.

Bobby-Joe Taylor laid on what should have been a tap-in early in the second half and with Stones 1-0 down, substitute Alex Akrofi hit Lewington in a one-on-one.

Saunders said: “It’s another game I don’t really think we deserved to lose but it’s the same old story, if you don’t take your chances when you get them you don’t win games of football and we’re having that spell at the moment.

“We went on the run when we were getting a lot of 1-0 wins and now the roles have been reversed but I think the disappointing thing for me is we’ve had some real good chances and not taken them.

“They’ve had that one real good chance and taken it and that’s the difference sometimes in football.

“You might get some games where you get one or two good chances but we’ve had four.

“If you look at Sweeney’s header and Jay May’s header - which was an unbelievable save - they’re two really good chances.

“If you look second half, Alex Akrofi’s gone through and we’ve rolled one right across the area. They’re four we should be scoring and haven’t.”

There are likely to be changes for Maidstone’s home game against Eastbourne Borough on Monday (3pm).

Alex Flisher is back in contention after sitting out the last two matches with a hamstring injury while Saunders must also decide whether to hand Callum Davies a debut at centre-half.

He was unhappy with the goal Maidstone conceded at Hartsdown Park but the priority is breaking a run of three 1-0 defeats and improving a record of 20 league goals all season.

Saunders said: “When you’ve got the squad we’ve got and you’re not scoring goals, you’ve got to find the right solution and I think the likes of Charles Banya and Alex Akrofi are pushing for starts. I think there’ll be one or two changes.”