Defender George Fowler has called on Maidstone to show everyone they aren’t the worst team in the National League.

Bottom side United are heading for relegation, a year on from winning the National South championship.

They’re 13 points from safety with eight games to go after a 17-match winless run stretching back to November.

Fowler wants to give fans something to shout about and finish a forgettable campaign with a flourish.

Next up are back-to-back home games, against Woking on Saturday (3pm) and Bromley on Tuesday (7.45pm).

George Elokobi’s side are seven points behind second-bottom Torquay and if they could overhaul the Gulls, that would be something.

“I was optimistic at the start of the season but I’ve been really disappointed,” said Fowler.

“We’ve been missing quite a few key players, and that’s not me making excuses, but a lot of the main starters from last season have been out.

“It’s difficult after last year where we got so used to winning most of the games and then you’ve come into a lot tougher league.

“I think this league is probably the toughest it’s been for a long time in terms of the way teams are spending money, the Wrexhams, the Chesterfields, the Notts Countys.

“You go from an environment of winning every week to losing a couple and it’s a completely different feeling and you have to react in a certain way.

“It’s been disappointing but we’ve got eight games to go.

“We’re certainly not the worst team in this league and we have to show that in the table, so we’ll focus on getting as many wins as we can and see where that leaves us.

“I care a lot. From last season, I know what the boys can do and seeing the club come together when we won the league was brilliant.

“It’s gone the other way this season and it’s frustrating. It’s sad.

“We can only look at ourselves as players and it’s down to us to bounce back for the last eight games.”

Fowler felt heads dropped as Maidstone trailed 2-0 at Maidenhead last weekend.

They rallied in the second half, pulling a goal back through Regan Booty, but lost again.

It’s a mental battle as much as anything after four months without a win, with the players desperate to get three points on the board.

“With the way the season’s gone, when you go behind it’s a little bit demoralising,” said Fowler.

“We’ve been looking for three points for a long time now.

“Everyone wants it, everyone’s been working so hard at the training ground to try and get that, but that’s not an excuse for heads going down.

“If we go behind, we need leaders on the pitch to try and summon everyone’s energy to go again because we’ve got more than enough quality to beat any team in this league on our day.

“It can be a mental thing but, having said that, the staff are brilliant.

“George - Mr Positive I call him - is always geeing us up and looking at the positives.

“As a player that’s brilliant to have the manager doing that because that can only instil confidence and belief going forward.

“We just have to pay that back on the pitch and try and get some goals and eventually a win.”

The players love playing for caretaker boss Elokobi, whose positive outlook has lifted morale in difficult circumstances.

Results normally go hand in hand with a happy dressing room and Fowler said: “That’s part of the frustration.

“We’ve had a couple of results in the FA Trophy but we haven’t been able to bring that into the league.

“It’s coming. We’ll continue to work hard.

“The fans have been brilliant and we need to give them a win because they’re supporting us through a tough season and they deserve it just as much as us.”