Visitors made it tough to watch
Jay picks up league award
Manager Jay Saunders said Maidstone’s game against Guiseley was horrible to watch. The Stones boss put that down to the visitors’ approach and wasn’t about to criticise his players after they conceded an injury-time penalty in a 1-1 draw. Saunders said: “The only way they were going to get something out of the game was from a set-piece. “I don’t think there’s a lot of contact but the minute he goes down the ref’s always going to give it. “It’s disappointing because at that point you think you’ve done the hard work and the game’s won but it wasn’t. “Again, maybe the game should be put to bed but they’re a big side, they do what they do. They smash it up there as big as they can and try and make life hard for you and I get that. “It’s frustrating. Was it a great game? No, it wasn’t, it was horrible to watch but people don’t realise how hard it is against Guiseley, against Paul Cox’s sides. “You can see they’re a big side, they’re constantly trying to turn you and you have to stand up and defend and, to be fair, for 89 minutes we’ve done that. But just that little moment at the end, we’ve switched off. “I don’t know if Reece really needs to make the contact, he says there wasn’t a lot of contact but it’s been given.” Maidstone lost Magnus Okuonghae early in the first half, with Saunders confirming the centre-half had aggravated his hip after landing awkwardly from a header. QPR loanee Alex Finney came on and took his chance to impress. Saunders said: “I thought he was excellent. It’s difficult. He’s been waiting for his chance, he’s been training well, his attitude’s been spot on. “He’s a young lad who won his headers, he talked well. “Hopefully, Mags isn’t too bad but if he is, we’ve got that advantage of having Finney in.” Maidstone are the team Alex Finney wants to play for if QPR decide to keep him out on loan.
Finney’s deal at the Gallagher runs out in January and while the defender has started only two games, he would be happy to stay.
A groin injury cost him his place and he’s had to be patient, with Magnus Okuonghae and Alex Wynter hitting it off in central defence.
But Championship outfit QPR have had no complaints so hopefully nothing would stand in the way of Finney extending his loan.
He said: “QPR just want to make sure that I’m ready for when I get thrown in and make sure I’m well equipped.
“There’s regular contact there. I go in every Friday and every Sunday to train and I see all the boys.
“There’s a good group of lads here. Stones boss Jay Saunders has been named National League managerof-the-month for September. A 4-1 away win at Macclesfield was the highlight of a month that also saw Stones win at Eastleigh and Barrow and beat Woking at home. Saunders, whose side have lost to Bromley and drawn with Guiseley in October, said: “It’s always nice to get chosen for it. We had a good month. “It just seems to be the manager’s curse – whenever you get that you tend to lose your next game and that was the case with us.”