‘AMAZING’ IF WE CAN STAY UP

Maidstone Rugby Club coach Mike Hebden says escaping relegation would be a greater feeling than winning promotion.

The County Town club ended a seven-match losing streak by beating fellow strugglers Gravesend at the weekend to move off the bottom of London 1 South.

It was only their third win of the season and while they are still 13 points from safety with seven games to go, Hebden and his players won’t give up without a fight.

He said: “It would be amazing to stay up. You never expect to sit here and say it would be one of your career highights to stay up but it genuinely would be because it’s such a good, competitive league.

“No player or coach wants to be judged by avoiding relegation but when you look at everything we’ve been through this season with injuries, availability and people coming in and out of the club, it would be a huge achievement for everyone.

“If we manage it, which I sincerely hope we do, it would be a greater feeling than if we were promoted.”

Hebden believes Maidstone need to win five of their last seven games to have a chance of staying up. He added: “A lot of people have written us off and it’s been touted around publ i c l y that we’re down but the belief in the squad is still high, as it is with the coaches.

“We had a team meeting and said to ourselves and each other that one of the reasons we play rugby at this level is because we want a challenge.

“Being bottom of the league and trying to avoid relegation isn’t the challenge we wanted at the start of the season but it definitely is a challenge and one we’re excited about.

“Everyone in the club has an opinion on what might happen and what might be the best thing to happen but as far as I’m concerned and as far as the players are concerned, we want to stay up and we’ll do our utmost to do so.

“Sometimes when you’re in this position you see clubs dying off and players giving up but the spirit we have here is probably stronger than it’s ever been in the last couple of years.

“It goes a massive way towards pulling off what would be a great escape.”

Maidstone have a day off this Saturday, returning to action with a home game against relegation rivals Thurrock on February 17.