Play-offs seen as a success

John Still says finishing in the National South play-offs would be a successful season for Maidstone.

The Stones are two points outside the top seven but with no game this Saturday, the picture could change by the time they host Hemel Hempstead on Tuesday night. Maidstone have games in hand and plenty of time to secure a play-off spot and head of football Still would take that in a rebuilding season.

He said: “Success, I think, would be the play-offs, failure would be nowhere near it, like a ridiculous number of points behind.

“When I first went back to Dagenham it took three years to get a side that was capable of winning promotion because we couldn’t go and buy whoever we wanted.

“We weren’t shopping at Harrods, we were shopping at different places and you have to build and I love that.

“I look at some of our players and we’re getting a group together that can push for the next level. Like all things, we’re going to have to add to them on the way.

“I say to the players, don’t be one of the positions we’re going to add to, you be the person we need.

“We’re not as good as we can become in the coming months and years because the building is going on.

“If you want to be part of this journey you’ve got to get on the train now because otherwise it’s gone.

“At the end of this season, wherever we finish, be it playoffs, just outside, promotion, whatever it is, we want to improve next year.

“So you’ve got to show us you want to be on this journey and if you leave it too late you’ll go to step on the train but the train will be gone.”