IT’S THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM, JAY!

MAIDSTONE UNITED may be fighting for National League survival – but boss Jay Saunders says the club know how lucky they are to have that problem!

The Stones have had an enforced fortnight off just when they were getting on a roll thanks to Lincoln City and Macclesfield Town’s FA Cup and Trophy runs.

It means they’ve been sat at home for the last two Saturdays keeping an eye on results of their rivals.

But three wins and two draws in five games before their mini-break took Saunders’ side out of the drop zone and has given last season’s National League South play-off winners a big boost.

And boss Saunders, who has taken the club from Step 4 to Step 1 in just four seasons, knows they’re entering a crucial period if they are going to reach safety.

“The plan is to just try and stay up this year,” Saunders told The NLP. “With the new stand opening, next year we’ll have no outlay on the ground so we’ll be able to have a bit more on the football.

“Our remaining fixtures are tough and made tougher by these games we’ve had off. We’ve now got Lincoln and Tranmere as our last two and we’ve got a busy April before that because of the rearranged games.

“We’re at Gateshead on a Saturday, Macclesfield the Tuesday, away to Wrexham on the Friday and Boreham Wood at home on the Monday.

“We’ve got some tough games, so the next two – Sutton and away to Woking – are massive. It’s a case of trying to get the points on the board.

“But we’re looking forward to it. With the lads we’ve got, and the last few results, they’re a lot more confident than they were earlier in the season.

“There are big games for the players to look forward to and be involved in. A few years back we were looking forward to the Ryman South play-offs. Now we’re playing the likes of Lincoln, Tranmere and Wrexham. It’s a big achievement. It’s a case of hanging in this year and building on it next year.”

Saunders says adding experienced heads like midfielders Stuart Lewis and Reece Prestedge, as well as striker Joe Piggott, has been vital in their good form.

“We were very young at the beginning of the season,” Saunders said. “I looked at every team we were coming up against and it was ex-pros or players with good experience of this league. We didn’t have a lot of that.

“At the time we couldn’t get those sort of players in. As the season goes on, you get players who aren’t involved at their clubs and it means you can afford to get them in by paying part of their wages.

“There’s no denying, the players we brought in we wouldn’t have been able to get at the beginning of the season because we couldn’t afford them.

“They’ve been a big help. You look in midfield, with Reece and Stuart Lewis in there, Jack Paxman has kicked on and looks a different player. He’s getting better and better. Having those two older heads alongside him have helped him do that.”