Kentish Football 
I've got a squad capable of dealing with the pressure of being the favourites, says Jay Saunders
The Stones, who sit at the top of the Ryman League Division One South table, welcome the Brighton-based side in the final qualifying round.
Maidstone United go into the game on the back off a goal-less draw at early leaders Crawley Down Gatwick last night.
“It was a tough game to be honest,” admitted Saunders. “The conditions down there were not the greatest. The pitch was really boggy and obviously it was a windy night.
“All in all I was hoping for the three points, but with a fifteen minute delay with the floodlights failing in the first half I think all in all we look back and say it’s not a bad point.”
Saunders was frustrated that his potent strike force failed to hit the back of the net against John Maggs’ side.
He said: “We’ve been scoring for fun recently and it’s going to happen in games when we don’t. What’s important we stay solid and try and keep clean sheets and we’ve done that again.
“Nine times out of ten we’ll score goals in games but last night it just didn’t quite fall for us. We had chances to win it. Boothy (Paul Booth) has gone through one-on-one, I think normally he would have taken that! Shaun (Welford) had a good chance. We had a couple of balls go across the box that we didn’t get our head on.
“All in all a point is not a bad result down there.”
Maidstone United welcome last season’s Ryman League Division One South title winners Whitehawk for a mouth-watering FA Trophy tie.
“To be honest the draws in all the cups have not been too kind for us,” admitted Saunders.
“Darren (Freeman) has got a good side down there. It will be a tough game. They won our league and rightly so last year and they’ve gone up and showed what a good side they are in the Ryman Premier and he’s added to it as well.
“It’s a home game, which is a bonus. It should be a good crowd and hopefully we can give them a good game.”
Saunders says his players are relishing the favourites tag put on them by fellow Ryman League Division One South managers.
The Stones are three points clear at the top of the table after 12 games and have been tipped by their rivals as the side that should follow Whitehawk’s lead last season.
“Since we had a bit of an indifferent start and when we lost down at Worhing we were a bit down but we had confidence that we could turn it around and that seemed like a long time ago now and the Cups (FA Cup and FA Trophy) came at a good time for us and gave us a bit of confidence,” said Saunders.
“When we beat teams like Margate and Grays we showed that form into the league. We’re on a good run at the moment so it’s just a case of keeping that going.
“Even it’s a Cup game on Saturday, it’s a case of taking each game as it comes and try and get a good result and go on to the next one.
“The players like all the pressure. Crawley Down lost three or four on the trot before last night but I spoke to a couple of their supporters’ that I know down there and that’s the hardest their players have worked in a few weeks and I think that shows.
“Maidstone United take decent supporters home and away and it gives the other teams the incentive that they want to beat the favourites. It does lift the other teams and it puts more pressure on our players’ and I think I’ve got a squad capable of dealing with it and we are and we just have to keep doing that.”
Maidstone United welcome local rivals Tonbridge Angels to James Whatman Way for a mouth-watering Kent Senior Cup (sponsored by portablefloodlights.com) Second Round tie next Tuesday – subject to both club’s FA Trophy results at the weekend.
Tommy Warrilow’s side are presently two divisions above the Stones and face Staines Town in the FA Trophy at the weekend lying in eleventh-place in the Blue Square Bet (Conference) South.
Saunders said: “I’ve got a lot of time for Tommy down there, we get on well. They are rivals, they are in different leagues over the last few years and they’ve gone their different ways but it will be an interesting one.
“I’m not sure what side Tom will put out but we’ll put out a strong side. We will rest one or two but the majority of it will be a strong side.
“It’s a cup, personally, that I’d like to win. We’ll put out a decent side that we think can hopefully win the game.
“In the last round against Sittingbourne we did rest a few but if you look at the side I put out we had out there players like Michael Phillips and Danny Lye. If you look right through that side it was a strong side. There were only a couple of young lads that were involved and other than that it’s players who haven’t been involved, players coming back from injuries and anyone who wants fitness.
“I’m going to give a couple of the reserves a run out. I think it’s important to do that but if we can win the competition, then why not.”
Visit Maidstone United’s website: www.maidstoneunited.co.uk
Maidstone United v Whitehawk
The FA Carlsberg Trophy Third Qualifying Round
Saturday 10th November 2012
Kick Off 3:00pm
at The Gallagher Stadium, James Whatman Way, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1LQ
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