Walker - Don't slip up on Leyton banana skin - EXCLUSIVE

MAIDSTONE UNITED boss Alan Walker has told his inconsistent side not to slip up against basement boys Leyton on Saturday, writes Stephen McCartney.

Walker watched his old club Tonbridge Angels seal a comfortable 4-0 win over the east Londoners at Lea Bridge Road last night and knows it will be very embarrassing if the Stones don’t pick up three points.

Leyton have failed to pick up any points out of their last ten outings and their only wins in the Ryman Premier League have been against Horsham (4-3), Ashford Town Middlesex (2-0), Boreham Wood (4-0) and Hastings United (1-0).

“Very much a banana skin,” Walker warned, when speaking EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“I was there last night. All the pressure’s on us. They’re expected to lose but we’re a team that’s very, very indifferent in our form at the moment.

“If there’s going to be an upset, I can see it being us if we don’t perform to our very best potential.”

Tonbridge took 33 minutes to break the deadlock last night, with Carl Rook scoring the first of his two goals and Walker wants his side to score early.

“I didn’t think they were a bad side at all,” Walker said. “They folded when Tonbridge scored the first goal.

“They’ve definitely got a few strengths and if they’re a side that gets their tails in front, they’ll take some stopping.

“If we can get an early goal then we’ll be fine. It’s not going to be easy, they’re obviously making a go of it.

“It’s very much a case of all the headlines will be about us, all the negative ones, if we get beaten there.

“They’re raring to get a result, for a result for ten games, so it’s going to happen sooner or later - let’s hope it’s not us!

“I don’t expect a shock home win. What I’m saying is if we’re not careful we’ll be on the end of a defeat.

“It’s the last thing we need at this moment in time. We’re up and down with our performances, a good week (followed by) a bad week - let’s hope it’s one of our good ones.”

Every manager in this division knows it’s quite easy to climb the table with a string of decent results.

Walker said: “If we can find that consistency we’ll be in a very much healthier position then we are at the moment.

“Anyone who strings together four or five wins are very much in there for the play-offs and promotion.”

Irish star midfielder Conor Hagan returns following his one-match ban but Rob Owen is still nursing a hamstring injury.

And Walker said: “We’re at full strength. We had a horrendous run of injuries but we’ve got people back.

“We’ve got three or four players who have hardly played and their trying to regain their fitness in games, which isn’t ideal.

“We’ve had to throw people back in before their fully fit.”

And on transfer targets, Walker revealed: “We’re very much looking to strengthen the squad. We’re looking at a couple of deals before this weekend. I’m hoping to have a couple of players (strikers) in by next weekend.”

Visit Maidstone United’s website:  www.maidstoneunited.co.uk

Leyton v Maidstone United
Ryman Premier League
Saturday 26^th January 2008
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Leyton Stadium, 282 Lea Bridge Road, Leyton, London E10 7LD