Kentish Football 
We learnt after the Three Bridges game that we just can't turn up and roll teams over, says Saunders
The Stones travel to Merstham in the Second Qualifying Round and Saunders wants his side to perform better than their 1-0 win away to Three Bridges in the last round.
Merstham are managed by former Bromley manager Hayden Bird and the Surrey side lie in sixteenth-place in the Ryman League Division One South table, having won four and drawn one of their ten league games.
Maidstone United, meanwhile, play in the league above and arrive at Weldon Way sitting in second place in the Ryman Premier League table, having won seven and drawn three of their eleven league outings.
Saunders said: “In FA Cup games you never know what to expect. It’s a one-off game.
“We’ve had them watched and I know Hayden Bird’s sides play the right way but it will be a nice pitch and it will be a tough game.
“We go there in good form and hopefully we can go there and get a positive result.”
Saunders revealed the mood in the camp following tonight’s training session on the club’s 3G pitch at their stadium at James Whatman Way.
“It’s a good place to be at the moment,” Saunders said.
“We’ve had one defeat in eleven league games, we’re sitting second in the league by a point and we’re playing some good stuff.
“It’s a great place to be when things are going well and they’re all looking forward to it.
“I’ve gone through a few things for us to win the game and they’re in good spirits and raring to go.”
Maidstone United scraped through Merstham’s league rivals Three Bridges in the previous round and Saunders wants his side to avoid slipping up on a potential banana skin.
“Yes, of course there is a banana skin,” admitted the Stones boss.
“I think we had it last round against Three Bridges when we didn’t play particularly well there but we got a result.
“It is about these early rounds, especially when you go there as favourites. Last year in the Cup we were the underdogs when we were playing Salisbury and Whitehawk - and Margate in The FA Trophy.
“We sort of go there as favourites and it’s a different mentality but I think we’ve got the players’. We learnt after the Three Bridges game that we can’t just turn up and roll them over.
“I’ve gone through that tonight and getting into players’ heads and hopefully they’ll take it on board and do the right things.”
Maidstone United are three wins from a place in the first round and Saunders said: “I just said it to the players, the young ones they haven’t had Cup runs. It’s important you do have good Cup runs because your career goes by so quickly. You think there’s always next year and the next minute your career’s gone by. I was lucky to have a good Cup run.
“Look at what Hastings did, the run they had (getting to the third round last season). It’s just a great competition. You just need that little bit of luck in it and if you have that luck, you just never know who you can end up playing.
“I’ve said to the boys, it will be great for the club if we can have a good run but it all comes down to Saturday really. We have to make sure we get ourselves in the hat on Monday.
“It’s a tough one. We’ve had five draws away from home or something like that in The FA Cup now. It is tough. I think we can have a good run at it, but you just never know. It’s a one-off game. I thought we were quite lucky to get through against Three Bridges. We didn’t play particularly well. They had a couple of chances.
“If we turn up with that attitude and we play like we did against Three Bridges on Saturday, Merstham will have a bit more quality to punish us. It’s up to the lads.
“I’ve got great faith in the bunch of lads I’ve got. When we’re on our game we’re a good side and we can’t go below our standards. We’ve set standards this year and it’s important we play and if we don’t think we’ll find ourselves out of it.”
The Stones were held to a 4-4 draw by Harrow Borough last weekend but bounced back from that set-back by thrashing Thamesmead Town 4-0 in midweek.
“It was important I think after Saturday being 4-1 up and drawing 4-4 against Harrow that we got the most important thing I wanted and that was a clean sheet,” said Saunders.
“We look like a side that can score goals. It’s just the other end, making sure we’re solid as a team.
“We asked the lads to do certain things on Tuesday night and they done it. After drawing a game on Saturday it felt like a loss, so it was important we got the response and got back to winning ways. The boys' done that and it was a good win for us.”
Visit Maidstone United’s website: www.maidstoneunited.co.uk
Merstham v Maidstone United
The FA Cup with Budweiser Second Qualifying Round
Saturday 28th September 2013
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Weldon Way, Merstham, Surrey RH1 3QB
Red Dragon I.T. Ltd