They’re third in the table, have won their last SIX National League South games, are top of the form guide, a full-time outfit and havn’t lost a league game since the end of October.

That gives you some idea of the task facing Gavin Macpherson’s men at Maidstone United tomorrow, a game Gavin describes as our hardest of the season to date on paper against a former EFL team.

Town fans wont need reminding of the corresponding fixture back in September when we were on the wrong side of a 4-1 defeat.

We’re undoubtedly a more settled side now than we were then but it’s still a learning curve as we try to build on last Saturday’s confidence-boosting last-gasp win over Chelmsford.

Although Alfie Tuck and Dan Cox have returned to their respective clubs, Gavin has virtually a clean bill of health at his disposal other than the likes of John Oyenuga who has resumed training but isn’t quite ready.

A couple of Maidstone’s most influential loan players have returned to their parent clubs but they nevertheless pose a considerable threat, spearheaded by Aaron Blair who scored a hattrick against us in September.

“It’s a really difficult one, make no mistake,” said Gavin. “Obviously Blair is a major threat but he’s not the only one. But hopefully we’ve ironed out a few of the issues we had when we met them before.”

One of Gav’s decisions will be  whether to keep Sam Youngs – seven goals in 10 games – up top or push him back into his regular role and employ exciting on-loan teenager Amaru Kaunda alongside either Anointed Chukwu or Jake Hutchinson. “Youngy has been really effective as a nine so it’s one of a number of things we are working on in terms of selection,” said Gav.

It’s probably fair to say that Town need 1.5 points per game to have a realistic chance of staying up so whenever we fall short, theoretically we have to win the subsequent game. But having picked up three points last time out who’se to say we can’t go on a run?  

“I anticipate the top sides will by and large keep winning — hopefully not against us – and it’s then a question of which sides further down can pick up enough points,” said Gavin. “I know it’s a cliché but we’re taking each game in isolation. We’re a completely different outfit to last time we played Maidstone but if we don’t get it right, we will pay the price.”

AW