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Maidstone United manager Jay Saunders reveals selection poser for National South play-off at Truro

Maidstone boss Jay Saunders says there are still places up for grabs in his play-off team.

United welcomed back Jamie Coyle, Callum Driver and Joe Healy from injury as the regular season finished with a 1-1 draw against Bishop’s Stortford, while the likes of Tom Mills and James Rogers were left out with Wednesday’s first leg at Truro in mind.

The squad will train on Bank Holiday Monday and travel by coach to Cornwall, having scrapped plans to fly.

Maidstone boss Jay Saunders Picture: Martin Apps
Maidstone boss Jay Saunders Picture: Martin Apps

With everyone bar Matt Bodkin (holiday) available, Saunders has yet to decide his starting XI.

He said: “Genuinely there are three or four places I’m not 100% on if I’m being brutally honest.

“The rest I’m pretty much there. There’s a couple of lads who’ve been off it the last couple of weeks and hopefully they’ll come alive and do the business or, if not, then the ones we choose.

“Truro have been changing it about a lot with the amount of games they’ve played so it’s really hard to read what they’re going to do and, as I say, I’ve not made my mind up. We’ll see.

“I should imagine over the two games you’ll see different players being used.”

Action from Maidstone's 1-1 draw with Bishop's Stortford as Alex Flisher gets stuck in Picture: Andy Jones
Action from Maidstone's 1-1 draw with Bishop's Stortford as Alex Flisher gets stuck in Picture: Andy Jones

Coyle, named supporters’ player-of-the-year in the Spitfire Lounge after Saturday’s draw with Stortford, played just under 75 minutes on his comeback after two months out with a knee injury.

Saunders said: “He just felt a little bit tired towards the end. He’s a fit lad, Coyley, but it doesn’t matter who you are, when you’ve been out that length of time it’s going to affect you.

“I always felt if we could get 65-70 minutes of him that would be great. I didn’t want to go much more than that.

“When you become tired you’re more likely to do more damage. I’m pleased he’s got through it.

“You could just hear his talking and it makes a big difference. He gave the boys a lift, just having him out there in the warm-up.

“It’s nice to have Callum and Joe back too.

“I’ve got a full squad to choose from and you can see that with the lads we've left out.

“It shows you we’ve got a lot of options for these play-offs.”

Healy picked up the players’ player-of-the-year award and the goal-of-the-season prize for his opening-day strike at Sutton, while Saunders named goalkeeper Lee Worgan as manager’s player-of-the-year.

Read the match report from Maidstone's 1-1 draw with Bishop's Stortford

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