Maidstone remain years ahead of schedule after preserving their National League status for the second time.

The Stones have had their critics in this season’s relegation battle but are trying to compete in a division they hadn’t expected to reach for some time.

They clinched survival with Saturday’s 3-1 win at Chester - a fine achievement for manager Jay Saunders and his players as the club play catch-up off the field.

Saunders said: “I don’t think people realise, we’re a long way behind a lot of clubs in this league.

“If you ask the owners we had a 10-year plan to get to this level and we did it in four or five. It’s tough but we are getting there.”

Saunders will meet with owners Oliver Ash and Terry Casey and chief executive Bill Williams to discuss plans for next season.

They have a year of daytime training under their belts but, with the benefit of experience, will change their Monday-Wednesday-Thursday schedule.

Saunders said: “There’s a lot of things I think we need to sit down and talk about for next season.

“We’ve moved to daytime training but the three days we’ve done aren’t the right days, they’ve not worked out, so we’ve ended up a lot of the time only doing two days.

“I had a chat with John Still at Dagenham at the start of the season and he said their most challenging year was the year they changed over to daytime training.

“I’ve learned a hell of a lot about it and we’ll look at it and go again next season."

Saunders will start talks with his players after the final game of the season at home to FC Halifax tomorrow (12.30pm).

He's hoping to keep the nucleus of the squad together but some players will be released while others may prove hard to keep.

Saunders said: "When you've got good young lads you're always going to get interest in them.

"I don't expect to keep them all but hopefully the majority.

"We'll try and get some of them tied up but it doesn't always happen quickly and sometimes they want to keep their options open but hopefully we can get the ones we want."

Saunders needs a rest after a difficult season for him and his family, with the Stones coming in for some unfair criticism at times.

He said: "It’s tough on me, it’s tough on Hayley and the kids because we’ve taken a lot of stick and it’s not nice.

"No one cares more when we lose than myself and the management team and the players but the supporters that did go against us don’t see things and don’t know everything that goes on.

"It’s been a real tough year for myself and Nicky (Southall, assistant manager).

"People don’t realise how much we take home with us."