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Maidstone United head coach Hakan Hayrettin wants National League big guns in FA Cup fourth qualifying round

Hakan Hayrettin is eyeing one of the big boys after Maidstone beat Hitchin in the FA Cup.

The Stones are through to the final qualifying round following yesterday’s 2-1 victory.

Maidstone United head coach Hakan Hayrettin Picture: Sean Aidan
Maidstone United head coach Hakan Hayrettin Picture: Sean Aidan

National League clubs enter at this stage and head coach Hayrettin fears no one in Monday’s draw.

He said: “I’ll play anybody right now. Let’s have a Notts County at home or a Dagenham at home or a Bromley at home. Why not?

“The most important thing was for us to get through. It’s a bit of kudos for the club, a bit of money for the club.

“We didn’t really get what we wanted out of the players but, saying that, we’re through.

“Cup football’s got a way of producing upsets and we were nearly one of those upsets.

Jake Cole celebrates with fans at the end of the game Picture: Sean Aidan
Jake Cole celebrates with fans at the end of the game Picture: Sean Aidan

“But we hung on in there and we’re through.”

Goals from Noah Chesmain and Ibby Akanbi saw Maidstone overturn an early deficit but they needed Jake Cole’s 78th-minute penalty save to avoid being taken to a replay by the Southern League strugglers.

Hayrettin said: “We didn’t play as well as we could do – we know that – and we knew they could be a potential banana skin.

“With cup games anything can happen, as we saw in the round before a lot of teams from higher echelons lost to lower teams.

“They’re not a bad outfit, they threw the kitchen sink at us and could have got a replay but our goalkeeper did his job there and saved a penalty and we’re through.

Nana Kyei goes close in the second half Picture: Sean Aidan
Nana Kyei goes close in the second half Picture: Sean Aidan

“The reaction to going behind was good. We played some good stuff, opened them up and scored two good goals but we could have capitalised on that and got a few more.

“Jake Cole earned his money today, didn’t he?

“He’s someone I chased when I came here and we got him.

"We’ve got him and Chrissy Lewington, who are both experienced goalkeepers who can play the level above this. We’ve very happy to have him.”

Maidstone earned £11,250 in prize money for beating Hitchin.

Read more: The latest sports news in Kent

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