Eastleigh 0 Maidstone United 4 FA Trophy match report: Stones reach Quarter-Finals with dominant display

Maidstone thrashed National League rivals Eastleigh to reach the Quarter-Finals of the FA Trophy.

Sha’mar Lawson and Regan Booty put the Stones 2-0 up inside 11 minutes and Roarie Deacon and Jerome Binnom-Williams added second half-goals after the hosts had skipper Aaron Martin sent off.

Regardless of the Spitfies playing for an hour with 10 men, United were already well on top and this comfortably goes down as their most complete performance this season in putting their league struggles to one side.

No wonder caretaker boss George Elokobi looked so happy at the end, for this display does his chances of continuing in the job no harm at all.

Maidstone, winners on penalties at Notts County in round four, started well, with Booty hitting the base of the post after turning on Deacon’s pass.

Moments later, they took a seventh-minute with Jack Barham working hard to play the ball to Lawson on the edge of the box and his first-time strike flew past Joe McDonnell.

Dan Barden kept Maidstone in front with an outstanding save after Danny Whitehall released Alfie Lloyd.

The visitors then doubled their lead on 11 minutes.

Deacon worked a corner short to Barham and he played the ball across goal for Booty to fire home down the middle of the goal, with McDonnell beaten for pace.

Maidstone were in control, calm and composed in defence and a good bet to extend their lead with Barham testing McDonnell at the end of a long run, while skipper Binnom-Williams headed over after losing his man from Booty’s inswinging free-kick.

Eastleigh’s problems mounted when big centre-back Martin was sent off for two yellows in five minutes.

He could have no complaints with either card, bringing down Alabi and then Barham as the Spitfires found themselves