Maidstone United 1 Weston-super-Mare 0 match report: Ken Charles sends the Stones top of National League South

Ken Charles scored the winner as Maidstone went top of National League South with victory over Weston at the Gallagher Stadium.

Charles, back in the starting XI in place of the injured Tom Leahy, bagged the only goal four minutes into the second half to send Craig Fagan’s side above Dagenham at the summit.

It was a fifth win in six games for the Stones since losing to Farnborough on the opening day.

Maidstone were missing Leahy, whose two goals and two assists led Fagan’s men to victory at Hampton on Monday.

His absence meant a return to the starting line-up for Charles, while Ryan Hanson was back from a slight hamstring strain.

United made most of the running in a goalless first half between sides starting the day second and fourth in the table.

Clear-cut chances proved hard to come by in the opening 45 but the Stones spent plenty of time knocking at the door.

The returning Hanson went as close as anybody to breaking the deadlock, his rasping 25-yard drive pushed over the bar by Max Harris after being allowed to carry the ball forward.

Harris also beat away a fiercely struck free-kick from the edge of the box by Riley Court.

Jayden Davis looked dangerous down the right on his first home start for the Stones, putting over several crosses, as well as seeing a strike go narrowly wide off a Weston defender when teed up in a good position by Leone Gravata.

Charles, meanwhile, had an effort blocked by Weston skipper Sean Long after Gravata and Court combined, and George Fowler sent a first-time strike past the far post.

Weston, content to sit back, offered little going the other way, an off-target strike by Michael Smith from outside the box the sum of their first-half efforts.

Maidstone made their superiority count by taking