Maidstone United manager George Elokobi explains how he’s got his players believing they can beat Coventry City in the FA Cup fifth round

‘Believe’ will be the word of the day as Maidstone bid to pull off another FA Cup giant-killing.

The Stones go to Championship high-fliers Coventry on Monday night (7.45pm) looking to add to their shock victory at Ipswich in round four.

Their 2-1 success at Portman Road centred on manager George Elokobi’s message to believe it was possible.

Elokobi has once again instilled that into his players as they head to the CBS Arena in a history-making last-16 tie.

“Our openness with our players is how we’ve created this environment, based on honesty, trust, empathy and integrity,” said Elokobi.

“It’s about respect. It’s about treating them as people first, to believe in themselves.

“You need to believe in yourselves for anyone else to believe in you.

“And when you go out there as a team we need to make sure we believe as a group that the impossible can be made possible.

“They see it. They see how we work with them.

“We understand we are in a results business but if they see us trying to help them to be good people first, and then to be better footballers, I think they appreciate it.

“They’ve been given that freedom to go out there and make mistakes and not get killed for it.

“It will make you believe and I think they’ve seen that through the season.”

The odds are stacked against a Maidstone side who are sixth in National League South - 95 places below their Championship hosts.

But they’ve got this far, reaching round five for the first time in their 127-year history, and you just never know in football.

Anything’s possible as far as Elokobi is concerned but the main thing is to enjoy the occasion at the Sky Blues’ 32,500-capacity home ground.

The visitors will be backed by 4,800 away fans behind the goal, with tickets selling