Maidstone United manager George Elokobi says his players executed the game plan perfectly in 1-0 National League South victory at St Albans

George Elokobi felt Maidstone’s late goal at St Albans was coming as they enjoyed a winning start to the National League South season.

United players followed the game plan, keeping the hosts at arm’s length defending the slope in the first half before pushing on after the break.

The visitors looked the more likely scorers as the game wore on and got their rewards when Temi Eweka met Ben Brookes’ 89th-minute corner for the only goal of the game.

“I’m thrilled for our football club,” said boss Elokobi.

“It’s important we started on a positive coming to such a tough place.

“St Albans are a fantastic side, they’ve got a way of playing and if don’t do your homework on them and make sure you prepare right, they will hurt you.

“It was a tremendous result from our group of players who executed the game plan perfectly.

“A clean sheet away from home is good but it wasn’t just the clean sheet that pleased me, it was our organisation, in possession and out of possession and on the transition, making sure we’ve got our principles and our patterns right, especially in possession.

“At times we saw that a lot in the second half in terms of our movement, being patient and our build-up play in the final third, trying to show some qualities.

“We came close a couple of times and we kept saying it, the moment is coming.

“We’ve been resilient in the first half, especially when St Albans edged it in terms of their possession but they weren’t hurting us.

Report: St Albans 0-1 Maidstone

“So we knew the game was going to be stretched and it was important when that comes, we take the moment.”

Elokobi worked his players hard over pre-season to be ready for the opening game.

They were physically ready to last the pace but also mentally switched