Maidstone United manager Mark Boruk won’t hesitate to start 17-year-old Mark Boruk if bold decisions are required

Maidstone United manager George Elokobi is “100 per cent” prepared to hand teenager Mark Boruk a start.

The 17-year-old striker was praised by Elokobi following his appearance as a second-half substitute at Chesham last Saturday.

United lost 4-2 in a setback to their National League South play-off hopes but Boruk, who made his debut a week earlier against Farnborough, emerged with credit.

“One hundred per cent,” said Elokobi, when asked if he would be tempted to start a young player, like Boruk, before the end of the season.

“I told the senior players weeks back that if we as a team aren’t doing it and a young player is coming through, why not give them a chance?

“These are the times when, as players, you can’t have any regrets.

“The games are diminishing fast. We’re ticking them off now. There are six games left and that’s how quick the season goes.

“If you can’t make your opportunity count when you do start, and you hand it back to myself, regardless of the personnel I’ve got at my disposal, I have to make bold decisions.

“All I want is people to put themselves about and make sure they are effective in the units they play in, and I didn’t see that from one or two individuals on Saturday.

“I’m not blaming them. They need to take a good look at themselves. It’s their careers at the end of the day.

“All we can do as a management team is prepare them right, which we have, but football is about the desire first.

“It’s the desire to do the basics right, to compete, to be determined, to be robust, to be resilient.”

Boruk was among four teenagers on the bench at Chesham as Maidstone contend with injuries.

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He was joined by fellow attackers Farron Chime and Ashton Mitford and goalkeeper