Reaction from Maidstone United caretaker manager George Elokobi following 2-0 National League defeat at Solihull Moors

George Elokobi saw a Maidstone team who fought to the end in their defeat at Solihull Moors.

The Stones, trailing 2-0, hadn’t created a genuine chance all game on a difficult afternoon in the West Midlands.

They kept going, however, with Roarie Deacon having a late goal ruled out for offside, and caretaker boss Elokobi continued to encourage his side deep into added time.

“In football, you can never say never,” said Elokobi.

“The one thing we can never do is let our guard down and give up. We have to keep going. We have to be positive.

“That’s my job as the manager to make sure I keep encouraging my players and keep driving them forward to try and create those moments.

“Even if it’s just one more chance, you never know, to give our fans, who again came out in their numbers, something to cheer.”

Maidstone remain nine points from safety at the foot of the National League after a 15th game without a win.

Facing a Moors side who had fallen out of play-off contention in recent weeks, a free-kick led to Jamey Osborne’s opener three minutes before half-time and Joe Sbarra added number two.

“Today was a difficult one for us,” said Elokobi, who replaced debutant left-back Kevin Berkoe with TT Walters at half-time.

“We’ve come with a game plan and we were in the game. There was nothing in the game but just before the break we conceded from a restart and sometimes goals lift teams.

“We said to the players at half-time, stay in the game and keep playing the way we’re playing.

“We had to make a tactical change and brought on TT so he could give us a little bit more attacking threat going forward, and he did that.

"But it wasn’t to be and we conceded the second goal.”

To concede so close to half-time was a blow and Maidstone, whose