22-year old Jamar Loza scored the first hat-trick of his senior career, playing a major role in Maidstone United’s comeback from a 2-0 deficit after 25 minutes at Woking, to run out 4-2 victors.

His first goal, four minutes after Woking’s second, came from a Woking corner that saw Reece Prestedge burst forward.  Loza received the ball on the left edge of the area, cut inside one challenge and unleashed an unstoppable shot into the top right corner.

The second, after 67 minutes, was drilled through the legs of Woking goalkeeper, Michael Poke, after good hold-up play by Alex Flisher, and the young Jamaican was on hand inside the 6-yard box nine minutes later to claim the match ball when the ball bounced off Jake Caprice to present him with a golden opportunity.  Yemi Odubade went on to add a fourth to seal the win.

A thrilled Loza explained “It was an exciting game and I’m obviously delighted with the hatrick, but the most important thing was the three points.  We’ve got a great team spirit which means we never give up.  We felt we could get back and after I scored the first goal, we all believed we would get back into the match.”

“The first goal was very important and came at a really good time.  Woking were on top and our first goal seemed to put them on the back foot.  That set up the second half perfectly for us to go out and take advantage of any nerves that they had.”

“Jay told us that the next goal was important.  Maybe our workrate hadn’t been as good as it usually is, so we had to improve, and we made sure we did in the second half.  We got together, we didn’t fold, and it felt like we earned more than the three points.  We can’t get too carried away though because there is still a lot of work to do.”

Loza was quick to give credit to his team-mates, adding “the new players (loanees Delano Sam-Yorke (now back at Woking), Reece Prestedge, Stuart Lewis and Joe Pigott) have come in and we’ve been flying.  Stuart and Reece have been different class in the middle and it has shown that the results have been going for us.”

“We beat Dagenham when they were second in the table, we had no fear going to their place, and we feel we can go into games with confidence.  We have to go to the last eight games and put in the performances that we did today.”

But he saved his last comment for the 603 travelling fans, with whom he and all of the Maidstone players and management celebrated at the final whistle.

He said “the supporters are like that, home and away.  They are different class, and I’d say amongst the best in the League.  We are going to need them in the last few games because it is going to be hard, but they are different class.”