Manager Jay Saunders feels the pressure is on Ebbsfleet United side to win the play-off final against his Maidstone United side.

Ahead of the weekend’s National League South Play Off Final between Ebbsfleet United and Maidstone United at Stonebridge Road – arguably the biggest game in Kent football this season – KSN Football Editor Mike Green has been talking to the Stones boss Jay Saunders.

After nine months both sides entire seasons comes down to their next ninety (or one hundred and twenty) minutes.

The Stones boss admitted, “It’s a bit of a surreal feeling really! You work hard all season to try and get in and around the promotion places and now we’re one game away from it! It’s a strange feeling but one that we’ve worked towards and I think that the boys deserve their chance at it on Saturday afternoon if I’m honest!”

“I feel that there should be two automatic promotion places if I’m honest as I think it’s so harsh that at this level you only get a single automatic place.”

“I suppose it’s not fair if you finish second in the League as I suppose that you feel that you’ve done enough! Just look at Ebbsfleet against Whitehawk last week when they finished twenty-odd points ahead – it is harsh, but I suppose that everyone associated with the game knows exactly what’s at stake. It’s something now that I guess everyone is now used to.”

“I’m grateful that we’ve a good week between the semi and the final given how hot it was on Sunday. I think that if we had been playing midweek it could have been difficult for both sides. We trained Tuesday night and the boys looked alright, but I think that Darryl and I will look after the players with a good week’s rest, the players should be OK.”

After the two sides shared the points during the regular season, we asked Jay for his assessment of the Fleet’s season from afar.

“We’ve won at each other’s ground during the season – we know that they’re a very good side; they proved that when they came to us,” he told us.

“They’ve been up the top all year and had a great season, so yes we’ve got to be at our best to beat them if we’re going to get anything.”

“It’s as simple as that and that’s the message that we’ve got to get across to the players. If it’s tight at half time, I think the winners will be the side who keep their cool and the team that have the more players turn up on the day.”

“I think that these sorts of games get tense and affect players in different ways, and I think that it’ll be the team that who have the more that it doesn’t effect that will finish up winning it and getting promoted.”

Following the Stones comfortable 3-0 aggregate win over Truro, Jay reflected on the fact that Ebbsfleet had been taken to penalties to beat Whitehawk.

We asked him if his side had practiced taking spot kicks. He admitted, “No haven’t been penalty practicing yet. We might try it on Thursday as I suppose that it’s something that we’ve got to look at, but I think even practicing them, I honestly don’t think that it makes a lot of difference in the Final. It’s a case of whether a player holds his nerve or not.”

Maidstone have received just under 800 tickets for the showdown, but with an average rate of around 2.300, the demand outstripped the supply by almost three to one – a fact that Jay was sympathetic with.

“The only thing that I’m really sorry about is that we’ve got a hell of a lot of supporters that have been to home and away games all season who are now going to miss it and that’s the only thing that I’m going to say on the matter,” he said.

“For whatever reason, Ebbsfleet have had to do what they’ve had to do, whether it is safety or whatever, but I just feel for some of the supporters that come to our games every week.”

“I was watching our supporters on Tuesday lunchtime queuing and the tickets were gone within an hour and you look at it and think that we had 1,500 people wanting 700 tickets.”

“So it is difficult, but I know that Ebbsfleet have tried to do as much as they can for us, but it’s one of those things. The people I feel sorry for are all the supporters who will miss out on the occasion.”

“I think that as it’s two Kent teams, it would have been nice if the League perhaps to possibly have the game at a neutral ground so that if this sort of thing doesn’t happen again, so that no one who wants to go would miss out.”

“The rules are the rules after all and it’s always been set that the highest placed team in the final table would host the Final.”

“With the level that we’re at and with some teams nearly full time, it’s quite a professional League now and possibly something that may have to be looked at like the National League have their Final at Wembley.”

“I’m not saying play it there, but play it at a venue that can cope with a game of this demand…”

“I think that motivating players on Saturday won’t be a problem. Yes we could say to them win it for the fans that couldn’t get a ticket, that would be nice, but if they can’t get motivated for a game like this, I’d be worried!”

“It’s certainly something that has been suggested to me, but I think the boys will do that anyway as they really appreciate the following that we get and I’m sure that we’ll be up for it.”

“Pleased to say that we’ve got a full squad to pick from. I know that we were getting questions in the lead up to the Play Offs as to why we were leaving this player out or that player out, but our focus was always to get everyone available and we’ve had a full squad for the Semi Final and now we’ve got a full squad again.”

“It’s nice to have that – the only one we haven’t got is Matt Bodkin who’s on holiday. He booked it thinking that our Play Offs were that same time as the Ryman Play Offs!”

To the game itself – just how does the Stones boss expect things to go?

“I should imagine that the first 20 minutes will be fast paced. I think it’ll be tense and the winners will be the one that holds its nerve and perform on the day.”

“One thing for us is that the game itself is a massive bonus for us, as I don’t expect anyone at the club expected us to be in the Final, we can try and enjoy it and get the win.”

“I that with Ebbsfleet being at home they’ll be under a bit more pressure – they’ve been up there at the top all season and are desperate to get that promotion, so I think that there will be more pressure.”

“They’re a good side and we’ve got to go there and concentrate on our own game and do what we can. I think that most people will make them favourites, especially being at home.”

“If we’d have been playing them at our place people may think differently. That said, they beat us 0-2 at home and we won 1-0 at Stonebridge Road so it really is an interesting one.”

“But I just hope that we go out there and show why we finished third in the League for a reason. If that means by doing that we win the game then great, but if not and they’ve given their all, then how can I have any complaints?”