Josh Umerah hit the crossbar at Maidstone on Saturday. Photo credit: Maidenhead United

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Ryan Peters has said he’s fully aware of what’s being said about him and his Maidenhead United team online after Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to league leaders Maidstone United left the Magpies 18th in the table.

The Magpies were once again very much in this game and had their opportunities to come away from the Gallagher Stadium with something to show for their efforts.

But Peters admitted afterwards it’s not quite happening for his team in both boxes this season as they succumbed to their fifth league defeat and their second on the spin after last weekend’s setback at home to Tonbridge Angels.

United have managed just three wins from their 12 matches so far and find themselves much closer to the National League South relegation places than they do the play-off spots.

However, it is still early days in the campaign and should they find some form in the coming weeks, the seven point gap to the top seven wouldn’t be impossible to bridge.

“I am fully aware of what’s being said online,” said Peters. “I am being @-ted enough to know the fans are not happy, and they have every right not to be happy. I expected a hell of a lot more from my team. We haven’t given it to the fans and they’ve been patient enough.

“Things need to change and they need to change quickly. I can assure all our fans that I do not go home at night and think nothing of it until the next morning. It’s weighing heavy on all of us, and I hope we can change things quickly.”

The Magpies made a slow start in both halves against the Stones, conceding in the fourth minute when Leone Gravata found the net and going two goals down to a strike from Taylor Foran in the 49th minute. Maidstone didn’t have to work particularly hard for either of their goals and that’s what’s frustrating Peters at present.

Josh Coley did come off the bench to score with his first touch and give the Magpies hope against his former side, but it wasn’t enough.

“It seems like I’m banging the same drum when I speak to you. I keep saying we’re so close but yet so far. it’s the same again. We knew we were going to the top of the league, so we knew it was going to be tough. I thought we limited them to very few chances where they had to work hard for a goal. What I mean by that is that I think they had three opportunities, and they were provided to them.

“We weren’t winning bog-standard headers that we would normally win, and it’s led to them having a shot at our goal. If you have a look at the two goals we concede and they’re ridiculously poor goals to concede. And when you contrast that with the goal that we scored, we had to work really hard to score it, because they’re a good side.

“The difference is in both boxes. No one is outplaying us between the boxes, but in defending our box and attacking the other box we’re nowhere to be seen right now.”

Peters hopes a win at Ebbsfleet United on Saturday can be the catalyst for such a run. But he also knows they’re the form team in the division having risen to second in the table off the back of six wins and four draws (no defeats).

They swatted aside AFC Totton 5-0 and Weston Super Mare 6-1 at Stonebridge Road in recent weeks but had to score late through Charlie Seaman to rescue a 2-2 draw at home to Horsham on Tuesday evening.

Not only have Ebbsfleet been free scoring in their league matches so far, but they’ve also scored a glut of goals against the Magpies in their recent encounters. They scored six across their two league victories last season and added another three to the tally as they beat them 3-1 at York Road in the FA Cup a few weeks ago.

“Ebbsfleet are sitting second in the league,” said Peters. “Although they started late and are now playing Saturday/Tuesday, they have a fantastic squad and manager.

“At the moment they are battering teams. They won 5-0 and 6-1 recently. They’re scoring at will. It’s going to be tough, and they’ve also scored nine goals past us in their past three games, so nothing is easy.

“But I believe in my squad of players and that if we’re on it, we can take on anybody. We’re hoping this is going to be the catalyst for us this season.

“We looked at Hornchurch last season as being the making of our play-off charge last season.

“We’re hoping Ebbsfleet can be our Hornchurch for this season, our catalyst to go on and make some things happen.”