United make the long trip to Kent tomorrow afternoon, as they take on Maidstone United at the Gallagher Stadium.
Having come out of their opening fixture of the 2025/26 victorious, Paul Wotton’s men will face a stern test of their early season credentials tomorrow as they head to a ground that has never been kind to them.
Who’s the boss?
George Elokobi took charge of the Stones in a caretaker role following the departure of Hakan Heyrettin two years ago, and despite being unable to stop Maidstone from being relegated, he was soon given the role on a permanent basis.
Elokobi’s career saw him begin at Colchester United, and while at the U’s he also had a brief loan spell at Chester. Wolverhampton Wanderers were his next club and in a six year stay at Molineux he helped them to promotion from the Championship and into the Premier League in the 2008/09 season, when they finished as champions. During his time at the Midlands club he also had spells on loan at both Nottingham Forest and Bristol City.
Upon his release from Wolves in 2014, the defender spent a season at Oldham Athletic, before he made a return to Colchester in 2015 for a two year stay. which also included a loan spell at Braintree. Leyton Orient and Aldershot were his next two clubs before he joined Maidstone in 2019, and after three years at the Kent club he announced his retirement from playing football.
How have they been doing?
Maidstone were within seconds of matching The Gulls’ opening day win, until a 92nd minute leveller from Hemel Hempstead’s Millat Matthew-Lewis cancelled out Dajon Golding’s opener.
Player to watch
Midfielder Sam Corne remains one of the key men in the Stones’ squad.
Having wrote his name into Maidstone United folklore by virtue of his strike at Portman Road earning his side that shock win at Ipswich Town two season ago, the former Welling, Braintree, Greenwich and Ashford man has always possessed an eye for goal, and he is sure to be a key attacking threat for United to watch out for tomorrow.
Played for both
He may have moved on pastures new, with Wealdstone his latest port of call, but former Maidstone goalkeeper Lucas Covolan will never need much introduction to Gulls fans, after his heroic actions at Ashton Gate so nearly sealed United’s return back to the Football League.
Covolan began his career in his home country of Brazil before being brought to the UK in 2016 by Whitehawk, where he played 23 games while also having a five match loan spell at Lewes. Worthing were his next port of call in 2017, and in a two year stay at the West Sussex club he made 59 appearances, before moving to the English Riviera in 2019 to join up with Johnson’s newly-promoted Gulls.
The Brazilian shared the goalkeeping duties with Shaun MacDonald during his time here, but will always be fondly remembered for scoring THAT goal in the Play-Off Final against Hartlepool in 2021, and despite him also saving two of the penalties in the shoot out, it just wasn’t to be United’s fairytale ending.
Lucas then moved to Port Vale for two years upon him ending his time here at Torquay, before his release from Vale Park led him back to the National League South, this time with Maidstone United, where he enjoyed another memorable campaign, including a sublime display in the FA Cup win at Portman Road.
Previous encounter
Maidstone 1 – 0 United | National League South | Saturday 1st February 2025
Torquay have a miserable record against The Stones, and last season followed that script.
In what was a tight encounter, in the end it was Charlie Seaman that came up with the deciding moment of the match, with his late goal proving to be the winner.t.
Ticketing details for tomorrow’s fixture are available HERE, whilst live commentary of the full match will be available via TUFC Radio HERE.
