Survival of the fittest as Lamar Reynolds and Maidstone savour FA Cup fairytale

Maidstone forward Lamar Reynolds has credited the gruelling fitness sessions of manager George Elokobi for their sensational run to the last 16 of the FA Cup.

The National League South club etched their name into FA Cup folklore on Saturday with a remarkable 2-1 victory over Ipswich, who were 98 places above the visitors before kick-off at Portman Road.

It was Maidstone’s seventh tie of the competition and their reward is a trip to Sheffield Wednesday or Coventry for a place in the quarter-finals.

After beating Barrow, Stevenage and now Sky Bet Championship promotion hopefuls Ipswich, Reynolds paid tribute to ex-Wolves defender Elokobi.

“Who would have thought it? But like the gaffer said, you’ve got to believe and we believed,” Reynolds insisted.

“We probably had not much possession but took our chances, got the victory in the end and the 12th man on the side gave us the second wind and the third wind to get us over the line.

“Our gaffer, you all know his background and he is very tough, especially his training routines.

“He always wants us to be the fittest because if you’re fitter than the opposition, you probably have more chance of winning the game.

“With the programmes he has put into us from when he played, it has really helped us gain that edge. We stuck around them. I wouldn’t say we’re as fit as them but we kept up with them and got the win.”

Elokobi insisted he always believed Maidstone could cause an upset in front of their 4,472 travelling fans and drummed that into the squad.

Sixth-tier Stones also ditched training on their artificial surface at Gallagher Stadium to prepare for the Ipswich clash on grass, with Elokobi going as far as to get them to train on the same size pitch as at Portman Road.

“He exaggerated on believing in each other and knowing we’re all capable of winning the game if we stick to the script we’ve planned,” Reynolds added.

“We had done analysis and he kept nagging on believing – when you believe in yourself, stuff like this happens.”

Maidstone players gathered again on Sunday to watch the fifth-round draw but Reynolds spent his morning back at his day job driving autistic children to events for Links Support Solution in Gants Hill.

Reynolds admitted: “It is amazing and I think a lot of them would have watched.

“If I have a game on a Tuesday, I will do that during the morning and head off to a game.

“On a Wednesday we (Maidstone) have a day off so I’ll go in for the morning and Sundays I do events with them. I am pretty much the driver!

“I take them to wrestling or a basketball match, just events because they are local young lads who want to enjoy themselves.”

After scoring his first goal for the club with a delightful chip in Saturday’s victory, the Jamaican-born attacker is eager to keep putting Maidstone on the map.

“I’d wait another 10 seasons for that same scenario again. It felt special,” Reynolds said.

“This can put us on the map, it shows Maidstone is a huge club with a massive background. Now it is time to push on and hopefully the name gets bigger and bigger.

“You just have to believe and now you have to believe it because it has happened!

“We’re in the round of 16 and who would have thought that? It is ridiculous. When you say it out loud it is ridiculous, but what an achievement.”