George Porter scored a late winner as Maidstone picked up their first away league win of the season.

Porter struck with three minutes left - his second goal of the game - as United edged a cracking National South clash at Slough.

Scott Rendell cancelled out the Rebels’ early opener but later went off injured and Porter made it 2-1 to the visitors at half-time.

Slough replied after the break but Porter had the final say as the Stones made it four wins from six at the start of the campaign, with just one defeat.

Maidstone made two changes to the side that thrashed Concord 6-0 last weekend, with Noah Chesmain and Dominic Odusanya replacing injured pair Raphe Brown and Saidou Khan.

The Stones conceded a bizarre opener in just the third minute when a ball forward hit the back of the unsuspecting George Elokobi’s head and dropped into the path of Paul Hodges who found the empty net from 20 yards.

Hakan Hayrettin’s side responded impressively and were level just five minutes later.

Player-of-the-month Joan Luque was the provider, his free-kick to the back post, following a foul on Porter, headed home by the unmarked Rendell.

Slough, play-off semi-finalists last season, played some sharp stuff on their 3G, an incisive move through midfield ending with Matt Lench’s strike pushed out for a corner by Ravan Constable.

Maidstone were also moving the ball on the floor quickly, a theme of their play this season, and they had a chance to go in front on the quarter-hour but Justin Amaluzor dragged wide.

Joe Ellul, again heading balls away for fun, was the first man in the book for a challenge on Lench in midfield.

And from there the whistle was never far away from referee Paul Johnson’s lips for the rest of the half.

There was a blow for the Stones when goalscorer Rendell went down for the second time in a matter of minutes and had to go off.

Ibrahim Olutade came on in his place and, having gone close with his first touch, he went on to play a key part as Maidstone went 2-1 up on 42 minutes.

Gavin Hoyte played the ball into Olutade and he held off his man and set up Porter, who rifled home low from the edge of the box.

That did Olutade’s confidence the world of good and at the start of the second half he left his marker for dead down the left from Chesmain’s pass and broke into the box but keeper Jack Turner saved with his legs.

Slough, though, levelled on 55 minutes after Dan Roberts and Max Worsfold exchanged passes outside the box, with a ball across the six-yard box buried by Hodges.

The Rebels enjoyed a good spell after the equaliser and were looking more likely to get the next goal but there was a chance for the Stones when Olutade’s low near-post header from an Elokobi cross drifted wide.

Hodges fired wide on the turn and worked Constable as he went in search of a hat-trick, while Maidstone had penalty appeals, for a push on Porter, waved away.

It was as open as you like with Maidstone playing 4-4-2 after Ibby Akanbi joined Olutade up top, and both teams went for a winner.

United nearly had it when Ellul nodded Chesmain’s free-kick back to Elokobi, who found Porter, but Turner saved well with his legs.

Hayrettin perhaps decided it was too open and, after Constable almost gifted Warren Harris a goal, the Stones boss withdrew substitute Olutade.

If Maidstone were settling for a point it didn’t show as they got forward again and regained the lead on 87 minutes when Porter headed home Hoyte’s cross.

Maidstone: Constable, Hoyte, Ellul, Elokobi, Chesmain, Odusanya, Corne, Amaluzor, Porter, Luque (Akanbi 67mins), Rendell (Olutade 38mins, Seaman 86mins). Subs not used: Lewington, Krasniqi.

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