George Elokobi says Maidstone must embrace the occasion in the National League South play-off semi-finals.

United, 2-1 winners over Aveley in Wednesday night’s eliminator, travel to Worthing today (3pm).

They’ll be backed by 400 away fans in a sell-out crowd at Woodside Road, with the winners hosting Braintree in the final on Bank Holiday Monday,

The Iron are the first team through after a 3-2 extra-time victory at Chelmsford yesterday.

Maidstone beat Worthing 4-0 at home this season but were thumped 5-1 in the return game before Christmas.

After two wildly different results, it’s anyone’s guess what will happen this time.

“We have to respect the opposition,” said Stones manager Elokobi.

“We have to make sure we go there with a strategy and a game plan that gives our players a big opportunity to showcase themselves in terms of playing with freedom.

“If you can’t play with freedom at this stage of the season, then why are we in football?

“Our players have to enjoy the occasion and embrace playing away from home.

“We’ve been good away and this is the semi-finals of the play-offs.

“We’re going to have a fantastic crowd behind us and our players are going to be ready.”

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Worthing finished third, a point and a place ahead of Maidstone.

They scored 104 goals - 23 more than champions Yeovil - but conceded 72 goals - one more than relegated Taunton.

So while they take some stopping in attack, they do offer opponents chances.

But Elokobi said: “Stats count for nothing at this stage of the season.

“You can’t go into too much on data.

“We have to play Worthing, who are a good side and they finished above us, so we have to respect that in our preparations.

“They’ve got weaknesses we can exploit and they’ve got their strengths.

“We have to be ready to nullify their strengths and then can we expose their weaknesses?

“If we do that, let’s see where that takes us after the game.”

Mo Faal could be pushing for a start after his injury-time winner off the bench against Aveley.

Fellow substitute Michael Klass also impressed in midweek and will be desperate to play a part having joined Maidstone from Worthing just last month.