Maidstone United boss Jay Saunders reflected on the club’s historic FA Cup run with pride and says it has put the club back on the footballing map.

Saunders’ side suffered a 3-1 defeat at Wrexham on Saturday evening, exiting the world’s oldest cup competition in the Second Round proper after a fairytale run which saw them oust Conference side Welling before conquering Football League club Stevenage at the second attempt.

Saunders admitted to some mixed emotions, but said: “It was a good evening. Obviously it’s disappointing to go out after being so close to the Third Round but I can’t have too many complaints.

“I thought on the night Wrexham were very good, especially in the final third. Their goals were just at killer times in the game.

“We didn’t really get going in the first-half, we looked a little bit nervy which is unlike us, but second half, once we calmed down a bit and got on the ball I thought we were much better.

“The second goal was the killer, the sending-off and going 2-0 down from the penalty, but that’s football. Then the third goal knocked the stuffing out of us.”

He added: “We gave a good account of ourselves. In the second half, even with 10 men, we created some good chances and we created some in the first half even though we weren’t playing particularly well.

“There were a few decisions that have gone against us, the boys feel a bit hard done by on a couple but it is what it is, but we move on.

“The players are gutted but there’s no shame tonight. I said to them they should be proud of the run and now kick on in the league.

“The players should be proud and the supporters were different class from first minute to last. They were superb.”

Saunders admitted watching Monday’s Third Round draw could be a painful experience, claiming: “(The disappointment is) you’re 90 minutes s away from potentially a Premier League club and you know if we sit down on Monday and they pull Man United out of the hat we’re going to be gutted.”

He added: “It’s been a great run - look at the exposure it’s brought to the club and the players. It’s been fantastic.

“As a non-league player or manager you set out at the start of the season to make it into the proper rounds, play a League team, get on the TV and we did it. It wasn’t luck. We’ve not disgraced ourselves.

“We’ve put Maidstone on the map again, but now we’ve got to move on.”