Memories of last season’s heroics will come flooding back when Maidstone return to FA Cup action.

Stones start their campaign with a second qualifying round tie at home to Ryman League, Division 1 South side South Park on Saturday, 3pm.

It will be the first FA Cup tie at the Gallagher since Stones beat League 2 Stevenage in a televised replay last November.

Their run ended in the second round at Wrexham but only after earning Stones more than £200,000 and thrusting them into the national spotlight.

Manager Jay Saunders is hungry for more success.

He said: “The thing with the FA Cup is it creates such a buzz. We won the league, which was fantastic but it’s the nationwide publicity you get with the cup that adds to it.

“I remember standing outside the clubhouse and seeing the queues to get tickets. There was an unbelievable atmosphere around the place. To get the draw at Stevenage and then bring them back to our place and beat them made the whole thing more special.”

Saunders watched Wednesday night’s replay between Leatherhead and South Park and knows it won’t be easy.

He said: “It would be great to have another cup run. It’s not often non-league teams do it again but all we can do is worry about the first game.

“People see we’re up against a lower-league team and expect us to win. But you look at Brentwood last season, who we only scraped past with a 90th-minute goal and we know ourselves that upsets happen."

Ebbsfleet loan signing Alex Osborn is eligible for his debut but Alex Brown (knee) is sidelined. In the event of a draw, the replay will take place on Wednesday (7.45pm).