It was fitting that Maidstone’s first summer signing should score the winner on his debut.

Temi Eweka’s 89th-minute header secured a 1-0 victory at St Albans on the opening day of the National League South season.

He’d been the first man through the door back in early May, joining from league rivals Slough.

His arrival signalled a summer of change as boss George Elokobi overhauled a squad who reached the play-off semi-finals last season.

The 25-year-old joked about feeling lonely as he waited for new team-mates to join him.

“I was waiting for Corney (captain Sam Corne) to make a group chat,” he said.

“I thought we were going to have a five-a-side team and then everyone started rolling in.”

Centre-half Eweka certainly felt the love on Saturday after his late header from Ben Brookes’ corner as players piled in to celebrate in front of the travelling fans.

“You couldn’t write it,” said the former Maidenhead man.

“It’s the best way to announce yourself to the fans - a clean sheet and a goal on your debut.

“In these leagues you’ve just got to find a way to win and since I’ve come here I know we’ve got enough to win.

“When you look around the changing room we’ve got the capability to win 5-0 and we’ve got the capability to win 1-0.

“We just had to get off to a winning start by any means, whether it was going to come in the first minute or the 90th minute.

“The first six or seven weeks of the season is a sprint. You have to see how many points you can accumulate and go from there.”

Stones boss Elokobi wants more goals from his defenders and Eweka hopes it’s a sign of things to come.

He added: “Yes, it’s important to keep clean sheets as a defender but it’s not every week Aaron Blair’s going to score a hat-trick or Shaq Coulthirst’s going to score a hat-trick.

“Some weeks we’ve got to help them out, like when they run back and tackle, they help us out.

“It’s a team effort and we’ve got to be there for each other.

“Last season I missed about eight free headers and scored three. I need to score more, it’s just about focusing.

“I get in the right positions, which is a good thing, but putting the ball away is another thing, so I’m happy I’ve put one away.

“As I was running up for that corner, I could just see everyone looking at me and it’s just about having the belief.

“I know Brooksey’s going to put the ball on a sixpence and if I can get on the end of it, I’ve got a good chance of scoring.”

Eweka was quickly nicknamed ‘Grey Patch’ by his new team-mates, owing to a tiny patch of grey hair.

He’s loving the atmosphere among the squad.

“When you’re full-time you bond quicker,” he said. “I’m with them more than I see my mum.

“The boys are class. The first two days everyone was a bit quiet, not knowing what to say or when to say it, and all of a sudden it’s just erupted and no one shuts up.

“I tried to go quiet last year. I turned 25 and I thought I’m going to mature now and go quiet but the boys won’t let me.

“They don’t let me shut up, so I’m one of the loud ones.

“You can see everyone buying into the way the gaffer wants to play.

“Everyone’s a class player. Most people in our team would get into every team in Conference South in my humble opinion.”

Eweka reserved extra praise for Sam Smith and Riley Court after outstanding performances from the young duo.

Smith, 20, made his first National League start, with Court, 18, coming off the bench.

“I’ve got to give a shout-out to those two,” said Eweka.

“When I was their age, I don’t know what I was doing, probably at home playing PlayStation.

“But they’re playing in this league and looking like they belong.”