With the game in its dying embers, the FA Cup giant killers did score through Raphe Brown, but it was a mere consolation as City had already secured a fine win.

The hosts made nine changes to the side which lost 2-0 to champions Yeovil Town at Meadow Park on Thursday evening for this, City’s fourth game of the week.

James Hamon was the only player to line-up in every Truro side over the past seven days and he continued between the sticks against Maidstone.

Ryan Law joined Hamon from the Yeovil defeat, playing once again as a left sided wing back.

Ed Palmer, Ben Adelsbury and Will Dean partnered in defence for City with the latter playing out of position due to Tom Harrison’s suspension. Sam Sanders was only fit enough for a place on the bench after suffering a facial injury against Yeovil.

Connor Riley-Lowe returned to captain the side and slotted in on the right in midfield alongside Adam Porter, Dan Rooney, Sullivan and Law.

Up front, Harvey would lead the line with Neal, as before kick-off, the pair had bagged 10 and 12 goals respectively so far this term.

City started off the game playing with a strong breeze at their backs and after just seven minutes, the visitors’ defensive fragilities that would hamper them during the first half, came to the fore.

Goalkeeper Lucas Covolan dithered when trying to clear the ball and his effort was charged down by Harvey. However, referee Harrison Blair ruled that Harvey had handled and Maidstone escaped.

Porter then delivered a teasing cross into the box which narrowly escaped every player in a white shite before Sullivan had the first real goalscoring opportunity.

Once again, poor Maidstone defending led to City being presented with a sight on goal but Sullivan was denied by a fine save from Covolan, who atoned for his earlier indiscretion.

But despite City’s dominance in the first 20 minutes, it was Maidstone who perhaps should have broken the deadlock when captain Sam Corne saw his low effort hit the post with Hamon beaten.

The follow up from Jephte Tanga was then turned onto the bar by Hamon and City, somehow, saw their goal remain intact.

This was as good as it got for Maidstone until injury-time at the end of the match as City were totally dominant from this point forwards.

After 26 minutes, Rooney glided into the box, escaping the clutches of several would-be Maidstone defenders to feed Harvey. The former Argyle striker shifted the ball out of his feet to fire home low into the bottom corner past the dive of Covolan.

It got even better for City 10 minutes later when Maidstone once again pressed the self-destruct button.

A long clearance from Hamon was left to bounce and Neal managed to control superbly, he turned on the edge of the box but lost possession. But Maidstone gifted the ball to Sullivan who made no mistake for the second Saturday in succession at Meadow Park.

That was Sullivan’s last action of the game as he was withdrawn with a tight hamstring shortly after and was replaced by James Melhado.

This second goal also prompted visiting boss George Elokobi to make a tactical change as Craig Wanjau-Smith replaced the ineffective Muhammadu Faal.

This made little difference to the game either before the break or into the second stanza as Maidstone huffed and puffed looking for a way back into proceedings.

Granted the visitors enjoyed more of the ball in the second half, but they could not breach a staunch City rearguard.

As time ticked on, Neal broked free and was in on goal, only to be denied by a brilliant last-ditch tackle from Sam Bone.

The points were wrapped up for City three minutes from time when substitute Dom Johnson-Fisher was fouled inside the box by Brown, who was booked for his troubles.

Up stepped Harvey to emphatically dispatch by sending Covolan the wrong way, his 51st National League South goal in a City shirt.

That wasn’t the end of the goalmouth action though as Brown then was in the thick of things at the other end. He managed to force the ball through the clutches of Hamon and into the net but there was to be no unlikely comeback in a season where Maidstone and City, have often been involved in barely believable happenings.

But just like Maidstone delivered the impossible by beating Ipswich in the FA Cup, City have done likewise by avoiding the drop, despite everything seemingly contriving against Paul Wotton’s side.

City: Hamon, Palmer, Adelsbury, Dean, Riley-Lowe, Rooney, Porter (Brett, 54), Sullivan (Melhado, 38), Law, Neal (Johnson-Fisher, 83). Subs not used: Sanders, Munakandafa.

Maidstone: Covolan, Brown, Fowler, Appiah (Bentley, 54), Tanga, Bone, Klass, Corne, Ezennolm (Adu-Poku, 69), Faal (Wajau-Smith, 37), Rush. Subs not used: Greenridge, Earle.

Referee: Harrison Blair
Attendance: 198