Maidstone’s relegation worries deepened after losing at home to Aldershot.

Former Dover striker Inih Effiong scored a hat-trick in a 3-0 defeat for the Stones which leaves them six points from safety in the National League.

They’ve also played four more games than Oldham and Yeovil, the sides immediately outside the bottom four, to go with a vastly inferior goal difference.

Christie Pattisson was rewarded for his bright substitute appearance against Wrexham with a start in the only change from the weekend.

Maidstone struggled to hit the heights of Saturday’s stirring display as Aldershot controlled the first half, creating several decent openings to lead by more than one.

Big Effiong - one of the most effective strikers in the league on his his day - was a handful for the Stones defence and the Shots weren’t shy of hitting him.

Ryan Glover and Stones old boy Justin Amaluzor, operating from either flank, also looked dangerous.

Effiong went close with a first-time strike from 30 yards after Glover knocked down a diagonal in the early stages.

And the ex-Dover man opened the scoring in the 13th minute with neat overhead kick from six yards out after Glover’s shot was blocked.

Things weren’t falling for Maidstone in attack, despite getting into some good crossing positions, and Aldershot threatened to extend their lead.

Effiong was denied by Mersin after running on to a through ball and he later lobbed the Stones keeper, only for George Fowler to race back and clear off the line.

Seconds later, Glover’s header from a Ollie Harfield cross hit the inside of the post and the Shots forward also went close from 25 yards just before the break.

Maidstone’s best opening of the half saw Jerome Binnom-Willams head straight at keeper Luca Ashby-Hammond when free from Regan Booty’s corner, while Jack Barham couldn’t sort his feet out after meeting Ryan Galvin’s cross.

Booty fired over from Roarie Deacon’s pull-back early in the second half and soon after Barham hit the post from Booty’s pass just as the flag went up for offside.

Maidstone were having a go, with Galvin firing over after running on to Barham’s pass.

But Aldershot doubled their lead in the 65th minute when Haji Mnoga’s pass released Effiong and he eased the ball past Mersin.

And the big man completed his hat-trick in the 79th minute with a simple header after Glover floated a ball to the back post.

Galvin hit the bar from James Alabi's cut-back as Maidstone threatened an injury-time consolation.

Maidstone: Mersin, Fowler (Alabi 68mins), Bone, Ellul (Jobe 46mins), Binnom-Williams, Booty, Corne, Deacon, Pattisson (Lawson 82mins), Barham, Galvin. Subs not used: Barden, Cawley.

Aldershot: Ashby-Hammond, Harfield, Cordner, Amaluzor (Davies 75mins), Effiong, Anderson (Abimbola 80mins), Jordan, Pendlebury (Willard 61mins), Klass, Mnoga, Glover. Subs not used: Panayiotou, Hutchinson.

Referee: Paul Johnson.

Attendance: 1,964 (149 away).