Maidstone lost a topsy-turvy National League South game at St Albans after hitting back from a goal down to lead.

The visitors, trailing to George Hoddle’s strike, turned the game on its head with two goals in a minute - a Kieran Gauthier own goal followed by Matt Rush’s first for the club.

But after missing chances to add a third, United were undone by Shaun Jeffers and Jack James strikes to leave Clarence Park empty-handed.

St Albans - looking to end a run of three successive league defeats at home - were on top in the early stages.

Indeed, the Stones were indebted to a pair of excellent saves by the feet of keeper Lucas Covolan to stay on level terms.

The first came after Mitchell Weiss cut inside and squared to Gio Rasulo and the second when Jack James ran on to Hoddle’s pass.

In between, Liam Sole fired over against his old club after coming inside on his left foot from Sam Corne’s pass.

It was no surprise, though, when St Albans took the lead following a 20th-minute Rasulo corner.

The Stones failed to clear and Dylan Fage laid the ball back to Hoddle, who slotted into the bottom corner.

Maidstone turned the match around with two goals in the space of minute.

They levelled in the 24th minute with Corne’s corner going in off Saints defender Gauthier under pressure from George Fowler.

And it was 2-1 on 25 minutes when Devonte Aransibia hooking the ball on to Levi Amantchi, who did brilliantly to play in strike partner Rush for a cool finish past Josh McNamara.

Amantchi’s header was tipped over by McNamara - a decent save - from another Corne corner as Maidstone threatened a third.

Stones striker Amantchi had two golden chances at the start of the second half.

He hit the bar from Rush’s pull-back before intercepting a Joe Partington pass on halfway and running through on goal, only to take the ball too wide when rounding McNamara.

Maidstone were made to regret those missed opportunities when half-time substitute Jeffers ran on to Rasulo’s pass and beat Covolan for St Albans’ 56th-minute equaliser.

And a third goal for the hosts followed on 67 minutes with James meeting Fage’s left-wing cross in the middle of the goal.

Sam Bone stung the palms of McNamara with a 20-yard strike as Maidstone searched for an equaliser.

It was a rare half-chance, though, after going 3-2 down, with a leveller looking increasingly unlikely.

St Albans might have had a fourth a couple of minutes from time, Covolan with another good save to thwart James, while Corne went close with an injury-time free-kick at the other end.

St Albans: McNamara, James, Brown, Blackman (Jeffers 46mins), Rasulo (Smith 76mins), Weiss, Partington, Harvest, Fage (Morrall 73mins), Gauthier, Hoddle. Subs not used: Hamid, Akanbi.

Maidstone: Covolan, Brown, Fowler, Bone, Sole (Kyprianou 66mins), Gurung (Wanjau-Smith 76mins), Corne, Aransibia (Appiah 60mins), Reynolds, Rush, Amantchi. Subs not used: Coleman De-Graft, Niemczycki.

Referee: Matthew Norton.

Attendance: