Staines moved to the Ryman Premier League after a 1-0 win at Maidstone on Friday night.

Staines fell foul of bad traffic, and had to request a 15 minute delay, so that kick-off was not until 8pm.

However, even the long, difficult trip, the bumpy pitch, and opponents who included Owen and Shearer (that's Rob Owen and Lee Shearer) could not prevent the hard working Swans from taking all three points.

With Dave Sargent still sidelined after his injury at Wimbledon, and André Scarlett away, Steve Cordery slotted Adam Thompson into the defence and gave midfielder Gareth Risbridger a first outing since his pre-season knee injury.

He also made the tactical switch of Marc Charles-Smith for Victor Asombang up front.

It was the home side who were first out of the blocks, penning Staines back for most of the first 25 minutes, with only a Mark Nwokeji run piercing their towering defence.

However, Staines also held firm at the back, and on the two occasions that Owen and Nick Hegley did manage to find a way through, James Courtnage came out to save.

Midway through the half, the visitors finally won their first corner of the game, thanks to the industry of Risbridger, Marcel Nugent, and Lewis Cook, and within a few moments, Nwokeji and Howard Newton had won two more.

Cook's high inswinging deliveries looked a little more threatening each time, and one of them led to a hard, low 20 yard drive by Newton which just went outside the post.

The only goal of the game came on 33 minutes, and it was a strange one, which was begun by Newton's diagonal ball across the box, which goalkeeper Pat Mullin failed to hold under pressure from Nwokeji.

The Staines striker robbed him of the ball, but from a very tight angle, it was still no easy task to score.

Nwokeji sent the ball across the face of goal, and chased it down himself, to tap it in from very close range at the far post, thus contriving to get on the end of his own cross! Just before half time, more hesitation between the Stones defence and goalkeeper almost let Charles-Smith in.

Staines kept up the pressure in the opening minutes of the second half.

Adrian Toppin was unlucky that his glancing header from a 48th minute Cook corner was deflected wide of the goal by defender Ray Freeman.

However, for much of the half, they had to fight a rearguard action, as Maidstone pressed hard for a share of the spoils.

Their substitute Alex Tiesse, who had replaced Lynden Rowland at half time, proved a real livewire, and he should have scored when he burst through on 52 minutes, only to hit a weak finish.

Courtnage had to deal with two Errison Ahwan shots, and an awkward back header, and Tiesse's ball to Shearer required him to save on the ground.

Bizarrely, Charles-Smith almost staged a re-run of Nwokeji's first half goal, when he got behind the keeper 10 yards out from the left post along the goal line.

He managed to squeeze out a goalbound shot, but this time a defender got back to divert it into the side netting.

Play soon switched to the other end, where Hegley received from Tiesse but swung an air-shot, and Ahwan headed over from a deep free kick.

After Mario McNish was forced to scrabble a shot from Staines sub Dwain Clarke just past his own post, the last 10 minutes - plus a generous helping of stoppage time - were a nail-biting ordeal for the visitors, who nevertheless almost made sure of victory on three occasions.

A foul on Charles-Smith near the D resulted in a Clarke free kick which deflected wide off the wall.

Nwokeji mounded a one man break after Staines had cleared a dangerous Maidstone free kick, and seemed certain to round Mullin, but the keeper redeemed himself with an incredible save on the ground.

Then Risbridger got away on his own, but his shot was touched round the post by Mullin. However, Maidstone bombed several high balls into the Staines box, and appealed for at least one penalty.

In the final moments, Charles-Smith got a knock and was withdrawn, but Staines held on for a hard earned 3 points.

The small contingent of Staines Massive supporters had a rare chance to chant "We are top of the league", and the evening ended with players and supporters applauding each other. Staines' stint on top lasted only 19 hours, Staines: Courtnage, Nugent, Thompson, Gordon, Flitter , H Newton (Mason 70), Cook (Clarke 81), Toppin, Charles-Smith (Asombang 90+3), Nwokeji, Risbridger; unused Robinson, Allaway (gk).