1. Ross Marshall's sending off.
Ross Marshall's 30th minute dismissal for a shirt tug on Maidstone's Sol Wanjau-Smith meant that the Gulls were playing more an hour - including injury time - with ten men.
Marshall had already been left in trouble by a poor throw in from Shaun Donnellan, which allowed Wanjau-Smith to get in front him and referee Jack Bloxham deemed that Marshall had denied a clear goal scoring opportunity, and promptly pointed to the penalty spot.
Gulls boss Gary Johnson also admitted in his post-match interview that it was probably a red card and Marshall is now set to face a three-match ban.
2. Mark Halstead's penalty save.
Once the penalty was awarded, Maidstone's leading scorer Levi Amantchi stepped up to take the spot-kick and Gulls' keeper Mark Halstead guessed its direction and palmed it away to safety.
It was Halstead's third penalty save during his time at Plainmoor; last season he saved a penalty in United's 2-2 draw with Hampton and Richmond, before the Beavers scored from the rebound, and he famously denied Paul Mullin from the spot in the Gulls' 1-1 draw with Wrexham on the final day of the 2022-23 campaign.
3.Ollie Tomlinson came to the fore in defence.
One of the few plus points from the Gulls' display against Maidstone was the performance of Ollie Tomlinson in the centre of defence.
Whilst United were still playing with eleven men, he made an important block to deny Stones' midfielder Michael Petrasso. Once the Gulls were down to ten men, Tomlinson found himself playing in a back three with Shaun Donnellan and Dean Moxey and he duly stepped up to the plate.
4. United still had chances.
Despite going down to ten men, United still managed to carve out chances to win the game. In the 45th minute, Aaron Jarvis had an angled effort tipped away by the returning former Gulls keeper Lucas Covolan and early in the second half he connected with a cross from Brett McGavin, but missed the target. His striker partner Brad Ash later looked well placed to score as he found himself in a one-on-one situation with Covolan, but he lifted his shot over the bar.
On another day, one or more of those chances might have gone in.
5. The return of Asa Hall.
Saturday's match also marked the return from injury of United club captain Asa Hall, as he came off the bench to replace Brett McGavin in the 77th minute.
It was Hall's first appearance since he went off injured against Chippenham Town in United's third game of the campaign, and it will probably get a few games for him to be '90 minute fit'.
6. A chance to put things right.
With the two sides due to meet again in the FA Cup fourth qualifying round, the Gulls have a chanc to put things right, and an opportunity to avenge their defeat.
