Maidstone defender Sam Bone has beaten seven teams in the FA Cup so far this season, but overcame his biggest challenge when he was just a teenager.

Image source, Rex Features

An incredible atmosphere building at the CBS Arena as George Elokobi and his Maidstone squad do a, well, it's almost a lap of honour, to finish their warm-up.

The noise from the travelling hordes is deafening as the players loop behind the goal to gee them up.

These Championship players might not have seen anything like that before. They were a penalty kick away from the Premier League in the play-off final against Luton last season, remember.

This is an entirely different knockout encounter in prospect...

Not much, to be honest, both sides go into this tie on the back of defeats.

Coventry went down 3-0 at home to Preston last Friday – a result which ended an 11-match unbeaten run at home in all competitions, during which they beat leaders Leicester 3-1.

It was, however, only the Sky Blues' second defeat in 19 home games this season, though they have conceded in their last seven games at the CBS Arena.

Maidstone are actually winless since 6 February, drawing at home against Hemel Hempstead then losing 1-0 at Aveley in their last game seven days ago – their scheduled fixture this weekend was postponed with the agreement of Weymouth to give the Stones the best chance in this tie.

Perhaps owing in part to this cup run, George Elokobi’s side have actually taken just a single point from their last six away games in the league.

St Albans, Worthing, Havant & Waterlooville, Slough and Aveley have all defeated the Stones, but be warned, Coventry fans, Maidstone's one win in their last eight away games in all competitions came at... Ipswich, where City were beaten 2-1 in the Championship in December.

Maidstone's co-owner Oliver Ash on the club's 700,000 reasons to be cheerful.

• 15 - With 15 goals Maidstone are the leading scorers still left in the FA Cup this season, while Coventry are next best with 11.
• 4 - The Stones and their Brazilian keeper Lucas Covolan have kept four clean sheets in the competition so far, they have actually conceded only three goals in their seven matches in total.
• 11 - Maidstone are just the 11th non-league side to reach the last 16 of the world's oldest cup competition since the current structure was adopted in 1925.
• 95 - The number of places in the footballing ladder which separate Coventry, 9th in the Championship table, from Maidstone, 8th in National League South.
• 3 - Three non-league teams have eliminated four Football League sides in an FA Cup campaign - Tottenham in 1900-01, Telford in 1984-85 and Lincoln in 2016-17. After beating Barrow, Stevenage and Ipswich, Maidstone could match that tonight.
• 1 - The aforementioned Lincoln are the only non-league side to reach the quarter-finals in 109 years. The Stones are seeking to make that two.
• 64 - The percentage of shots on target from which Maidstone have scored since their first round win over Chesham in November. They have netted seven times from 11 shots, including from both of their attempts at Ipswich in the last round.
• 15 - The number of years since Coventry last reached the quarter-finals.

Image source, PA Media

Whichever team eventually lifts the famous old trophy under the Wembley arch on the afternoon of Saturday, 25 May, one thing is for sure - they will not have completed more games in this year’s competition than Maidstone.

The Stones' FA Cup journey began 163 days ago as they headed over to Sussex to face Steyning Town Community FC of the Southern Combination Football League Premier Division in the second qualifying round.

They followed up that 4-1 win on 16 September by ousting Winchester, Torquay and Chesham before a 2-1 win over League Two Barrow in the second round, a 1-0 victory against League Two Stevenage in round three and then the Miracle of Portman Road in the fourth round last month.

For their part, Coventry began their run at home to Oxford just 51 days ago, romping to a 6-2 win in round three.

They needed a replay to see off Sheffield Wednesday in the fourth round, winning 4-1 at the CBS Arena earlier this month after a 1-1 draw at Hillsborough.

Image source, PA Media

Welcome to the second instalment of England’s impromptu four-day festival of domestic cup football…

If a £75m defender scoring a dramatic winner to defeat a billion pound opponent at Wembley yesterday wasn’t quite magical enough for your tastes, then boy, you’re in for a treat tonight!

No matter the result tonight, Maidstone United of the National League South have already rewritten the history books and earned a place in FA Cup folklore.

Their 2-1 win at Championship promotion contenders Ipswich a month ago ensured the Stones are the lowest ranked side to reach the last 16 in nearly half a century.

Tonight they visit Coventry, winners of the FA Cup in 1987, backed by a travelling army of nearly 5,000 fans who have travelled up from Kent, on a school day no less, armed with tin foil cup cut-outs and a dream.

Is there anywhere else you’d want to be this evening?

Welcome to our coverage.