Title-winning Cray Valley manager Steve McKimm has told his players to cherish every moment of their success.

The Millers clinched the Isthmian South East crown with a 2-0 victory at Horndean on Saturday.

They finished six points clear of runners-up Ramsgate after an extraordinary season that saw them lose just once in 38 league games and drop only two points away from home.

On top of that, they also reached the FA Cup first round, taking League 1 Charlton to a replay after a 1-1 draw at the Valley.

McKimm was tasked with reaching the play-offs after succeeding Tommy Osborne last summer.

But the Millers have surpassed that - and then some - and now it’s time to bask in the glory of their achievements.

“I’ve given myself a complete week off,” said McKimm, who led Tonbridge to play-off success five years ago.

“I’ve switched off from everything.

“All I want to do is enjoy it and take it in and I’ve told the players to take in all the accolades they’re getting.

“You don’t get them often in football and when you do, you’ve got to milk it.

“There’s plenty of time to kick on and go again but for this week we’ve got to cherish every moment of it.

“I went to a game on Sunday and one of the players turned up wearing his winners’ medal under his coat.

“I loved it. I thought it was brilliant. Things like that show me it means so much to the players.”

Cray Valley took control of the title race after a 2-2 draw at Ramsgate a fortnight ago.

It left them needing seven points from three games but they took all nine to finish on a record 95 points.

“The club wanted to do better than last year - they wanted play-offs,” said McKimm.

“That was the goal and then once we were in the play-offs, we changed our goal as a group.

“There was no pressure from above but our aim then was to win the league and we did it.

“It’s a remarkable achievement by the lads. They’ve been unbelievable.

“To get 95 points, not lose away, lose only once all season, score over 100 goals and be holding Charlton at half-time in an FA Cup replay, these players aren’t going to have many better seasons than that - if any.

“Winning a league title is brilliant and the manner we did it in.

“I know Ramsgate pushed us all the way, or we pushed Ramsgate all the way.

“But when people look back in a few years’ time they won’t remember it went to the last week of the season, they’ll see 95 points, so we won the league by six points.

“I think it was won last year with 78 so that’s testament to Ramsgate for going toe-to-toe with us.

“It was two good teams going for it and now there’s four good teams in the play-offs.

“That’s one place I wouldn’t want to be on any given day at this moment in time.

“It’s something I don’t have to worry about – we’ve done what we’ve done.”

Cray Valley will be at Step 3 for the first time in their history next season.

When the dust settles on the celebrations, McKimm will sit down with the board to discuss the way forward.

But how do you follow up a season like this?

McKimm said: “You’ve got to have drive and players that want to drive with you and work hard for the club and for themselves.

“I’ll be sitting down with the club in the next two weeks to see where they want to go and how we’re going to do it.

“Expectations have got to be realistic.

“We’re going into a league for the first time in the club’s history and we’re up against the likes of Dartford, Dulwich, Horsham, Chatham or Enfield, and Lewes.

“There’s so many clubs in there with good budgets, good experienced players and good young players.

“We’ll have a chat and see where everyone wants to be and take it from there.”