Boss Steve McKimm is pleased with the start newly-promoted Cray Valley PM have enjoyed to the Isthmian Premier season - but won’t get carried away.

McKimm’s eighth-placed Millers sit just outside the play-off spots with 13 points from their first eight league fixtures, having been crowned Isthmian South East champions last season.

Cray Valley return to league matters at Canvey Island tonight after last weekend’s 3-1 win at Ramsgate in the FA Trophy third qualifying round thanks to a goal from midfielder Matthew Vigor and forward Freddie Parker’s brace.

McKimm stuck with most of the squad which had earned promotion.

McKimm, who will need to assess the fitness of Vigor after he hobbled off at Southwood, explained: “I felt it was important (to keep the nucleus of the squad) to start off with because it’s a new league.

“If you bring five, six or seven players in, they have got to adapt and understand how you play and what you want to do. These boys knew it from the off.

“They took to it like a duck to water. The first half at Dartford (in an opening-day 2-1 loss), that was probably the worst that we have played but, after that, we kicked into gear and did well and won the next couple.

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“All in all, it’s been a good start.

“We can be better, we need to be better in certain areas at certain times, but Saturday was the first time that they have done what they have been asked to do from nought to 45 minutes and from 45 minutes to 90. That gets you results.

“The weekend before (losing 1-0 at Hendon), we played for the second 45 minutes rather than the first 45 minutes, so we got nothing out of it. If you play for 90 minutes, you’ve got half a chance of winning a game.

“I’m very pleased with the start so far. I never get carried away with myself in terms of ‘If we’d won this game, we would be here’ - we are where we are. We will finish at the end of the season where we deserve to be.

“But these boys have a great work ethic. They’re a good bunch of lads and play some good football, which we don’t get any credit for at times.

“Hopefully, we’ll just get stronger.”

It has been a rapid rise for Cray Valley, who were plying their trade in the Southern Counties East Premier Division not long ago.

Asked if he had felt a difference of returning to playing Step 3 football, the ex-Tonbridge manager said: “Only in terms of you don’t get everything your own way.

“You cannot overpower teams with pace and power anymore. Everyone is at it.

“Very rarely do you get more than a one-goal difference in that league and anyone can beat anyone.

“As I said to the owners the other day, for us we’re rubbing shoulders in the top seven with Billericay, Dartford, Dover and Dulwich when six years ago, we were a Southern Counties East League side. Now, we’re rubbing shoulders with previously established National League and National League South sides.

“Sometimes, you have got to pinch yourself. All we’re going to do is keep maintaining what we do, keep our work ethic right and try to win games of football every week.

“It’s not always going to go our way - but we’ll keep going until we get it right.”

Cray Valley have been drawn at Isthmian North Brentwood in the FA Trophy first round on October 26.

The Millers are at home to Chichester on Saturday.