Ebbsfleet United boss Kevin Watson hopes new signing Jermaine McGlashan can kickstart their survival bid.

The Fleet remain in the National League relegation zone despite an upturn in form and performances since Watson took over in October.

McGlashan produced a dazzling debut in last weekend’s FA Trophy win over King’s Lynn and Watson is excited by his potential impact.

“I hope he is the missing ingredient,” said Watson.

“Chesterfield let him go back to Swindon, and Swindon released him, so those two clubs have decided he wasn’t for them. But based on his debut he most certainly will be for us.

“It was an outstanding debut and if he is going to give us that sort of performance week in, week out, we’re going to be delighted with what he brings to the club.

“He gives us something different. He runs behind, he stretches people, he’s quick and takes us up the pitch which we need to do.

“If everything is in front of people then you can’t get out and he stretches teams.”

McGlashan joined the Fleet until the end of the season having been released by Swindon, from whom he was on loan at Chesterfield.

Usually a winger, McGlashan was used as a central striker against King’s Lynn.

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“I played him as one of the front strikers because Tomi Adeloye, Gozie Ugwu and Josh Umerah all want it into their bodies, setting up play,” said Watson.

“But we need to stretch teams, especially when we’ve got someone like Josh Payne in the middle of the pitch.

"We need to open up that area for him and if everything is going into feet and we’re not making defenders go backwards then that space will never appear.

“It doesn’t matter who plays up there but if you can get hold of the ball and it sticks for two or three touches, the whole team can move up the pitch and you get closer to those players.

“He belied his size, Jermaine, he is not a tall lad but his hold-up play, his decision-making and his willingness to run was absolutely first class.”

Fleet’s FA Trophy reward is a home tie against Southern League Royston on February 8 but their immediate attention is on this Saturday’s National League clash at home to Harrogate.

“It’s now or never,” admitted Watson, whose team are seven points adrift of safety.

“We’ve got 17 games left, we need to win half of those with a couple of draws thrown in to get out of this mire.

“We know what we’ve got to do, we know it will be tough because of the position we find ourselves in but it is more than doable.

“I don’t look at the league table, I know where we are and I just want to catch those teams above that line.

“I’m convinced that when we get above that line, we won’t be going back in it. That’s how I feel about it.”

Jack King and Andre Blackman are both ruled out through suspension.

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