Daryl McMahon hailed the professionalism of his Ebbsfleet players after their 1-1 draw at Salford on Saturday.

Fleet matched the National League leaders all the way at the end of another testing week for the club.

Players and staff will be paid late again this month but if anyone thought Fleet were going to down tools at Salford, they couldn't have been more wrong.

Every fit player travelled to Manchester and McMahon's side produced their best performance of the season to knock the Ammies off top spot.

McMahon said: "We will continue to fight for each other, as a group, in that changing-room. That will not change, no matter what happens.

"We owe it to the fans who travelled here today. They’ve paid their hard-earned money to come and watch the team.

"You can’t always give a result but you want to give them a performance. I thought we gave them a performance and a decent result.

"I’m hugely proud of the players. I thought they were terrific from the start right until the end.

"We created a number of chances and looked a threat all afternoon. We defended really well against an excellent Salford team.

"The big players turned up today. When you go to the big grounds you need the big players to put a performance in and they did, to a man."

Fleet players put their bodies on the line all over the pitch to deny Salford what would have been their 11th win in 17 matches since promotion.

McMahon said: "It’s a part of our game that nobody talks about.

"They want to talk about some of the decent football and some of the good players we have but to win games of football, to be in the play-offs and to do what we have done over three years is a lot of hard work and togetherness in that group.

"We’ve had some good performances this season but this is a tough place to come and they are a good side.

"We gave a thoroughly professional performance in every sense of the word.

"That’s the level we can hit and now we’ve got to hit it consistently for the rest of the season.

"I don’t see why we can’t make up the ground and get in and around the play-offs."

McMahon was full of praise for Corey Whitely after his sublime strike broke the deadlock at Moor Lane.

He said: "For me, he’s the best player in the league because he can do anything he wants.

"He can dribble with the ball, he can run in behind, he’s quick, he’s strong, he’s got a fantastic work ethic and he can score. He’s scored so many different goals for us this year as well.

"He’s a really talented player. His challenge is to find that real consistency week in, week out and then he won’t be in the National League to be honest.

When asked about Nathan Ashmore's contribution in goal for the Fleet, McMahon said: "Their keeper made some good saves as well.

"We had some chances and I don’t think we were ever under the cosh. I don’t think they ever got up a head of steam against us.

"We defended well and countered well. In the first half-hour of the second half we totally dominated the ball.

"We went into the front, back into midfield, got it out wide and got crosses into their box. It was a good performance against a good side."