Ebbsfleet boss Steve Brown believes the transfer tide is turning in his favour as free agents run out of time to land themselves a new club.

Brown gave trialists Dominic Green and Mat Mitchel-King a run-out in Tuesday's 1-1 draw with Dartford and is hopeful the pair will sign at Stonebridge Road.

Left-winger Green, previously wth Dagenham & Redbridge, had a loan spell at Dartford last season, while centre-back Mitchel-King was released by AFC Wimbledon in May after two seasons with the League 2 club.

Several trialists turned down the chance to play in Ebbsfleet's first two pre-season friendlies but with the start of the Conference South season now just three weeks away, the picture is beginning to change.

Brown said: "There’s lots of players out there who haven’t got clubs and the clock’s ticking, so I’ve got rich pickings at times. Some of them are stubborn, they will hold you off, and sometimes the opportunity will pass them and us by.

"As the clock ticks, I’ve got three or four players I can add to the squad and I do believe it works in our favour now. The clubs they thought might come in for them are not coming in for them, so it’s panic stations."

Green played the first 45 minutes of Tuesday's north Kent derby and Mitchel-King came on at half-time.

Brown said: "Dominic’s one that needs an arm round the shoulder. He doesn’t really want to come down to this level but football’s a cruel world and sometimes you don’t get what you want.

"Mat’s the same, he’s been released by AFC Wimbledon at the end of the season and there are so many players out of contract.

"There’s other players I’ve spoken to that have been League players and have said 'I’m waiting for a League club.' Well, wait, because if I was to take on Dominic and Matt, those guys that I’d approached two or three weeks ago, those offers would then be off the table. Not only do you not get your League club, you don’t get your Conference South club.

"Players are now starting to think 'I need a club for next season, I don’t want to have no club' and that’s why you see a lot of trialists coming our way."

Mitchel-King arrived late at Princes Park after a nightmare journey.

Brown explained: "Mat came from Reading and it took him three-and-a-half hours. He was so desperate to come and have half a game for us that he jumped in a cab from Bromley South. He wants to show me what he’s like when he’s really fit and that, to me, says a lot about a person.

"Mat will come in and train with us and get a few games under his belt and Dominic the same."

Brown this week clinched the signing of another winger, Anthony Cook. The ex-Chelmsford man had been trialing with Colchester but was let go and opted to sign for the Fleet. He looked sharp against Dartford.

"I’ve been saying for a while that there have been signings bubbling under the surface and the Anthony Cook one’s been going on for four or five weeks," Brown said. "I couldn’t interfere because he was trialling at a league club.

"Anthony has shown what he brings to the side; there’s pace, there’s trickery, there’s a work ethic that’s absolutely magnificent and there’s a little bit of an attitude."