Ebbsfleet manager Jamie Day admits automatic promotion from Vanarama Conference South is probably beyond his team this season.

Day's side lost 2-1 at Sutton on Saturday and they remain 13 points behind leaders Boreham Wood with 15 of their league fixtures remaining.

The arrival of Danny Kedwell, Matt Fish, Adam Cunnington, Stuart Lewis and Kelvin Langmead - among others - had sparked talk of Fleet overhauling that gap and marching to the championship.

But it's not a view shared by Day.

He said: "People look at the signings that we’ve got and will expect us to win every game and win the league still. I think any realistic person knows that’s not going to happen.

"We need to set an amount of games that we want to win that will get us into the play-offs, so that’s our aim.

"I can’t worry about what other people think and how people see our club.

"The supporters were fantastic (at Sutton) and they’ve got to do that week in, week out, which I know they will, to support the boys. One thing they’ll see is the effort and attitude will be there week in, week out.

"We’re not going to win every game and we are going to get beat, like today. But as long as they keep supporting, eventually we’ll get it right.

"It’s a long-term thing for us to get where we want to be - it’s not going to happen quickly."