Ebbsfleet manager Josh Wright admitted it was a “surreal feeling“ after their inevitable relegation from the National League was confirmed on Saturday.

The Fleet’s stay in the top flight of non-league football lasted just two seasons after the record-breaking National League South title success of 2022/23.

It’s been a case of when rather than if for some months, but a 3-3 draw at Aldershot proved the final nail in their relegation coffin.

“It’s a slightly strange, surreal feeling,” said Wright. “You can’t shy away from what we’ve known in recent weeks, what the inevitable was going to be. It was going to happen at some point.

“Let's clear that one up. It's a difficult day. It's been a hell of a difficult season all round. We all know that.

“It's been a season that we all want to forget.

“We're not stupid enough to know that we knew at some point in recent weeks that it was going to happen. It doesn't change anything for us. It doesn't change our mindset.

“It doesn't change our approach. We will go into every game to keep trying to get a positive result for this football club and end the season as high as we can.”

The relegation overshadowed what was a particularly positive first-half display from Wright’s team against an in-form Aldershot outfit that had won four of their last five league games.

The Fleet twice came from behind to lead 3-2 following a crazy 15-minute goal burst.

“We've just come to an informed side over the last 10, 11 games, are in the top two or three for that,” said Wright.

“They’re beating most teams that they're facing at the moment and we've scored three goals against them.

“We've conceded three extremely soft goals, which I will dissect and debrief next week with the boys. But it's a tough day.

“How we end this season takes us forward into the summer, takes us forward into pre-season, and takes us into next season.

“Not many teams will come here and score three goals in one half. And I understand the negative side, as we conceded two, but they're making the right strides, they're making the right steps.

“I know it's too late. I know it's difficult to take. And I'm hurting, believe me, as much, probably more than anyone, along with many other people. But I have to keep trying to take the positives.

“To be 3-2 up at a place like this was a good thing to take into half-time. We couldn't hold on, but at the same time, we took a positive point away from home.”

Ebbsfleet still have seven league games remaining, as well as the Kent Senior Cup final against Welling United at Gillingham’s Priestfield stadium on April 2.

Wright knows his players owe it to the fans to accumulate as many points as possible in the final month of the campaign.

“I've said that to them (the players), I keep stressing to them, I will see it,” said Wright. “I will see it if you jack it in. I will see it if you're not arriving and turning up and wanting to do the right things.

“Believe me, I will see it because I'm a winner and I want to be a winner and so do the right people around me.

“I want to win every single football game, and I want to keep improving this football club, and at least give the fans something to cheer.

“I just said about the fans again, how good the fans are, they've clapped us off again.

“Whether they knew the outcome and what was going on, I'm not sure. But they've seen a team that have run their socks off and given everything they've got. They've seen a team that scored three goals away from home.

“They've seen a team that picked up a big point away from home. They've seen a team that was so close to getting three points away from home.

“We cannot thank them. It means the absolute world to me, my staff, the players and as a football club, the way they turn up for us. And we're going to need them now until the end of the season because it's tough.

“Let's not shy away from it. The situation that we're in that happens to a few teams in every division at some point during the season is very, very tough. Do we want to be in this position? Of course we don't.

“But we have to use this anger now, this frustration, this sick feeling in my stomach that I've got. We have to use that to fuel us now for the rest of this season and take it into next season because we want to and we will bounce back.

“That is for sure. We will bounce back and we will bounce back in terms of our performances, our togetherness, the wins that we're going to get, the endeavour and everything that you need to get results is how we're going to do it. And that starts now.

“That doesn't start next season. That starts now, going into the summer, into pre-season and next season. And we're going to give it absolutely everything we've got to get this club going again and push this club in the right direction.”