Ebbsfleet’s improved defensive record is of more interest to manager Dennis Kutrieb than moving out of the bottom four.

The Fleet are three points clear of the bottom four after winning at Maidenhead on Tuesday night.

But it was a second clean sheet in third games that took Kutrieb’s attention, knowing that a solid base will go hand-in-hand with moving up the table.

“As I always say, I can’t watch the table too much,” insisted the Fleet boss. “There are teams around us that haven’t played the same amount of games that we have.

“I don’t care about the table at this moment in time. It was a setback last Saturday (against Hartlepool) after beating Wealdstone but if I put those three games together, we’ve conceded one goal.

“That’s definitely a massive improvement from the months before and that’s something we can improve on.

“When we make sure we don’t concede many goals then we’ll always have a chance to get points on the board and we don’t have to be worried (about the table).”

Ebbsfleet fielded a relatively inexperienced back three with Myles Kenlock partnering on-loan pair Declan Skura and the returning Mustapha Olagunju.

The midfield pair of Josh Wright and Ouss Cisse added knowhow and experience ahead of them, and the Fleet looked assured defending into the wind and kicking up the slope in the second half at Maidenhead.

“The three of them defended very well and it was good with Josh Wright and Ouss Cisse in front of them,” said Kutrieb. “I’m proud of how they approached the game.

“Last year it helped us to be so experienced, this year it helps us to be a little bit fresher and younger in some areas. So, from this point of view hopefully we’ve found the right balance now and can kick on from here.

“Ouss Cisse had a great game, high work-rate, won many important 50-50s and organised the team well with Josh Wright.”

Report: Maidenhead 0-1 Ebbsfleet

The points were won thanks to substitute Dominic Samuel’s clinical finish with seven minutes left at York Road.

It was his third goal since joining up with Kutrieb’s squad.

“That’s why he is with us - he can score all day long,” noted the Fleet boss. “I told him that we will rest him today because you see late in games when you have so much quality like him and he’s not tired, he can get a goal.

“It’s not an easy goal to pick the corner and just pass it in with pace on the ball, that’s quality, that’s the individual quality that he has and other players would maybe put it in the stands.

“In the first half they had a good chance where we blocked the shot so you can see Dom’s quality. If he is fresh on the pitch and the defenders are tired then he will have a chance to score a goal.”

Substitute Franklin Domi marked his return by setting up the move for Samuel’s winner, with Dominic Poleon unselfishly teeing up his strike partner.

“Franklin gives us more options,” said Kutrieb. “He can play everywhere, in the back four, as a wing-back, in centre-mid or as a ten in an attacking role. He is very versatile which we definitely need over the next couple of weeks.

“He is well bonded to the team, everyone likes him and likes having him on the pitch. You need to find players which have a good chemistry together on the pitch as a team and that’s why Franklin Domi is very important to us and I’m happy that he’s back.”