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Ebbsfleet manager Dennis Kutrieb admitted their midweek win at promotion rivals Havant was particularly sweet.
There’s no love-lost between the two managers after previous incidents involving Kutrieb and his opposite number, Paul Doswell.
The game passed without incident on or off the pitch, although again there was no handshake between the two managers.
“It means more than a normal game,” said Kutrieb, who saw his side return to top spot in National League South after Rakish Bingham’s 88th-minute winner.
“This is the only ground where I have history. I like most of their players, they have a lot of good players in their squad but there is history for me so it’s a big win and it means a lot. The boys know exactly that.
“It’s not because they are the second-best team, there’s still a long way to go and it doesn’t mean anything more than three points.
“But from a personal point of view, it obviously means a lot for me. There is history and I can’t deny that I’m really relieved to get this win. I think I deserved it and we deserved it as a team.”
A game of few chances was settled by Bingham’s sixth goal of the season.
The Fleet striker’s conversion rate has been the subject of much debate this season but one thing that has never been questioned has been the support of Bingham from Kutrieb.
“That’s what I told you four weeks ago, when we need him to score the one goal and he has one chance - he will score,” stated the Fleet boss.
“He might not score the third or the fourth goal (when the game is already won) but when it’s a big game he scores the goal for us.
“I was sure if he got a chance he’d put it in the back of the net, that’s why he is there and why he’s a big player for me, regardless if he has scored in the last two or five weeks or not.
“Players who put a big shift in always get their reward, he did a hard shift again and he took his chance. I’m extra proud of him as he deserves a lot.”
It was a match of few chances played in difficult weather conditions.
Last season the Fleet crumbled too many times away from home. But they seem to be made of sterner stuff this time around.
“It was a game we definitely wouldn’t have won last season, although maybe not lose either because there wasn’t much in the game,” said Kutrieb.
“I think defensively we are much stronger and more resolute, our defending is much better than last season but that’s why we did the signings in the summer as we needed to improve there. So far, so good.
“You can see the goalkeeper is calm, Haydn Hollis is strong in the air and wins his headers, Luke O’Neill strong in the air and knows how to defend properly, Chris Solly in front of the back three was outstanding as well.
“We’ve definitely shown more resilience at the back this season and that might be the reason why we won the game. I said to the boys at half-time if we don’t concede then we’ll win this game as we’ll always score a goal. That’s why I’m really proud, it means a lot to me.”
Kutrieb was not happy with his troops after a below-par display in a draw at Hemel Hempstead last weekend.
He got the response he wanted and now wants to continue their unbeaten start to the campaign in the FA Cup at home to FC Halifax on Saturday.
“After Saturday’s game it was much needed to get the three points,” said Kutrieb.
“We’re still unbeaten. I told the boys after Saturday, if we’re still unbeaten in a week it means after Havant and Halifax, even I would start to be proud of us and proud of them. That would mean a lot.
“We played against a very strong side today as you could see and we got the win. I think because of the second half you can say it was a deserved win, and now we play against Halifax.
“It was important that the boys can see and believe they are good enough, after Saturday they had to take my moan and criticism as that was not good enough but today it was a completely different situation. They were able to win 50/50 battles, able to win headers, to make a tackle. That’s the reason why I’m massively proud.”
