Lewis Page is targeting a top-half National League finish with Ebbsfleet this season.

Page was one of several summer recruits at Stonebridge Road and has quickly settled into the Fleet’s backline after arriving from Dagenham & Redbridge.

Many Ebbsfleet fans would probably settle for a season of consolidation in the top-flight of non-league football.

But the defender said: “You can’t start the season thinking that you’re going to be down there.

“I don’t think we will be. I think we will be top-half of the table, that’s the aim.

“We have only played a couple of games so we can’t get disheartened.

“If you haven’t got the goals to push on and be in the play-off spots, for example, then there’s no real point in playing. You have got to be a bit gung-ho and go for it - otherwise what’s the point in playing?

“We wrote our goals down at the start of the season and I’m sure, if we stick to our game-plan, they’ll come good.”

Page feels high-intensity pressing play is a hallmark of how Ebbsfleet manager Danny Searle wants his team to set up.

Speaking after last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat to Barnet, Page explained: “We want to press, get high up the pitch and cause them problems when they have the ball and they’re, for example, taking goal kicks.

“I felt we were slightly off again on Saturday on when to go and when not to go, especially in the second half. But it was better than the previous weekend, so we can keep building on that.

“We have got a lot of games to get things right.

“There’s going to be times like this in the season and, hopefully, we’re just having ours at the start.

“Playing Saturday-Tuesday most weeks, there’s going to be games where you might not perform well but they’re the times where you need to dig in because getting one point is better than none.”

The Fleet’s new-look defence, in particular, looked much more robust than in the opening-day 5-1 defeat at Gateshead despite coming under plenty of pressure from Dean Brennan’s Barnet side.

“We definitely gelled better than we did the previous week,” admitted former Gillingham and Charlton defender Page. “Hopefully, Gateshead was a one-off.

“We stuck together, worked as a back five at times, with wing-backs and our centre midfielders giving us a bit of support, blocking off runs.

“I feel like we have got something to build from.

“I think it’s about confidence, as well. We can build on Saturday.

“It’s just about having that positive mindset at the start of the game and then seeing that through the 90 minutes.”

Page and the rest of Ebbsfleet’s defence had to be alert to deal with Barnet’s formation which saw several players drift into pockets just behind striker Nicke Kabamba, including matchwinner Callum Stead, who bagged a brace.

Asked how defenders try to set up when sides pose such problems, the 28-year-old replied: “It’s sort of about doing a half-and-half job.

“That sort of helps us to work around together and makes sure that we don’t leave spaces that are too big.

“It’s a lot of running work - but it has to be done - especially against teams like Barnet.

“It’s important that we stay together and we’re compact.”

Page is also hopeful his wing-back role will allow him to contribute at the other end.

He said: “Playing as a wing-back suits me quite well.

“It gives me a bit of freedom to try and get up the pitch.

“I’d like to do it a bit more but we maybe just need a bit more controlled possession.

“It’s definitely something that I like to do.

“I like to put crosses into the box and hopefully, over the next few weeks, I can put a few more in.”

Indeed, Page has set plenty of personal and team targets for the campaign - not that he’ll be revealing them yet.

He said: “I have got an amount of games that I want to play, I’ve put an assists target down and a goals target down. I do it most seasons. Hopefully, I can hit them.

“I won’t say what they are at this stage - but maybe, I’ll tell you at the end of the season!”

Ebbsfleet were beaten 3-2 at Yeovil on Tuesday despite goals from Page and substitute Dominic Samuel.

The Fleet welcome Woking to Stonebridge Road this Saturday before they visit Braintree on Bank Holiday Monday.