Garry Hill felt some of his Ebbsfleet players proved a point in the crushing win at Braintree.

Squad members left out in the cold during Daryl McMahon's final weeks as manager have become central figures under Hill and the new boss hailed their response since his appointment.

Jack King and Lawrie Wilson both excelled as Fleet kept another clean sheet while Michael Cheek scored twice and could have had a hat-trick.

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Report: Braintree Town 0 Ebbsfleet United 4

Hill said: "There was nothing wrong with the players already at the football club but certain things change sometimes, a new management team and the playing squad respond.

"A little bit of freshness has been shown in respect of the players who played out there today when you go through the team that started and the players who weren’t involved at all.

"They’ve proved they were never bad players and they’re showing as a group they’re all working well in the right direction.

"We know what we’ve got to do as a group, on and off the pitch.

"It was very important the boys kept a clean sheet, even though there was a four-goal difference, because 4-0 looks a lot more healthy than 5-1.

"You have to look at our goal ratio and the way we’re playing going forward and the way we’ve freshened things up."

The win was Fleet's third in seven days over the festive period and it lifted them to within three points of the national League play-offs.

"Hopefully we don’t get spoilt too quick," said Hill. "There’s been a big turnaround in a short space of time at the football club.

"To take 20 points out of 27 in this league is a very encouraging run and it sets us up nicely now for going into 2019 in a proper way.

"We’ve certainly got something to play for going forward even though we are a small squad. If we can keep players fit and stay clear of injuries and illnesses, it’s going to be interesting.

"It’s certainly been a very encouraging run since me and Ian Hendon have come in."

Ebbsfleet only had 16 players available on New Year's Day and Danny Kedwell was left on the bench having spent two days in bed with flu.

Hill said: "Keds has been a top player since we came to the football club. He’s a big player but he knows he will have to keep doing the business.

"When you see that Michael Cheek goes up there (and scores twice) and Cody McDonald will certainly get more goals as he gets fitter. Corey Whitely comes on then and all of a sudden you’re looking up top there and you’re asking questions and saying to yourself there’s four very useful players there straight away at the football club who can do a good job up top. It’s good healthy competition.

"If you look at the backline boys, we are a little bit thin at the present time but we’ll pick and choose what we feel is right for the club going forward in the near future.

"We lose our skipper, we must never forget him, Dave Winfield, to a bad injury as we did a week ago and Myles Weston was unavailable today with his wife having a baby.

"We’ve got a very tight, hard-working group at the present time."