Ebbsfleet manager Dennis Kutrieb has warned his players they can’t afford to take their foot off the gas.

The Fleet have come through a testing four-week period with flying colours in National League South.

They’ve remained unbeaten since New Year’s Day and their form in February was rewarded with the manager-of-the-month award for Kutrieb.

The schedule is less intense in the final six weeks of the season but the challenges still remain just as tough, according to the Fleet boss.

“Maintaining our standards is the most important thing,” stated Kutrieb, whose side sit 15 points clear with eight games to play ahead of Saturday’s clash at home to Dulwich.

“We’re not promoted, we’ve still got eight games to go and 24 points up for grabs. It’s not done.

“We saw Tonbridge compete last Saturday, and Dulwich this weekend will be completely different. Dulwich had one of their best performances when we played them at their place, it looked a little bit easy and comfortable but it was not.

“This will be a tough fight, then we have a live game against Slough who will be up for it even more so because of it being on television.

“Then we go to Taunton, who were unbeaten at home for two years, a long journey. On the Easter weekend we have Oxford and Braintree, so there are still many tough games coming up.

“We need to make sure we’re ready as each one comes. They’re not easy games.

“Tonbridge put a shift in and couldn’t run anymore but they kept going and that’s what teams are doing against us.

“We’re used to it and that’s why we don’t have any easy games. It will still be a tough time for us and we have to play each game as it comes and approach it right.”

The Fleet have recorded five wins and four draws in a nine-game spell over the past month.

It means they’ve effectively got one hand on the title, and Kutrieb was full of praise for his squad’s return during a hectic period.

“Unbelievable,” he reflected. “This was such a great shift and hard work. Everyone who has been available has wanted to play and get points on the board.

“I’m really happy because you can’t ask for anything more. The work-rate has been there throughout.

“Over the nine games in this period we played so many tough opponents, it’s been outstanding.

“When you want to get promoted that’s what you have to do. You have to be [picking up points] when other teams are struggling, you have to make sure you win your games.

“That’s the only thing that matters, and the only thing you have to take care of. You can’t influence anything that happens on other pitches with other opponents.

“We had to make sure we delivered our results, and that’s what we’ve done. Now we have eight more games in six or seven weeks which will be much easier (schedule-wise). It doesn’t mean you deliver better results because you have fewer games left, we just have to make sure we’re ready.”

After being pegged back by a late equaliser at Tonbridge, the Fleet boss wants to see an improvement in their game management.

It’s the second time in as many away games that Ebbsfleet have been denied victory late on.

“This is something we have to learn,” added Kutrieb. “Game management is not just going back and defending, it’s putting the ball in the back of the net as well.

“You can have it much easier when you score the second goal, and that was similar to Farnborough where if we scored the third goal there then it was game over.”

Player/coach Chris Solly (knee) is fit to return against Dulwich but Craig Tanner is not expected to feature until April.

Ebbsfleet were knocked out of the Kent Senior Cup by Welling on Tuesday night. Fleet, who had Elliott Romain red-carded in the first half, lost 3-2 in the Quarter-Final tie with goals from a Sido Jombati penalty and Darren McQueen.