FLEET boss Andy Ford is trying to keep his players’ feet firmly on the ground as they occupy the top half of the Conference after seven games this season.

Following their promotion campaign last year, Gravesend took time to get used to life in the higher league but, after winning their last two matches including an impressive 3-2 victory at high-flying Woking, they look more secure.

Ford said: “We’ve done very well this season but we aren't getting carried away. If we’d have lost at Woking it wouldn't have been quite so good but you've got to look at the bigger picture.

“This is the first time we've played in the Conference for a number of years and we are one of the smallest clubs in the league. So we’ve done remarkably well.”

Gravesend will hoping to maintain their good run of results in the next couple of weeks with away games against Forest Green Rovers and Burton Albion – two teams below them in the table.

However, Ford warned: “There are a lot of big teams in this division who are below us in the table so we know that every game will be tough.

“Forest Green might be bottom of the pile but they've just appointed a new manager (Colin Addison) so all their players will want to impress him.”

One Fleet player who'll be relishing the opportunity to take on the best players in the Conference is striker Che Stadhart as he attempts to add to his six goals in the last three games.

Ford said: “Strikers can go for about four or five games without a goal and then suddenly hit form. Che seems to have done that and he'll be hoping it continues.

“We took him off for the opening game and then left him out for a few matches. By starving him of first team football perhaps we've got his appetite back.”