Ebbsfleet boss Josh Wright believes his players are starting to stand up and be counted.

After a slow start to his managerial career, Wright’s side have picked up successive draws at Boston on Saturday and at home to Yeovil with 10 men on Tuesday night.

They’ve still got plenty to do before dreaming of a great escape but at least Wright can see an improvement as the players get used to his style of management.

“They were just so, for one reason or another, playing within themselves and feeling sorry for themselves,” explained Wright.

“They were vulnerable and fragile and now they’re feeling protected, they feel more relaxed and are playing with freedom.

“The biggest thing in football is togetherness and you can feel it’s coming within the changing room and around the place. Results will bring that as well.

“The nearest we saw to the performance against Yeovil was against Aldershot on the Tuesday night (a 0-0 draw) earlier in the season. We saw with 10 men against Yeovil what a team is and what it takes to get a point on the board.

“That’s what they’ve given us, I’m proud of them and proud of myself that they’ve given me that, but they deserve the credit as they put their bodies on the line, some of the blocks, substitutes going on out of position, different shapes and being down to 10 men were incredible.

“I said in one of my pre-match team talks on Monday, look at Manchester United against Arsenal in the FA Cup. They (United) had to dig in, really had to dig deep and it showed when you go down to 10 men what you can do when you pull together.

“Ironically that’s exactly what’s happened to us and if there was a penalty shoot-out, we would have gone on and won that too! I’m incredibly proud and that’s the bare minimum that we take going forward.”

With Mustapha Olagunju sent off against Yeovil, Tyler Cordner stretchered off and Todd Kane injured in the first half, it could be a much-changed Ebbsfleet defence at Woking in the National League this Saturday.

The Fleet boss admitted that it could even force his hand in the transfer market earlier than he envisaged.

“I’ve got enough bodies around, just about as there are a few out on loan and a few injuries,” said Wright.

“It might just make me push and act on one or two that I was debating, so I might need to do that. The club are so supportive, the owners and Damian Irvine (chief executive) are so supportive to help this club and get it back on the up.

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“They will support me where I need it but I’ll work it out and see what I’ve got for Thursday and Friday going into the weekend.

“I’m talking to other individuals to bring new players in. I might have to actively move quicker on that now.”

Ebbsfleet’s horrid run of injuries shows no sign of easing. Striker Dominic Poleon (ankle) is sidelined after getting injured against West Ham under-21s last week and Ben Chapman played on against Yeovil when he would have been replaced in normal circumstances.

“Life is a lot about luck and at the moment this football club for months and maybe a year plus hasn’t had much luck,” reflected Wright. “That happens but maybe when things are going against you and you’re fighting harder, other things start to go against you.

“We’re not the only football club or sports team in the world having to deal with it, we have to dig in with what we’ve got and there’s not a lot I can do. We’ve lost at least another two injuries against Yeovil.

“I also had Ben Chapman playing through an injury when I probably would have taken him off on any other night, but we have to keep digging in and the fortunes will turn.

“It would have been nice to keep the same team from Saturday to Tuesday, although that’s a quick turnaround. It’s when you go Saturday-Saturday that you want to keep a settled team.

“On the whole, the shape was similar and the endeavour, fight and everyone’s togetherness was there so as long as I can keep all that stuff then we’ll be better off than we have been.”