Liam Daish is proud of what Ebbsfleet United have accomplished thus far in their first Blue Square Bet Premier campaign on a shoe-string budget.

The Fleet, who just last season were toiling away in the Blue Square Bet South, are 16th in the standings and have fared admirably against wealthier and more fancied clubs.

Now, Daish is hoping his men have what it takes to pick up their first win in five matches when they travel to Grimsby Town on Saturday, the Mariners only one point and place above the Kent outfit.

“It’s a tough league and we know every pound counts,” the Stonebridge tactician told the Grimsby Telegraph.

“Things are a little bit tight at the moment, on a knife-edge, and we’ve got to support the players on the pitch who are working very hard, bringing a decent brand of football here at a good level.

“We’ve got full-time clubs playing us and we’re really trying everything to stay in this league.”

He added: “We did well against them (Grimsby) then but it’s another tough challenge for us against an ex-League side.

“We’ve played, in the last three games, Kidderminster, Barrow and Cambridge – they’re three tough games and we haven’t been beaten, so the lads deserve a bit of credit.”