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Ebbsfleet boss Dennis Kutrieb revealed he made his players train on Boxing Day so they were ready for Dartford on Saturday.
The Fleet saw their festive matches at home to the Darts and away to Welling both postponed due to Covid-19 but that didn’t stop the Fleet manager putting his squad through their paces.
“I was very disappointed about the break because the players wanted to play,” said Kutrieb.
“They want to have the matchday feeling but instead had training on Boxing Day. I don’t know how many of the players had training on Boxing Day in their lives, they were not really too happy to have a training session, but that’s normal.
“When you have a game, that’s fine. But when you have to go to a training session, it’s a little bit weird. But they did it really well, they dug deep. That’s what you expect as a manager and everything else, it will come. You can see it getting closer and closer.”
The goalless draw at Princes Park was the first piece of action for both sides in a fortnight.
There was a clear signal change from the Fleet who got the ball forward with more purpose than earlier on in the campaign and Kutrieb admitted he is ready to change his ways.
“It’s important that you have to adapt what you need in a game, as I’ve said many times before,” added the Fleet manager. “I never said that I only play in one area, in one direction.
“I want to be adaptable for the players, I want them to play different formations and they did it in a different shape really well. We need to be adaptable for the opponents.”
Like his opposite number, Kutrieb felt his side did enough to come out on top in the derby.
“We were a little bit unlucky in the first half, a brilliant action from Paxman, he goes through three, four boys and could score,” said Kutrieb.
“In the second half, a few chances for Mekki, the shot from 20 yards was a very good one. And then Reece Grant where perhaps if he is a step quicker he can get the goal.
“I would say if I look at the performance, we deserved the win, but it’s 0-0 – no loss, no win, so we have to take it.”
Players and staff from both sides clashed after the final whistle, the aftermath of a late challenge by Ebbsfleet substitute Reece Grant on Dartford keeper Craig King, which saw the former shown a yellow card.
Kutrieb said: “I have to look at the video to see if something bad happened.
“I didn’t see it, I only stepped in to get them separated. I am happy that our boys stuck together, that’s what you need as a team and I can’t see there are bad things from our side.”
