Ebbsfleet manager Danny Searle has urged the club’s fans to raise the roof ahead of this Saturday’s crunch clash at home to AFC Fylde.

The Fleet can take a massive step towards National League survival with three points against a Fylde side who themselves are all but safe after an excellent second half to the campaign.

More than 2,000 Ebbsfleet fans watched the Good Friday draw with Southend and Searle wants them back again to create a winning atmosphere.

“The fans have been brilliant and against Southend the support was amazing,” said Searle. “We want the same again this Saturday against Fylde.

“We need to create a fortress at home which we have started to do but let’s build on that and fill the place as much as we can.

“If fans didn’t matter then home form would be irrelevant. But most clubs that are successful, their home form is unreal.

“You create an environment where opposition teams don’t want to come there and play, it’s not just about the 11 on the pitch making it difficult but that cauldron atmosphere brings an intensity.

“The crowd is close to the pitch at Stonebridge Road which is good and when you’re a player and you know you’ve got people behind you, sometimes it gives you that extra yard that you might be lacking because you’re feeling tired.

“Let’s make it as noisy as we can and I guarantee that the boys will run through brick walls for them.

“The support at Dagenham was fantastic. We’re building a relationship between us and the fans and they appreciate what we’re doing and we massively appreciate what they’re doing.”

Searle knows that the Ebbsfleet faithful can play their part. With just five games left to play, the Fleet need to look at every advantage they can gain.

The boss knows that positive support from the stands can make a difference.

“It happens too often for it to be a coincidence,” he added. “At Dagenham on Monday there was a little five-minute spell when we were on our knees a bit just after they scored and I was worried.

“That’s the first time I was a bit worried as we looked like our heads had gone. But credit to the lads, the fans played their part and we reset ourselves, everyone calmed down and we knew we’d get another chance.”

The draw at Dagenham followed up a Good Friday point against Southend thanks to Dominic Poleon’s second-half equaliser.

The Fleet know they need seven more points from their final five games to guarantee safety.

“Every point is massive,” stressed Searle. “You have to keep putting teams to the sword.

“We didn’t do that enough on Monday but we did enough to get something out of the game.

“We’ve got five games and we just have to make sure we pick up the points we need to stay in the league as that’s all it’s been about - just make sure we survive.”

Ebbsfleet lost striker Dominic Samuel to a hamstring injury in the first half-hour at Dagenham while on-loan defender Tommy Fogarty didn’t make the squad. But Searle doesn’t expect them to be sidelined for long.

“After Saturday we’ve got a run of games that is going to be quite strenuous so there’s no point risking it if there is a slight pull or tear,” said Searle. “We’ll assess Dominic Samuel and see where we go.

“Tommy had a little impact injury and didn’t feel 100% comfortable so we didn’t risk him for a game and then potentially lose him for four or five.”

Ebbsfleet are away to play-off chasing Solihull Moors on Tuesday, kick-off 7.45pm.