Ebbsfleet United manager Danny Searle on the 2-1 home defeat to Barnet and their tough National League start this season

Boss Danny Searle expects Ebbsfleet to start picking up points soon - if they keep showing the same levels of improvement as they have done within the past week.

The Fleet are yet to get off the mark this season in the National League as they lost 2-1 at home to Barnet on Saturday, having suffered a 5-1 opening-day thumping at Gateshead last weekend.

It has been a tough start for Ebbsfleet, who are at Yeovil on Tuesday night, but there were some green shoots for Searle to draw comfort from against the Bees despite substitute striker Dominic Poleon’s stoppage-time penalty proving in vain.

On the Fleet’s performance against Barnet, Searle admitted: “It was certainly better than it was last Saturday!

“We have just had that exact same conversation in the dressing room ‘Was it good enough?’. In spells, no.

“There were two very cheap goals. We talked about (tracking their) runners and, up until the 43rd minute, we looked quite comfortable, although they had a lot of possession.

“At the end of the day, was it better than last week? Yes. Was it good enough? No.

Report: Ebbsfleet 1-2 Barnet

“The message was quite simple, if we can improve the same amount as we did from last weekend to today, we know the results will start coming.”

Ebbsfleet only secured National League survival on the final day last term and there are already fears they will be in another relegation dogfight.

But Searle said: “We have had a tough start.

“Gateshead, they were, arguably, the best footballing side in the league last year and will have been disappointed not to have gone up. But they did win the FA Trophy.

“Then, you’re playing the team that came second and they’re the bookies’ favourite to win the league, so it has been hard.

“Last week was