Daish's Ebbsfleet currently lie 21st in the Blue Square Premier

Ebbsfleet United manager Liam Daish has admitted his side are struggling to cope with fixture congestion.

The Fleet are facing a run of 12 league games in the next four weeks as they battle to avoid relegation from the Blue Square Premier.

They are also in Setanta Shield action on Thursday against Forest Green.

Daish told BBC Radio Kent: "It is not ideal. We've got another game Thursday, we've got a massive game at Kettering on Saturday and another one Tuesday."

The Fleet's 1-0 defeat by Salisbury on Tuesday meant they slipped back into the bottom four in the Blue Square Premier.

Afterwards, Daish said the upcoming games would leave him with limited time to correct things in training.

How can you approach a game of football where you're basically saying 'go out and lose' Liam Daish

"You can only do so much, and it can have an adverse affect bringing players in in between games, especially away games.

"By the time they get home and into their beds, they're back out again.

"So we're trying to do our best but it's going to be tough."

The Fleet have only won one league game in 2009, with a number of fixtures postponed during the cold snap.

But they now find themselves with several games in hand over their relegation rivals.

Daish's side are also in the semi-finals of the Setanta Shield and a win on Thursday would see them travel to either Telford or Barrow for the final.

However, that is not a prospect the Fleet boss is relishing - and he hinted that it would better not to progress in the competition.

He said: "How can you approach a game of football where you're basically saying 'go out and lose'?

"Well I don't know how to do that, I don't know how to approach it that way. It's like just giving them the game.

"I just can't do that, I want to get into the habit of winning games, but it's a difficult one."

Full match commentary of Ebbsfleet v Forest Green Rovers will be available at bbc.co.uk/kent

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