GRAVESEND & Northfleet manager Andy Ford has distanced himself from rumours linking him with the managerial vacancy at Nationwide Conference rivals Dagenham & Redbridge.

Daggers' long-serving manager Garry Hill quit on Saturday following the Fleet's resounding 4-0 triumph at Victoria Road. It was the club's first-ever win over the Daggers.

Former Maidstone United manager John Still, Margate's Chris Kinnear and Ford have all been strongly linked with the job.

Ford, who is negotiating a full-time contract with Fleet, said: "I am ambitious and I do want to take Gravesend as far as I can.

"I cannot stop speculation but at the end of the day I'm about to sign - though I'm not there yet - another contract with Gravesend.

"There are a few little things to sort out but I expect to be at Gravesend next season.

"I believe Gravesend can exploit a niche whereby we pick up good, semi-professional players who have good jobs and are not prepared to quit those jobs in favour of going full-time."

After Saturday's three points mathematically secured Conference football for another season at Stonebridge Road, Ford immediately set his sights on a top-10 finish for the club who presently occupy 11th place.

He said: "I'm aiming for a top-10 finish. There are a couple of big clubs who are just ahead of us and that's my target.

"Woking and Stevenage are in my sights and I want to see us get closer to them."

The Fleet will be looking to maintain their end-of-season surge over Easter when they visit Telford on Saturday followed by Monday's home game against relegation-haunted Farnborough.

The Fleet's match at Shrewsbury, postponed on March 20, has been rearranged for Tuesday, April 20.

Gravesend centre-back Francis Duku looks set to miss the rest of the season after a scan revealed calicification on a bone following a minor road accident. Duku is to undergo another scan in two weeks to clarify the full extent of the injury.