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Ebbsfleet United 1 Weston-super-Mare 1

Ebbsfleet dropped two points on Saturday when they conceded a late equaliser at home to Weston-super-Mare.

Billy Bricknell's super strike looked to be sending the Fleet to a second straight home win but the visitors hung in there and deservedly drew level through Ashley Kington.

Ben May goes close for Ebbsfleet against Weston-super-Mare at Stonebridge Road
Ben May goes close for Ebbsfleet against Weston-super-Mare at Stonebridge Road

New signing Anthony Acheampong didn't feature for the home side, who made two changes from their 3-1 defeat at Eastleigh a week earlier.

Dean Rance returned from suspension in place of Michael Corcoran, while Alex Osborn was preferred to Michael West on the right of midfield.

The first half was tight, although both sides did have their moments.

Osborn rode a challenge on the edge of the box and slid a ball into the feet of Bricknell, who fired wastefully wide.

At the other end, Chaz Hemmings laid the ball back to Ollie Knowles. His shot was powerful but it lacked direction and flew onto the empty terracing at the Swanscombe End.

Dean Rance finds himself surrounded (Pic: Andy Payton)
Dean Rance finds himself surrounded (Pic: Andy Payton)

Daryl McMahon then combined well with Osborn, whose inviting right-wing cross should have led to the opening goal, only for Ben May to head wide from inside the six-yard box. It was a bad miss.

A good move from left to right, involving six Fleet players, finished with Osborn's shot deflecting behind for a corner.

But there was a real scare for the home side when Dayle Grubb's shot flashed past Preston Edwards and clipped the crossbar on its way behind.

Anthony Cook was then tripped on the edge of the Weston box. He took the free-kick himself, curling it over the wall and against the near post, with goalkeeper Lloyd Irish able to dive on the loose ball.

The game was crying out for a piece of real quality and one arrived, 11 minutes into the second half.

Bricknell picked the ball up, 20 yards out,and arrowed a precise shot past the motionless Lloyd Irish and into the top corner. It was Bricknell's third goal in four games and his sixth in nine.

Ebbsfleet goalscorer Billy Bricknell helps the ball on (Pic: Andy Payton)
Ebbsfleet goalscorer Billy Bricknell helps the ball on (Pic: Andy Payton)

Ebbsfleet were lifted by the goal. Chris Sessegnon burst down the right and dug out a good cross, but it wouldn't quite fall for May and Weston cleared their lines.

The goal drew Weston forward in search of an equaliser and Aiden Palmer did well to scramble Hemmings' dangerous cross out from under the crossbar.

But their forward advances meant gaps started to appear at the other end. McMahon sprung the offside trap with a perfectly-timed pass which sent Bricknell racing away, although Irish won the duel when Bricknell opted to shoot first-time, standing tall and getting a faint touch to turn the ball wide.

Fleet boss Steve Brown made a change up front, bringing on Michael Thalassitis for May, and the Cyprus under-21 international should have scored with his first touch.

Electric pace from Cook got him to the byline and his low, flashing cross was begging to be turned in, but Thalassitis' touch was too light and the ball zipped past the far post.

And that miss was made to look even more costly when Weston equalised with eight minutes left. The ball fell kindly for Kington, whose shot went in via the inside of the near post.

Ebbsfleet: Edwards, Sessegnon, Lorraine, Sankofa, Palmer, Osborn, McMahon, Rance, Cook, May (Thalassitis 71mins), Bricknell. Subs not used: Howe, Hall, Corcoran, West.

Weston: Irish, Diallo, Slocombe, Walker (Ingram 71mins), J Laird, Gregson, Grubb, Knowles, Hemmings, Kington, Fiddes. Subs not used: C Laird, Camper, Ash, Brown.

Attendance: 865.

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