Ebbsfleet overcame a young Bromley side in the Kent Senior Cup on Wednesday night – but progress came at a cost.

Midfielder Alfie Egan lasted only six minutes as a second-half substitute before he hobbled off with a knee injury.

“I’m really concerned at the moment,” said Kutrieb. “I think it’s serious, he said he twisted his knee. I’m concerned as he’s an important player for us.

“It’s what you never want to see in any game of football. Hopefully it’s not too bad… we will get on with it like we have with other injuries.”

It was far from convincing from a Fleet side full of players who were keen to stake a claim to start in National League South against Eastbourne this Saturday.

But if this was a stage to impress then many flopped their auditions, a late – and deserved – Bromley equaliser meaning the tie was eventually settled on penalties.

Defenders Sido Jombati and Sefa Kahraman plus keeper Chris Haigh all made errors in the opening half-hour that went unpunished by Bromley.

Elliott Romain headed an early chance wide before the Fleet took a 28th-minute lead when Shaquile Coulthirst showed clever footwork on the edge of the box before firing in his second goal in as many games.

It needed a good save by Haigh to deny Ben Krauhaus and preserve the Fleet’s advantage at the break.

A double change saw Will Wood – who picked up an early cut on his forehead – and Coulthirst replaced by Michael West and Ashley Nathaniel-George at half-time.

Lee Martin saw a long-range effort tipped over by Bromley keeper Ellery Balcombe but it was the hosts who pushed for an equaliser, especially once Fleet had to play the final 17 minutes with 10 men having used all their substitutions when Egan left the field.

Martin gave away the free-kick which saw Bromley level matters five minutes from time, home captain Jack Cawley sending his left-foot shot through the defensive wall and beyond Haigh.

With no extra-time, the game went straight to a penalty shoot-out. Martin put the Fleet’s first penalty in the car park. That miss appeared to be cancelled out when Palace Francis took Bromley’s second spot-kick and saw it saved by Haigh.

But a farcical delay – which had already seen Fleet’s next penalty taker put the ball on the spot – eventually meant a retake and Francis made no mistake second time around.

It was all square after Bromley’s Marcus Sablier hit the post but another retake saw the Fleet get fortunate when Kahraman’s spot-kick was saved and he converted at the second time of asking.

Both sides had taken eight penalties by the time Bromley missed their second penalty, keeper Balcombe seeing his spot-kick saved by his opposite number to send the Fleet through.

Adam Mekki, Jack Paxman, Nathaniel-George, Kieran Monlouis, Jombati and Michael West were also successful from the spot for Ebbsfleet, who now travel to Folkestone in the quarter-finals.