Ebbsfleet’s long wait for a National League win continued on Saturday as they lost at home to Braintree.

A goal from former Fleet striker John Akinde proved the difference between the two teams.

Ebbsfleet made one change the side that drew at Woking last weekend, with Mustapha Olagunju available again following suspension and Franklin Domi dropping out.

Braintee nearly scored within 19 seconds. A wayward George Moncur header allowed Kyrell Lisbie to work his way down the left and cross for John Akinde, whose effort was turned behind by keeper Mark Cousins.

Ebbsfleet responded positively and Tom Dallinson headed Toby Edser’s left-wing corner narrowly over the bar on three minutes.

Two minutes later, Moncur’s deep cross from the left was volleyed goalwards by Olagunju but visiting skipper George Langston produced a brilliant block to divert the ball over the bar.

Moncur’s corner was then met by Luke O’Neill but the Fleet captain’s header was straight at keeper Henry Gray.

Fleet midfielder Alex Aoraha picked up a sixth-minute booking for halting a Braintree breakaway but the game quickly became stop-start following a head injury to Louis Annesley, who gamely got through to 26 minutes before being replaced although he did well to escape a yellow card while he was on the pitch.

Braintree were awarded a penalty when the visitors broke swiftly from an Ebbsfleet free-kick, with the pace of Lisbie proving too much for Chapman who felled him in the box. Akinde put his penalty straight down the middle to give Braintree a 36th-minute lead.

Ebbsfleet nearly levelled on the stroke of half-time when Chapman’s cross was met by Thomas but his header was saved by Gray.

Chapman was replaced by the on-loan Alex Lankshear in stoppage time while Olagunju was booked for a foul just before the break.

O’Neill headed wide from a corner early in the second half and Anthony Stewart’s low shot was saved by Gray.

It was the youthful enthusiasm of Maxx Manktelow, a half-time replacement for Aoraha, that drove the home side forward as Braintree marked Moncur out of the game.

A long-range Manktelow volley was blocked in the box with five minutes left as Ebbsfleet looked to stage a late rally but the visitors successfully ran down the clock to move five points clear of the bottom four.

Ebbsfleet: Cousins, O’Neill, Stewart (Tanga 68mins), Olagunju, Dallison, Chapman (Lankshear 45+5mins), Aoraha (Maktelow 46mins), Edser, Moncur (Samuel 79mins), Thomas, Cosgrave. Subs not used: Firth, Carr, Odokonyero.

Braintree: Gray, Francis-Clarke, Langston, Annesley (Pinnington 26mins), Clampin (Fyfield 64mins), Blackwell (Judge 90+1mins), Vennings, Robinson, Francis, Akinde, Lisbie (Cooper 80mins). Subs not used: Nielsen, Marshall-Miranda.

Referee: Dale Barnes.

Attendance: 1,385 (186 away).