Ebbsfleet will be in the draw for the second round of the FA Cup after holding League 2 Cheltenham to a draw at Stonebridge Road.

Garry Hill’s side face a replay at Whaddon Road on Tuesday, November 20 after a game of very few chances.

Both teams looked short on confidence but Fleet will feel they can go to Gloucestershire and win this tie at the second attempt.

New manager Hill's first team selection only bore one change from Daryl McMahon's last, with Ebou Adams replacing the injured Andy Drury in central midfield.

Cheltenham arrived second-bottom in League 2, without a win in their last nine matches. Will Boyle missed the game through illness so boss Michael Duff brought in Johnny Mullins.

The home side were on the front foot straight away, pushing the yellow shirts back into their defensive third.

Robins keeper Scott Flinders looked very unsure on crosses and Luke Coulson had a delivery scrambled behind for a corner following good work down the Ebbsfleet left.

A couple of crunching tackles from Jack Payne and Corey Whitely really got the home crowd involved while the visitors were subdued by comparison.

The nervous Flinders spilled a Coulson shot behind for another corner and Cheltenham then lost their captain, centre-half Johnny Mullins, to injury midway through the first half.

Some brilliant play from Myles Weston created a good opening for Ebbsfleet two minutes later. He won the ball in midfield, sprinted away from two players down the Fleet right and delivered a cross which Coulson volleyed over from the edge of the box.

Referee John Busby was giving Danny Kedwell absolutely nothing, despite the constant arms all over Ebbsfleet's centre-forward, although he did play a good advantage which led to another close call nine minutes before the interval.

Whitely was caught late in the centre circle but Mr Busby allowed play to continue and when Weston teased over a cross from the right, Kedwell stretched to sent a header just wide of the far post.

Cheltenham lacked ambition and quality in equal measure but they were being let off the hook by Ebbsfleet's poor deliveries in the final third.

Whitely's whipped cross was pushed out by Flinders although there was no-one in a red shirt waiting for the rebound.

Cheltenham saw more of the ball at the start of the second half but their poor distribution left Duff and the away fans cursing in frustration.

However, the visitors were building up a head of steam and Fleet were unable to get out of their own half for a while.

It needed something to spark the home crowd again and Ryan Broom's clattering late challenge on Coulson, which earned him a yellow card, certainly raised the volume.

Jack King, having joined the club as a centre-half, came on to bolster the Ebbsfleet midfield and went close with a dipping half-volley although Dave Winfield needed to be on his toes to deal with a dangerous Luke Varney cross at the other end.

There was so little quality from either side, with Cheltenham's passing particularly poor.

Kedwell had a half-hearted penalty appeal waved away and Darren McQueen was sent on for the last 12 minutes and Fleet went in search of a late winner.

Kenny Clark had a great chance from a Payne free-kick but his header flew wide and Whitely failed to hit the target with a powerful strike from distance.

Two minutes from time, Cheltenham registered their first shot on target when Nathan Ashmore back-pedalled to gather Chris Clements' ambitious strike from near the touchline.

Ebbsfleet: Ashmore, Magri, Winfield, Clark, Bush, Weston (Wilson 88mins), Payne, Adams (King 59mins), Coulson (McQueen 78mins), Whitely, Kedwell. Subs not used: Cheek, Miles, Shields, Graham.

Cheltenham: Flinders, Tozer, Mullins (Barnett 21mins), Forster, Broom, Thomas (Atangana 83mins), Maddox, Clements, Hussey, Mooney (Addai 49mins), Varney. Subs not used: Lovett, McAliden, Field.

Attendance: 1,624.