Danny Kedwell and Cody McDonald both scored as Ebbsfleet won an entertaining Boxing Day clash against Braintree.

Kedwell netted twice in the first half and Bagasan Graham got his first goal for the club before McDonald did likewise in the second half.

But the win was marred by a serious-looking knee injury to Fleet captain Dave Winfield.

McDonald was handed his full Ebbsfleet debut and he partnered Kedwell up front - almost four years to the day since their final start together for Gillingham. There was no Corey Whitely in the Fleet squad and Jack King dropped to the bench as Lawrie Wilson played on the right-hand side of a 3-5-2 system.

It took Kedwell and McDonald just 57 seconds to combine for the opening goal.

McDonald seized possession in the inside-right channel and squared for Kedwell, who beat the onrushing Ben Killip with a controlled finish.

But the Iron were level just four minutes later. Nathan Ashmore, having just saved from Lyle Della-Verde, came for a corner but his punch was weak and Joe Ellul's header beat the covering defender on the line.

Fleet looked bright going forward though, with Kedwell and McDonald revelling in their reunion. The pair swapped passes and McDonald skewed a low shot wide before, moments later, slipping at the vital moment as he looked set to volley in Jack Payne's dinked cross from the left.

Kedwell, though, did make it 2-1 in the 13th minute when his left-footed strike from the edge of the penalty area took a deflection and wrong-footed goalkeeper Ben Killip.

Graham was having a fine game wide on the left and when he was caught late by Ejiro Okosieme after nicking a 50-50 near the touchline, the giant ex-Dover man went into referee Adrian Quelch's notebook. Ricky Gabriel also had his name taken but not before Ashmore saw his clearance strike Callum Morton and rebound wide.

The lively Morton was keeping Fleet's defenders on their toes but Iron looked all at sea defensively and Fleet could sense more goals in the offing.

McDonald showed a good turn of pace as he ran at Ellul and almost squeezed his cross/shot beyond Killip at the near post.

Ebou Adams, playing in an advanced midfield role, had a licence to roam and was stretching Braintree all over the place with his charging runs.

But play was held up for five minutes when Winfield was caught in a challenge and stayed down. He was treated by the Fleet phsyio team and eventually stretchered off to generous applause from all sides of the ground.

When the game resumed, Della-Verde bent a free-kick inches wide but it was Ebbsfleet who struck again in the fourth of seven added minutes.

Andy Drury's glancing header forced a fingertip save from Killip and when the resulting corner ran for Graham on the edge of the box, he showed great technique and composure to bend a shot into the far corner.

But the home side were punished for a sloppy start to the second half when Braintree pulled a goal back.

Chris Bush had already been caught in possession once when he sent Courtney Richards tumbling in the box and Morton fired his penalty high into the net.

Suddenly the home side looked a bag of nerves and Bush was substituted moments after being booked for a late tackle. Hill changed to 4-4-2 with Wilson and Graham dropping in as full-backs.

The tide turned again, though, in the 62nd minute. McDonald showed his class by controlling a pass with his first touch, turning inside a defender with his second and rolling the ball under Killip with his third.

Gabriel was lucky to escape a second booking for a cynical foul on Adams as Ebbsfleet tried to counter-attack but you still felt the game was in the balance given Fleet's much-changed backline.

Attack looked the best form of defence and Myles Weston was sent on for the last 15 minutes but still Braintree pressed.

Wilson threw himself in front of a Borg shot and Cameron James saw his shot deflect behind for a corner before Ashmore fell on the ball in another goalmouth scramble.

The last 10 minutes weren't pretty but this win sets Ebbsfleet up nicely for the visit of Eastleigh on Saturday.

Ebbsfleet: Ashmore, Magri, Winfield (King 41mins), Bush (Rance 58mins), Wilson, Adams (Weston 75mins), Payne, Drury, Graham, Kedwell, McDonald. Subs not used: Cheek, Moncur.

Braintree: Killip, Borg, Richards (Sagaf 63mins), Della-Verde, (Clayton-Phillips75mins) Lyons-Foster, Ellul, Barrington, Morton, Gabriel, James, Okosieme (Crook 84mins). Subs not used: Allen, Curran.

Attendance: 1,231.