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Ebbsfleet United 1 Bromley 2 match report

Ebbsfleet's dreadful run continued on Tuesday night when they lost at home to Bromley.

It's now six games without a win for Fleet, who were two goals down inside half-an-hour.

Jack Powell's free-kick gave them hope but the visitors held on to end their own four-match losing streak in the National League.

Ebbsfleet manager Daryl McMahon Picture: Andy Payton
Ebbsfleet manager Daryl McMahon Picture: Andy Payton

Sam Magri replaced the suspended Kenny Clark in Ebbsfleet's back three but otherwise the home side were unchanged from Saturday's 1-1 draw with Havant & Waterlooville.

Bromley arrived on the back of a 5-0 thrashing at Solihull Moors but manager Neil Smith gave nine of those players a chance to redeem themselves. New loan signing Richard Brindley went straight into the side at right-back while Joan Luque made his first start for the club as Roger Johnson and Jordan Higgs dropped to the bench.

Right from the start there was more intent about Fleet's play than in recent weeks. They popped the ball around nicely and forced a few early corners without troubling David Gregory in the visitors' goal.

But after Frankie Sutherland had thumped a low shot wide for the visitors, things started to follow an alarmingly familiar script.

Ebbsfleet had conceded the first goal in all six of their previous home games, most of them soft, and with 16 minutes on the clock it happened again.

Sutherland whipped in a corner from the left and Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe was left unchallenged, in front of goal, to flash a header past Nathan Ashmore.

Now the Ravens - like Chesterfield, Sutton, Aldershot, Fylde, Gateshead and Havant before them, had something to protect at Stonebridge Road as the home fans were left with that sinking feeling once again.

Briefly they rallied, with Myles Weston a bright spark down the right and Bagasan Graham shooting wide on the stretch when Weston's floated cross evaded Michael Cheek in the middle.

Cheek then hooked a volley wide from Corey Whitely's knockdown and tempers started to fray after Raymond was booked for catching Whitely hard on the shins.

Powell volleyed over when Chris Bush's long throw was cleared to the edge of the Bromley box but the visitors were then awarded a penalty.

Ebbsfleet's defending was clumsy at best as they nibbled at Ogedi-Uzokwe before tripping Omar Bugiel and Frankie Sutherland calmly sent Ashmore the wrong way from 12 yards.

Actually, the home side were a shambles at the back, disorganised and dishevelled as Bromley threatened further punishment.

Ogedi-Uzokwe and Bugiel were allowed too much space around the box and Ashmore did well to turn Bugiel's low shot behind for a corner.

Bromley were winning free headers in the Ebbsfleet box and the game was running away from the hosts until a moment of pure class changed the mood in stoppage-time.

Powell stepped up to curl a sublime free-kick beyond the reach of Gregory and give Ebbsfleet hope.

They came flying out of the traps at the start of the second half and hit the post when Weston's shot took a nick off Cheek's boot.

Suddenly it felt like a different game with the Fleet players and supporters believing again.

Bromley were under siege and for a split-second the hosts were screaming for a penalty when Rance went flying - but the offside flag was up.

However, when Bugiel split the home defence - which was now very high - George Porter ran clean through and only an excellent Ashmore save kept it at 2-1.

Graham dinked a good cross into the box but Cheek's header lacked power and Gregory saved easily.

Weston then did well to beat his man in the corner but lost his head when he got into the area, lofting his shot into the Plough End.

Ogedi-Uzokwe looked surrounded at the other end but he managed to free Bugiel and Ashmore was required to save Fleet again.

But the pressure on Bromley's box was incessant and the visitors did well to take Weston's tempting cross off Cheek's head.

Winfield's tug on the breaking Bugiel had Bromley howling for a red card but referee James Oldham, who was struggling to maintain control, pulled out his yellow instead.

The tension mounted in the closing stages with the Ravens desperate to hold on and Ebbsfleet throwing everyone and everything at them.

But five added minutes came and went without the equaliser Daryl McMahon's side so badly needed.

Ebbsfleet: Ashmore, Magri, Winfield, Bush, Weston, Rance, Adams, Powell (McQueen 84mins), Graham (Shields 69mins), Whitely, Cheek (Kedwell 84mins). Subs not used: Miles, Coulson.

Bromley: Gregory, Sutherland, Holland, Raymond, Bugiel (Meekums 90mins), Goodman (Johnson 62mins), Porter, Ogedi-Uzokwe, Luque (Higgs 66mins), Wood, Brindley. Subs not used: De Silva, Meekums, Huxter.

Attendance: 1,204.

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