Lee Martin’s extra time strike proved enough for Ebbsfleet United to send the through to the National League South play-off decider at the expense of Chippenham Town.

Dennis Kutrieb went for an attacking line up with four central strikers in the starting eleven. They had plenty of possession in the first forty-five minutes, struggled to work goalkeeper Will Henry as Chippenham looked to soak up the pressure and catch the Fleet on the break.

After ten minutes of testing each other out, Jack Paxman brought down a deep long pass beautifully and cut in before pulling it back to Shaquile Coulthirst. He opened his body and tucked it inside the far post only to disc over that Paxman had started his run fractionally too early.

Moments later the visitors showed their intent when Joe Hanks let fly from twenty yards, but his shot flew just wide of the near post with Fleet goalkeeper Louie Moulden struggling to get across.

Then Alefe Santos volleyed well over from twenty-five yards.

Rakish Bingham drove straight down Will Henry’s throat after more clever work by Paxman before the Ebbsfleet supporters were again cheering, thinking that they had scored. Paxman played a tight one-two with Dominic Poleon and finished superbly, but he was again deemed to have gone just too soon.

Christian N’Guessan then went on a marauding run but got shut down when he got into the penalty area and despite the appeals from the Fleet faithful when he went down, there was no real shout for a spot-kick from his team-mates.

Just before half time, Spencer Hamilton put a dangerous low delivery across the Ebbsfleet six yard box, but Chris Solly defended it superbly as Mo Dabre closed in on a tap-in.

After the break it was just as tight with the hosts enjoying more of the possession but the Bluebirds looking to hurt them on the counter. Bingham went on a long surging run but fired over from twenty yards before Hanks had a shot deflected at the other end that dribbled just past the post.

N’Guessan fired well over for the Fleet but the visitors had a great chance in the final ten minutes.

Hanks delivered a teasing free kick and Kieran Parselle lost his marker, but he was unable to turn it in.

Danny Greenslade fired high and wide for Chippenham before the hosts had a massive appeal for a penalty when, after trickery by Alfie Egan, there appeared to be a handball in the area. Nothing was awarded and, after Bingham’s shot was deflected over, it went to extra time.

Finally, the deadlock was broken in the seventh minute. Once more Paxman found space and pulled it back. This time he picked out Martin. He shifted it to his right to open the angle before firing inside the far post.

In the second period Bingham blasted a close range shot straight at Henry who did well to parry it upwards before catching it as it came back down. Martin then spotted Henry off his line and shot from thirty-five yards only to see it come back out off the crossbar.

A second one hundred and twenty minute match in three days proved too much for part time Chippenham against full time Ebbsfleet and the hosts were able to see the game out without further alarm.

Their reward is a trip to Dorking Wanderers, whose manager Marc White was watching, with promotion to the National League the prize for the victors. The big match takes place next Saturday.

Ebbsfleet United: Moulden, Finney, N’Guessan, Chapman, Jombati, Solly, Paxman, Bingham (Domi 111), Poleon (Mekki 100), Coulthirst (Egan 64), Romain (L. Martin 77).

Subs not used: Haigh.

Goalscorers: L. Martin (97)

Yellow cards: Paxman, Chapman

Chippenham Town: Henry, Hamilton (Bradbury 113), Greenslade, Russe, Parselle, Richards, Santos, Dabre (Al-Husaini (104), Young (Coppin 61), Hanks, Mehew (King 90).

Subs not used: Lawal.

Goalscorers: None

Yellow cards: Dabre, Hamilton

Referee: Sam Mulhall

Assistants: Andrew Hickman and Peter Wilson

Fourth official: Ruebyn Ricardo

Attendance: 2,166