Kai McKenzie-Lyle’s last gasp penalty save resulted in Ebbsfleet United and Welling United sharing a point in a feisty encounter.

Craig Tanner tried to catch Welling United league debutant goalkeeper out with a free kick aimed at sneaking in at the near post. McKenzie-Lyle read it well, though, and got down to make a comfortable save.

Then Yaser Kasim, making his first start for the Wings, picked out Stefan Payne from a corner but he couldn’t find the target with his header.

Kasim then delivered a free kick that Manny Parry back headed, but Mark Cousins got back to tip over.

After twenty minutes, the Wings went ahead. They moved it well, but it looked as if the chance was lost when it was played behind Medy Elito.

However, he remained calm and via Azeez and Payne, it was played into the path of Kasim who powered it home from the edge of the penalty area.

It might have been two soon after when a shot by Jamie Sendles-White fizzed beyond the far post.

Toby Edser was given the opportunity to shoot for the hosts but fired wide before Welling were reduced to ten men. Payne was unhappy not to have been awarded a free kick and voiced his displeasure too vehemently and the referee brandished his red card.

Edser almost made Welling pay immediately when his twenty-yard shot flew back out of the base of the post. Tanner then hit a free kick wide before he shot straight at McKenzie-Lyle.

Released of his defensive duties, Tanner again found himself in an advanced position in the final minute of first half stoppage time and he moved it well before firing just inside the far post from twenty yards.

Mark Cousins, the Ebbsfleet goalkeeper, struggled to clear early in the second half and Kasim’s first time effort from forty yards poleaxed Christian N’Guessan before Welling were forced back and had to dig deep.

Another Edser effort was blocked by a third Welling debutant, Sid Nelson, before Rakish Bingham found Dominic Poleon who shot wide.

Substitute Darren McQueen’s low cross was claimed well before Welling’s task was made even tougher when James Dunne was shown a second yellow card.

Luke O’Neill had a shot charged down and McKenzie-Lyle was down sharply to save at the feet of Shaq Coulthirst as nine minutes of stoppage time was signalled.

Coulthirst curled wide after clever work by Poleon before chaos ensued in the Welling penalty area.

McQueen’s effort was blocked by Antony Papadopoulos and Welling players threw their bodies in the path of shots as Ebbsfleet tried to force it home.

Eventually, Welling cleared but it came back in, and Poleon’s shot hit Sendles-White’s thigh and flew up onto his arm resulting in a penalty to the Fleet. By this stage, ten minutes of additional time had been played.

Bingham stepped up to take the kick and he fired it towards the bottom corner. McKenzie-Lyle guessed correctly and made a brilliant full length save.

The draw ended Ebbsfleet’s one hundred percent league and cup home record but meant that Welling remain unbeaten on the road in the National League South.

Ebbsfleet United: Cousins, Cundle, N’Guessan (Coulthirst 64), Hollis, Solly, O’Neill (Jombati 89), Sterling-James (McQueen 79), Tanner, Bingham, Poleon, Edser.

Subs not used: Firth, Chapman.

Goalscorers: Tanner (45+5)

Yellow cards: Bingham

Welling United: McKenzie-Lyle, Cox, Ezennolim, Parry, Nelson (Dickens 86), Sendles-White, Kasim, Dunne, Azeez (Papadopoulos 76), Payne, Elito (Kassarate 64).

Subs not used: Patterson, Aransibia.

Goalscorers: Kasim

Yellow cards: Sendles-White, Dunne, Elito, Cox, Kasim, Ezennolim, Parry

Red card: Payne, Dunne

Referee: Ben Atkinson

Assistants: Tommy Breen and David Ellis

Attendance: 1,816

Pictures supplied by Dave Budden.