National South League leaders Maidenhead United snatched a late winner to deny Ebbsfleet a point in a game where the Fleet had already had to come from behind twice, and both sides were reduced to 10 men.

Sean Marks was the Magpies hero with a hatrick of headers that gave Nathan Ashmore little chance.  His first on 7 minutes was cancelled out by an acute finish from Sean Shields before Marks restored the lead on 28.  Bradley Bubb worked space for the second equaliser, but Marks’ third on 88 clinched the three points.

Ebbsfleet’s manager, Daryl McMahon, was convinced that Phillips’ dismissal was both harsh and had a direct effect on the game.  He said “I didn’t think it was a red, and if that doesn’t happen we should go on to win the match.  Maidenhead were camped in their half, they couldn’t get out, and it is a big game changer.”

“I thought first half we were poor.  In the second, we were the better side especially when they went down to ten, I thought we were free-flowing.  When Philo (Mark Phillips) got sent off it evened up again, it got scrappy, and that was a poor goal to concede at the end.  All three goals were poor to concede and the way we conceded them was unrecognisable from the team over the past weeks.”

“We’ve been really good at defending our box.  Fair play to (Maidenhead), Marks took his chances well and they were good balls in, but we were poor.  They’ve got a big lead now (11 points ahead tonight having played a game more), they are in a fantastic position and it is theirs to lose.  We’ll keep plugging away and chasing hard, but there is still a long way to go.”

For two teams boasting the best defensive records in National South, neither looked comfortable defending high balls in the early exchanges, and Maidenhead took advantage of this after just 7 minutes.  Harry Pritchard swung a cross into the Ebbsfleet area from the left that was scuffed back to the Magpies’ winger.  His second cross was met by the head of Sean Marks, who glanced the ball past a stationary Nathan Ashmore to give the league leaders and early advantage,

Ebbsfleet had started the game with both wing-backs, Anthony Cook and Sean Shields, well advanced, with both, along with Jack Powell, putting dangerous crosses into the Maidenhead area.  An interception by Shields allowed Danny Kedwell to play a delicate pass into the path of Darren McQueen, who twisted past Dean Inman before striking a low shot against the legs of Carl Pentney.

Kedwell glanced a header across the face of goal, and Cook picked up a Shields cross on the edge of the box before stinging the palms of Pentney with a fierce left foot shot as The Fleet looked to push their opponents back.

The combination of Cook and Shields was central to Ebbsfleet’s equaliser after 23 minutes.  Cook drove a long cross from right to left, over fullback James Hammond.  Shields had a good first touch, his second flicked the ball along the byline through Hammond’s legs, and he hit a low drive through Pentney’s legs to level matters.

Parity didn’t last long as Maidenhead hit the front again on 28, with a virtual carbon copy of their first goal.  Pritchard’s angled cross from the left was met this time by Marks at full pace, holding off former Braintree teammate Mark Phillips, with a bullet header into the top left corner for his second of the afternoon.

Shields dragged a shot wide left that might have given Ebbsfleet a quick reply, but it was Maidenhead creating the better chances when they got into the final third of the pitch with Ryan Upward having three attempts on goal in as many minutes.  The first was a dipping volley that went over the bar; the second, after Ashmore had punched Rene Steer’s cross to the edge of the box, was a thumping rising shot that Ashmore did well to tip round the post and, from the resulting corner, Upward headed over under pressure.

Daryl McMahon made a tactical change at the interval, dispensing with the three centre-backs in favour of a flat back-four.  This had an early effect as it released the former wing backs from some of their defensive duties, and Shields whipped in a cross that Pentney had to tip over his own bar.

Playing into the teeth of a strong wind and with torrential rain driving across the ground for most of the half, Ebbsfleet were forced into playing along the ground through the wings to advance up the pitch. Kedwell’s swinging cross from the right in behind the Maidenhead defence was met well by the head of McQueen, but the header was straight into Pentney’s arms.

The visitors were reduced to 10 men just past the hour as James Comley received a straight red following an ugly lunge on Cook that sparked a 15-man ruck in the middle of the Magpies half.

Searching desperately for their second equaliser against a team sitting deeper and deeper, Ebbsfleet swarmed forwards.  Cook had a 25-yard shot that dipped awkwardly in front of Pentney causing the keeper to fumble, with Inman sweeping the rebound away off the toes of Bradley Bubb.  Shields was also delivering crosses from the left, but too often there was a black & white shirt in the way.

The equaliser, with 12 minutes left, came from a long Ashmore clearance kick.  The ball arrived at the feet of substitute Bradley Bubb, who spun deftly past his marker, Massey, and from the edge of the box, Bubb lashed a low shot past Pentney.

If this would be the catalyst for Ebbsfleet, hopes subsided two minutes later when the Fleet were also reduced to 10 men.  From a long defensive clearance, Mark Phillips clattered into Marks when he was the last man and Mr Kaye had no hesitation in producing his second red of the afternoon.

The Fleet’s problems with balls into the area came back to haunt them with two minutes of normal time remaining.  A long throw from by the left corner flag wasn’t defended by the two red shirts at the near post, and Marks threw himself into the mix to bury his third header past Ashmore.

There wasn’t time for Fleet to mount a serious search for the third equaliser as Maidenhead comfortably played out time, knocking the ball long into the corners for the willing Dave Tarpey to chase down.

EBBSFLEET UNITED: Nathan Ashmore, Anthony Cook (Louis John 81), Sean Shields, Mark Phillips, Marvin McCoy, Kenny Clark, Dean Rance, Sam Deering (Jack Connors 46), Danny Kedwell, Darren McQueen (Bradley Bubb 60), Jack Powell.

Subs not used: Charlie Sheringham, Jonathan Miles.

Goals: Sean Shields 23, Bradley Bubb 78

Cautions: Jack Connors 65
Dismissed: Mark Phillips (straight red) 80

MAIDENHEAD UNITED: Carl Pentney, James Hammond, Rene Steer, Ryan Upward, Alan Massey, Dean Inman, Dave Tarpey, James Comley, Sean Marks, James Mulley (Sam Barrett 84), Harry Pritchard (Christian Smith 62).

Subs not used: Charlie Wassmer, Josh Kelly.

Goals: Sean Marks 7, 28 & 88

Cautions: Harry Pritchard 34, James Hammond 49, James Comley 54
Dismissed: James Comley (straight red) 61

Attendance: 1,318
Referee: Mr Elliott Kaye
Assistants: Mr Marc Meeten and Mr Isaac Searle