Ebbsfleet made it seven wins on the bounce with a 3-1 success at home to Whitehawk on Saturday afternoon despite going a goal behind.

After twelve minutes, a sweetly struck shot from the edge of the area by right back Tom Cadmore gave Whitehawk the lead.

The equaliser came in the twenty third minute from Alex Osborn, before quick fire second half goals from Michael Thalassitis and sponsors man of the match Anthony Cook gave the fleet the three points to go just 3 points behind Eastleigh in the Skrill South league table.

Whitehawk started the game brightly with striker Danny Mills having a shot blocked from 6 yards out by Osei Sankofa after good wing play by Alex Parsons on the right after 5 minutes but it was Ebbsfleet who had the first real chance of the game.

Quick thinking from Anthony Cook slipped in Billy Bricknell straight from a throw in one on one with Whitehawk’s on loan Charlton goalkeeper Dillon Phillips but the on loan stopper saved well to his left to prevent the fleet going ahead.

It was Whitehawk however who were awarded for their bright start after 12 minutes when a corner from the right was half cleared and fell to right back Tom Cadmore who drilled a shot from the edge of the area beyond Preston Edwards despairing dive and nestled in the right hand corner of the net.

This shocked the home side into action and the visitors back into their shell and the next 10 minutes of the game saw numerous niggly fouls from the away side preventing any sort of cohesive play from the home side.

It was from a needless foul on the halfway line from ex-Gillingham central defender Matt Lawrence on Anthony Cook that led to the centre half being booked and the equaliser came from the free kick.

Aiden Palmer’s ball into the box was headed by Osei Sankofa into the path of Alex Osborn whose shot was turned into his own net by LeeHhills on the goalline with Billy Bricknell sniffing for a poachers goal close by.

The goal was credited to Alex Osborn by manager Steve Brown after the game, but Billy Bricknell was also trying to claim it.

The away side continued to concede cheap free kicks throughout the first half with the home side having numerous set piece opportunities to put the ball in the box to no avail.

Two more yellow cards were dished out to the away side before the half time whistle with goalkeeper Dillon Phillips getting booked for remonstrating with the linesman on the half way line and Sami El-Abd for a challenge on Anthony Cook.

The half time whistle blew and the Whitehawk team went to argue with the referee causing the referee to be escorted off by stewards.

The barage of abuse coming from the away directors box towards the referee was like nothing I had seen in almost 20 years of watching football, which wouldn’t have done the club any favours after the sacking of two players during the week for match fixing allegations.

The second half started slowly before a five minute flurry of activity ten minutes into the second half saw Ebbsfleet score 2 goals in quick succession.

Ebbsfleet made it 2-1 when Anthony Cook appeared on the right wing, flicked it beyond the left back Lee Hills before racing to the by-line and whipping in a low cross which Matt Lawrence couldn’t cut out and Michael Thalassitis side footed into the bottom corner from 6 yards out.

Ebbsfleet almost made it three straight from the kick off when Daryl McMahon won the ball 30 yards from the Whitehawk goal, fed Billy Bricknell with a reverse ball who backheeled into the path of Thalassitis in on goal eight yards out.

The crowd jumped up expecting the net to bulge but Dillon Phillips did well to somehow come up with the ball in his hands.

The away keeper would not be smiling moment later when Anthony Cook scored the goal of the game with an hour gone.

Cook picked the ball up just inside the Whitehawk half on the left wing before proceeding to run at and beat three defenders before cutting in and firing past Phillips from just inside the area.

The game was now comfortable for the home side and no other chances of note came from either side with only some slack play from Ebbsfleet keeper Preston Edwards, who almost had two back passes blocked after dallying for too long on the ball, much to the displeasure of the home bench.

With the final whistle, Ebbsfleet made it seven wins on the bounce and continue their charge towards the top of the Skrill South table.

Speaking to manager Steve Brown after the game, he stated that “the pressure is very much on the teams around them to keep picking up points” and was unhappy that next weeks opponents in the FA trophy, Whitstable, were allowed to postpone their game today to prepare.

Steve also claims that “the team spirit in the Ebbsfleet side is the best in the league” and when asked about the match fixing allegations from today’s visitors, he joked “I got told before the game we were going to win 4-1 today, which we very nearly did” and that on hearing the news about the allegations “that it very nearly broke his heart. I can understand at this level and lower that it is achievable and very hard to monitor” before stating that “it surprised him and that he had never been approached as a player or a manager to throw a game and that it’s not right”.

Ebbsfleet: Edwards, Sessegnon, Palmer, Mcmahon, Lorraine © , sankofa, Osborn (Corcoran 76), Rance, Thalassitis ( Long 84), Bricknell, Cook.

Subs not used: Howe, Hall, May.

Whitehawk: Phillips, Cadmore, Hills, Richards, Lawrence (C), El-Abd, Losasso, Mills, Parsons, J Fraser (Gargan 57), T Fraser (Robinson 72)

Subs not used: Da Silva, Freeman.

Attendance: 752.