Four goals from four different scorers has given Ebbsfleet a comfortable lead going into the play off second leg at Bromley on Saturday.

Mark Goldberg’s side came to Stonebridge Road hoping for a repeat of the league game on New Year’s Day when the ravens were able to get a convincing 3-1 win over the Fleet, however, Ebbsfleet were confident after beating already relegated Dorchester 4-0 at the weekend with a weakened team.

Steve Brown made 6 changes from his team’s last match of the regular season, Preston Edwards, Aiden Palmer, Daryl McMahon, Alex Osborn, Billy Bricknell and Anthony Cook were the only players who remained in the team from the 4-0 win.

It only took one fleet attack within two minutes for them to go ahead, from a corner taken by Daryl McMahon, after it fell to Billy Bricknell at the near post ne was able to poke it beyond Joe Welch for Ben May to bundle in for his seventh goal of the season.

From the second corner of the game another goal line scramble ensued, this time however, Bromley were able to keep it from going in, however, in the confusion the referee deemed Ashley Nicholls to have used his hands, the defender was sent off and Billy Bricknell was able to convert the penalty to double his teams lead.

This early disappointment left Bromley feeling frustrated and the bench wanted a red card for a Late Billy Bricknell foul in front of them, however the referee only gave a yellow and the physical nature of the game became centre stage.

Despite this, both teams were still able to push forward; after a pass down the left wing was too long for Bradley Goldberg Ebbsfleet set up a counter attack of their own, but after Billy Bricknell found Anthony Cook on the left, the winger was able to cut inside and deliver a cross which went too high for Alex Osborn.

Both teams continued to attack but it was Bromley who looked the most dangerous on the counter attack, after being able to beat the offside trap Brendan Kiernan was able to get a shot away, but it was defected over by Aiden Palmer.

The final opportunity of the first half fell to Billy Bricknell, but after beating the offside trap he was unable to get his shot away before he was chased down meaning the hosts went in at half time two goals up.

Ebbsfleet kicked off the second half and within three minutes they could have been ahead after Dean Pooley allowed the ball to run across his body into the path of Anthony Cook, but the winger’s low cross was hurried away by the Bromley defence.

Bromley felt as though they should have had a penalty early in the second half after the ball seemed to have hit an Ebbsfleet defender’s arm on the line but their appeals were ignored by the referee.

The hosts came straight back though and scored their third through Joe Howe, after Billy Bricknell and Anthony Cook got caught up on the left wing, the ball was played towards Osborn on the right, who was able to lay it off to Joe Howe who scored after a driving run from the edge of the area.

The fleet had another opportunity just four minutes later but after a weaving run from the right Anthony Cook fired his long shot over.

Bromley would have got a goal back if it wasn’t for some heroic goalkeeping from Preston Edwards, after a cross came in from the right wing Bradley Goldberg nearly got a touch to send the ball in, but somehow missed it, meaning Edwards needed to leap across his goal and stretch at full length to tip the ball away; Goldberg had another opportunity soon after but hit his shot over Edwards’ goal.

Minutes later Ebbsfleet came forward again, but instead of passing it around the edge of the area Daryl McMahon made a powerful run from the right before skilfully getting past Joe Anderson and firing a shot underneath the goalkeeper for the fleet’s fourth goal of the night.

In the four minutes of added time Bromley could have made their task easier, but Preston Edwards was able to punch away Josheph-Dubois’ shot, meaning the match finished 4-0 going into the second leg at Hayes Lane on Saturday.

The Fleet’s owner Dr Abdulla Al-Humaidi said after the game that he saw something within the players which he had not seen before “you can see today the fighting spirit and the passion shown by the players, there have already been a lot of changes around the club and there will be more next season”.

Joe Howe added “it felt good tonight, we were on fire at the start” whilst his manager, Steve Brown complimented the fans at Stonebridge Road during the match “When this place is full there is nothing like it, the majority of supporters have been fantastic, when we get a lead, it intensifies, it is great when it is packed here”.

Brown also hopes that the fans will be following his squad for the remainder of the season “If we are able to keep this support going to the away game we will be able to go out and perform well again”.

It seems like a long time ago that Ebbsfleet fans thought that they would never be able to see their team again and Brown acknowledges that “If you go back to last May when the fans thought it was the end for their club, we have had a great first season and this is because of great backing from the board”.

The second leg will be at Hayes Lane on Saturday.

Ebbsfleet United: Edwards, Howe, Palmer, McMahon, Acheampong, Sankofa, Osborn (Sessegnon), Rance, May (Thalassitis), Bricknell (Long), Cook

Subs not used: Huke, Hall

Booked: Bricknell, May

Bromley: Welch, Pooley, Anderson, Nicholls, Swaine, Holland, Joseph- Dubois, Waldren (Buchanan), J May (Higgins), Goldberg, Kiernan (Fuseini)

Subs not used: Parmenter, Dennis

Booked: Swaine, Pooley

Sent off: Ashley Nicholls

Attendance: 1693