Cheshunt 1 Ebbsfleet United 0 match report: Leaders lose to early penalty

Ebbsfleet lost their unbeaten away record in National League South after losing at a robust Cheshunt outfit on Tuesday night.

The hosts took an early lead and then held firm defensively, frustrating the visitors with their physical and uncompromising approach as the Fleet ran out of ideas.

Ebbsfleet made two changes from the team beaten at home by Eastbourne seven days earlier. Top scorer Dominic Poleon returned along with Sido Jombati, while Shaq Coulthirst dropped to the bench with Luke O’Neill not involved.

It was a dreadful start for Ebbsfleet. The referee decided there was no foul on Fleet keeper Mark Cousins outside of his area but when the visitors tried to play out from the back, they gave the ball away cheaply.

Rowan Liburd’s low shot from 20 yards was pushed out by Cousins, who had to race across his goal. But it fell for Zack Newton, who was fouled by Joe Martin.

The referee pointed to the penalty spot, Martin was then booked for a barge on Newton and, eventually, Reece Beckles-Richards slotted home the spot-kick to give Cheshunt a ninth-minute lead. As the home side celebrated, Cousins was booked for dissent, still not happy at not being given an initial free-kick.

Ebbsfleet had a penalty appeal of their own turned down on 20 minutes. Poleon’s shot was blocked by Lewis Hobbs but when the loose ball bounced up, appeals for handball were ignored by the officials.

Cheshunt left-back Isaac Pitblado was eventually booked just before the half-hour for pulling back Omari Sterling-James on the edge of the area but Craig Tanner delivered the resulting free-kick straight into the arms of the keeper.

Toby Edser won the ball in midfield and set up Poleon, whose low shot from 20 yards was kept out with the home side