Ebbsfleet United 0 Chesterfield 1 match report: Chesterfield go top of the National League

Another excellent display from Ebbsfleet keeper Mark Cousins was unable to prevent his team from defeat against title favourites Chesterfield on Saturday.

It needed a late goal from Armando Dobra to break the deadlock and put the visitors to the top of the National League table.

WIth captain Chris Solly suspended, the Fleet welcomed back Dominic Poleon from international duty but few would have prediced that boss Dennis Kutrieb would end up with seven changes from the side beaten at Wealdstone last weekend.

Kutrieb was missing from the touchline as he served a one-game ban having reached three yellow cards already this season under the new technical area misconduct rules.

Whether it was the changes or Kutrieb’s absence on the touchline, the Fleet started slowly as a fluid Chesterfield had four good openings inside the first 10 minutes to go ahead.

Poleon was booked inside three minutes for a foul when he claimed to have won the ball.

Chesterfield hit the woodwork on four minutes, a low cross by Ryan Colclough found Michael Jacobs in the box but his shot came back off the woodwork to LIam Mandeville, whose follow-up was diverted behind for a corner.

It took the Fleet 22 minutes to register an effort at goal, they beat the press from the edge of their own penalty area and a flowing move saw the ball worked to Omari Sterling-James on the left wing. He cut inside and curled his right-foot shot just wide of the upright from 20 yards.

The Fleet nearly pressed the self-destruct button moments later when they conceded possession shortly but Jacobs was unable to pick out Will Griggs in the box.

Chesterfield’s front three showed good movement and they worked the ball around well, dominating possession and territory. But the Fleet