Ebbsfleet United 1 Gateshead 4 match report: National League defeat despite Tyler Cordner’s first goal for Ebbsfleet

Ebbsfleet’s winless run extended to 14 National League matches after a classy Gateshead display on Saturday.

The Fleet were unable to get to grips with an impressive Gateshead team who justified their standings in the play-off places.

Ebbsfleet manager Josh Wright made six changes from the team that lost at Barnet last weekend, although his hand was forced by a flu virus that has swept through the camp.

It meant a return for long-term absentee Lewis Page - who last featured at the end of September against Oldham - with Luke O’Neill, Rakish Bingham, Dominic Poleon, Franklin Domi and Craig Tanner also back in the starting XI.

Missing from the Barnet match were Louis John, Toby Edser, Todd Kane and Callum Harriott, while Kwame Thomas and Pape Souare dropped to the bench.

Poleon - who looked more like his old self in a central position - ran from the halfway line after seven minutes but his right-foot shot from an acute angle was saved by the legs of keeper Owen Mason.

The game quickly settled into attack versus defence, though, with the Fleet limited to breaks on the counter.

Ebbsfleet keeper Mark Cousins had to parry away a long-range Joe Grayson shot before fellow centre-back Ben Radcliffe’s downward header when left unmarked from a Regan Booty corner bounced over the crossbar.

The visitors took the lead on 19 minutes when a left-wing cross was only partially cleared by Tom Dallison and Callum Wheelan latched onto the loose ball before curling home from 20 yards.

It needed a timely interception minutes later from Tanner to deny Tyrelle Newton a sight of goal after Owen Oseni’s driving run.

Wheelan shot inches wide after Tyler Cordner coughed up possession when trying to bring the ball out at the back and Cousins then