Ebbsfleet United 2 Chippenham Town 2 match report: Fleet lose ground in race for third place

Ebbsfleet dropped to fourth place in National League South after twice coming from behind to draw with play-off hopefuls Chippeham on Saturday.

With Dartford thrashing Slough, it meant they overtook the Fleet and sit third in the table with two games remaining.

Chippenham went close to a breakaway goal on 13 minutes when Chris Solly, moved into the midfield, gave the ball away and the visitors sent Jordan Bray clear. He cut inside on his left foot but his low shot came back off the post and was cleared to safety.

There was a significant mood change midway through the first half among the Fleet fans as the home side were penned back inside their half.

Fleet were trying to play out from the back but were frustrated by a Chippenham outfit who got their reward with a stunning opener on the half-hour.

Joe Hanks sent a spectacular right-foot shot into the far corner from 25 yards beyond the despairing Louie Moulden.

Despite their below-par show, the Fleet - and striker Elliott Romain - had enough chances to be level, if not ahead, by the break.

Romain saw his header from a Chris Solly corner cleared off the line by Landon Golding on 33 minutes. Then, from the resulting corner, Romain was denied not once, but twice, from close range.

Fleet keeper Moulden had to turn over Hanks’ header as Chippenham went close to a second.

Solly was booked on the stroke of half-time for a challenge on Alex Bray. The visitors wanted a red card for a two-footed tackle while Fleet claimed he won the ball. Referee Steven Hughes called it about right.

Fleet boss Dennis Kutrieb replaced Alex Finney with Craig Tanner at the break and it took just five minutes for the home side to level the scores.

Solly’s left-wing corner was met by the unmarked Romain