Ebbsfleet United 2 FC Halifax 1 FA Cup First Round match report: Toby Edser and Rakish Bingham score for Ebbsfleet

Ebbsfleet reached the Second Round of the FA Cup for the first time in 19 years on Saturday.

Rakish Bingham scored his second match-winner in the space of four days after Toby Edser’s opener had been cancelled out by a Jamie Cooke stunner.

It was a fifth appearance in six years for Ebbsfleet in the First Round - but they'd never featured in the Second Round since the club changed name from Gravesend & Northfleet. The Fleet's last time in Round Two was in 2003/04 against Notts County, a 2-1 defeat at Stonebridge Road.

Ebbsfleet made two changes from the team that won at Havant in midweek with Toby Edser and Ben Chapman replacing Chris Solly and Kieran Monlouis in midfield.

The game was played at a ferocious pace, with FC Halifax pressing the Fleet in an attempt to prevent them from playing out at the back.

It was the visitors who settled quickest as Rob Harker shot weakly before Fleet keeper Mark Cousins saved at the same player’s feet on 12 minutes. Jamie Cooke cleverly played Harker in behind the last defender but Cousins flicked the ball away with his hand and then saved the follow-up cross was his feet.

Within 60 seconds, the Fleet were ahead. Greg Cundle’s run saw him play in Edser, whose deflected shot beat keeper Sam Johnson and went in off the far post.

But the lead last just four minutes as Harvey Gilmour, younger brother of Brighton midfielder Billy, worked his way down the left wing and picked out Cooke, who had time and space to pick his spot from 25 yards with a stunning right-foot shot that left Cousins a spectator.

Fleet responded with top scorer Dominic Poleon’s shot deflected behind before Cundle was denied by the legs of Johnson after a flowing move from right to left from the home side.

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