Ebbsfleet United midfielder Ben Chapman on stunning 45-yard goal against Rochdale and looking ahead to FA Cup fourth qualifying round tie at Maidstone United

Ebbsfleet midfielder Ben Chapman has described his 45-yard strike on Saturday as the best goal of his career.

The 25-year-old started the Fleet’s comeback in the 2-2 National League draw at home to Rochdale with a spectacular goal.

Chapman revealed that he didn’t hear the crowd’s collective cries of ‘shoot’ as he weighed up his options.

“I think it’s got to be the best goal I’ve scored,” said Chapman.

“I did not hear a thing, in that moment everything went quiet. I just looked around and thought what am I going to do?

“I felt like I was getting pressed from either side, I took a touch and thought what are my options, I saw the keeper just off his line and the centre-back hadn’t pressed me so I thought let’s go for it and it was in the back of the net!

“I set it out wide as it was stuck under my feet so I was trying to get it to come back as the keeper was quite far to my right-hand side.

“I thought I couldn’t get it over him so let’s try and get it round him. I set it out wide and I saw it swing back in and thought this is in.”

The significance of the goal was not lost on Chapman as the game swung dramatically in Ebbsfleet’s favour and they were back on level terms within minutes.

“I felt like there was a big shift in momentum after the goal,” he added.

“We were 2-0 down but we weren’t quite breaking through and then that goal turned it, we pushed them back and started to implement our game plan a lot better.

“We got up the pitch and started to play in their half where in the first half we didn’t manage to do that.

“That is us and what we can do, it’s about doing that week in, week out and having that consistency.

“The season hasn’t gone where we’ve wanted it to. We need wins but we’re glad to get a point on the board.”