Kidderminster Harriers 2 Ebbsfleet United 0 match report: Referee Ryan Atkin allows controversial Ashley Hemmings goal to stand in National League

Ebbsfleet remain in the National League relegation zone after a controversial goal helped consign them to defeat at Kidderminster on Saturday.

Fleet boss Dennis Kutrieh will no doubt be furious with the standard of the officials - and with just cause - after the home side escaped being reduced to 10 men just moments before scoring twice in first-half stoppage time. The second goal quite clearly should not have stood but the defending for the opener saw a lapse in concentration at the back.

Ebbsfleet kept the same starting line-up that won so impressively at Oldham seven days earlier.

They were put under early pressure from the hosts, who started brightly. They nearly had a sixth-minute opener after Josh Wright and Toby Edser’s attempts to play the ball out of defence coughed up possession but Ashley Hemmings dragged his shot wide of the upright.

Ebbsfleet responded and broke at the other end through Dominic Poleon, who was allowed to run to the penalty area before keeper Christian Dibble turned his deflected shot behind for a corner.

The hosts felt they had a penalty claim when Fleet keeper Mark Cousins was out smartly to clear at the feet of Bailey Hobson. The home side felt it was a foul and striker Amari Morgan-Smith was booked for his protests.

Ebbsfleet warmed into the game on a bitterly cold afternoon with temperatiures barely getting above freezing at Aggborough. A lovely one-touch move ended with Edser and Dominic Samuel setting up Poleon, whose first-time shot was just wide of the post.

Luke O’Neill had two attempts inside as many minutes, a free-kick that was comfortably saved before he was allowed space to advance and shot inches wide of the upright from 25 yards.

Morgan-Smith was fortunate to escape a second