Chesham were overwhelmed in the opening twenty minutes and went a goal down, but fought back although ultimately it wasn’t quite enough. Chesham made three changes with Connor Stevens, Josh Addae and Matt McClure coming in for Steve Brown, Connor Roberts and Mitchell Weiss.

Ebbsfleet took control of the game from the start and in the second minute Ben Chapman forced a fine diving save from Ben Goode with a low drive from just outside the area.  After a corner was cleared Charlie Seaman shot wide but the home side eventually took the lead on 13 minutes.  Lennon Peake laid the ball off and Ashley Barnes shot left-footed into the corner of the net from 25 yards.  Ten minutes later Chesham had their first effort of note, when Nathan Minhas laid the ball back to Jayden Bennetts whose long-range effort was just off target.  Shortly afterwards Lennon Peake crossed from the left but Kwesi Appiah’s header was comfortably save by Ben Goode.  The game was now more even and an attempted cross from Alex Babos beat home keeper Matt Hall but landed on the roof of the net, then Finlay Barnes tried a snap shot but Ben Goode was equal to it.  Babos then fed Nathan Minhas whose snap shot flew over the bar, then Chesham gave the ball away and Barnes set up Ben Chapman whose shot saw Ben Goode save with his feet.  In the last minute of normal time Chesham equalised when Alfie Wiliams slipped as he was about to take a corner, but Chesham kept possession and eventually Williams hung up a cross for Callum Adibiyi to find the net with looping header which landed in the net at the near post.

Early in the second half Chesham came close when a shot from Alfie Williams took a slight deflection and went just wide of the far post.  However two minutes later Ebbsfleet scored the winner when Charlie Samuel crossed low from the right touchline, Barnes missed the ball but Aaron Cosgrave netted at the far post.  There was little action for a spell until midway through the half, when Cosgrave broke into the Chesham area but his angled drive was comfortably saved by Goode.  Chesham’s best chance of the half came on 77 minutes, when an Alex Babos free kick into the area was not cleared and Karl Oliyide’s hurried shot flew well wide.  Ebbsfleet came back and Aaron Cosgrave hit an angled drive across the Chesham goal from Charlie Seaman’s pass.  Late in the game Jayden Bennetts curled a shot just over, then Samson Esan crossed to Jaiden Bartolo whose volley was saved by Matt Hall.

Chesham United Man of the Match: Ben Goode