Daryl McMahon hailed two of his unsung heroes after Ebbsfleet's thrilling draw with Macclesfield.

McMahon went for broke in the second half, throwing on winger Myles Weston and striker Norman Wabo to play with Danny Kedwell, Corey Whitely and Sean Shields.

Luke Coulson also started the game and the home side served up more fantastic entertainment for a crowd in excess of 1,500.

Ebbsfleet were exciting to watch, just as they were against Dover five days earlier, but it wouldn't have been possible without the good work of players further back.

McMahon said: "The reins are off, mentally, because we're in a position where we can go and chase something and we're enjoying our football at the minute.

"The key to that has been the back three being strong and rigid and Andy Drury and Dean Rance doing the same. They have to give you a platform to play from.

"It's all right having loads of attacking players but if you've got no-one dictating to the orchestra, it's going to be bad music.

"Drury and Rance, to be fair to them, over the last two matches, have really dictated the games. I thought they did today from start to finish."

Ebbsfleet had to come from 2-0 down after gifting the leaders two soft goals either side of half-time.

McMahon's substitutions worked as Wabo and Weston gave the Silkmen a whole set of new problems which led to the dramatic comeback.

"In the first half, until their goal, I thought we played some really good stuff," McMahon said. "In the second half, with the substitutions, we went for it and I'm proud of the players again. I thought it was a really good attacking performance.

"We're in a situation now where we've got nothing to lose so we're going to try to win every match we play. We might go backwards sometimes because of how many attacking players we've got on the pitch but today it worked.

"We were just about to bring Wabs on before the second goal went in, which killed us. If we keep that 1-0 and get Wabs on at that time, that would have given us more impetus to maybe win the match but it is what it is and the players, as always, believe, the crowd believe and it was a terrific second-half performance.

"We saw the whites of their goalkeeper's eyes more than they saw the whites of Nathan Ashmore's eyes. I thought we could have capitalised on it in the first half but we showed great character to bounce back from 2-0 down.

"We want to improve and we need to be more ruthless in both boxes. We created enough opportunities in that first bit to get better shots away or be a little bit cuter with our passing and crossing, be tidier with it.

"The first goal particularly was poor, three or four errors but they happen and we've just got to improve that as we go along."

A dramatic climax saw Kedwell score a penalty, Nathan Blissett sent off and Rance equalise with a sweet strike 11 minutes from time.

"I saw his left leg kick out," said McMahon when asked about Blissett's clash with Dave Winfield which led to the sending-off.

"I'm not sure exactly what happened before. Some of the lads were saying different things in the changing-room but for me, it looked like a red card.

"It was a great finish from Deano; he kept it down really well.

"Rancey has got goals in him. He's got to sometimes slow himself down and get good contact on the ball instead of rushing and losing his technique. It was a great finish and I'm delighted for him.

"In that last seven minutes of injury time, if we had a little bit more guile, when you suck people towards the ball and pick someone off, we lacked a little bit of composure, someone trying to be a hero instead of sliding it in between their defenders. But I can't grumble. We were 2-0 down against the side who will be champions and we drew 2-2."

Ebbsfleet are now unbeaten in eight National League matches.

"The players have been absolutely brilliant," McMahon said. "They've shown real character, which I don't think they've always got credit for, and now they are - and I'm glad."