Dartford moved five points clear at the top of National League South on New Year’s Day after again scoring four goals past Ebbsfleet.

The Darts never looked in danger as they completed a first league double over the Fleet since 1980 before a bumper Princes Park crowd of 3,386.

It’s now four straight defeats for Ebbsfleet, who also dropped to third after Havant’s win at Eastbourne albeit they have games in hand on the two sides above them.

Ebbsfleet made four changes from the side beaten so convincingly on Boxing Day. It was the same formation but Chris Solly moved into midfield and there were more towering centre-backs in a bid to combat the physical presence of Alex Wall.

Alex Finney came in for only his second league start of the campaign - the previous one was at Eastbourne in August - while Luke O’Neill was deployed as a wing-back for the first time in Fleet colours. It was the first league game this term that neither Omari Sterling-James or Darren McQueen started, although both were named among the substitutes.

It was the most defensive line-up named by Fleet manager Dennis Kutrieb, keen to avoid a second drubbing to the team that replaced them at the top of the table six days earlier, during his Stonebridge Road tenure. That reflected in their play, gone was the passing out from the back with the Fleet deciding the best way forward was to try and match Dartford’s physicality.

Dartford were forced into two changes. Kristian Campbell replaced the injured Sam Odaudu at left-back and Luke Allen failed a late fitness test so Jack Smith started ahead of him.

Ebbsfleet’s side was set up to be more physical after they were bullied by their neighbours on Boxing Day, the returning Sido Jombati’s torn shirt as early as the second minute a sign that no quarter was going to be given again.

Samir Carruthers' free-kick was pushed away as Dartford again started brightly and it needed an excellent ninth-minute stop from Fleet keeper Mark Cousins to keep out Campbell’s header from a deep Luke Coulson corner.

Ebbsfleet slowly got a foothold in the game, Craig Tanner’s improvised header from O’Neill’s long ball forward went harmlessly wide while injury cut short Joe Martin’s afternoon midway through the first half.

The game turned just before the half-hour. On 28 minutes, Tanner prodded wide from close range following an inviting O’Neill cross for Ebbsfleet.

Within a minute, Dartford were ahead. Another needless foul given away on halfway saw a quick Carruthers free-kick set up Malachi Napa, whose blocked shot took two deflections to fall kindly for Alex Wall. The big striker had time and space to score from an acute angle, beating Cousins at his near post for a fourth goal in three games.

A poor O’Neill free-kick nearly let Wall in again minutes later as Darts broke quickly but the forward’s cross was cleared by the visitors.

Dartford centre-back Connor Essam was booked for a foul on the otherwise subdued Dominic Poleon, the referee presumably deciding there was sufficient cover to not deem it a professional foul.

Wall, again a handful that Ebbsfleet struggled to contain, was booked on the stroke of half-time for a number of fouls.

Dartford captain Tom Bonner joined Wall in the referee’s notepad early in the second half for a foul on Tanner near halfway.

Ebbsfleet thought they had equalised on 54 minutes when Solly’s deep cross was headed across goal by Haydn Hollis and Alex Finney’s looping header appeared to have beaten keeper Dan Wilks and gone in, but the assistant was up with play and indicated it hadn’t crossed the line before Darts were able to clear.

Then two minutes later, O’Neill drove forward and played in Poleon behind the Darts defence but, from a similar position to when Wall had put the hosts ahead, the Ebbsfleet striker’s low shot was kept out by the legs of the excellent Wilks.

Ebbsfleet lost O’Neill to injury and his replacement, Sterling-James, was immediately fouled by Campbell, who became the third Dartford player to be cautioned.

Injury also curtailed Wall’s involvement with his replacement, ex-Fleet striker Charlie Sheringham, greeted by the loudest boo of the day from the visiting fans.

Campbell headed wide from a Coulson corner for Dartford but it mattered little as they scored a second goal with 16 minutes left.

Tanner conceded possession cheaply on halfway for the Fleet and Coulson led the counter for Dartford, setting up Napa who drilled into the far corner from 20 yards to net his first goal for the club.

Fleet immediately introduced another former Darts man, McQueen for Tanner. But it was Sheringham who had the last laugh against his former club, heading in unmarked from close range with eight minutes left from a perfect Coulson free-kick.

The hosts added a fourth goal in the second minute of stoppages when Connor Essam turned the ball in from close range at the far post after more poor Fleet defending from a free-kick.

Dartford: Wilks, Statham, Essam, Bonner, Campbell, Smith, Wynter, Carruthers (Murtagh 90+1mins), Napa (Fonkeu 86mins), Wall (Sheringham 69mins), Coulson. Subs not used: Allen, Rodari.

Ebbsfleet: Cousins, Finney, Jombati, Hollis, O’Neill (Sterling-James 64mins), Solly, Tanner (McQueen 75mins), Edser, Martin (Cundle 23mins), Poleon, Bingham. Subs not used: N’Guessan, Coulthirst.

Referee: Daniel Lamport.

Attendance: 3,386.