Ebbsfleet slid into the Blue Square Bet Premier drop-zone after a 2-0 reverse at Cambridge United on Tuesday night.

Fleet keeper Preston Edwards had already denied a fine fifth-minute Peter Winn header when he was beaten by a left-footed drive from Winn on the break five minutes later after the United man had outmuscled Craig Stone.

Edwards also thwarted Luke Berry and former teammate Ashley Carew as the Us dominated at the Abbey Stadium with another former Fleet man Michael Gash seeing appeals for a penalty waved away before the second arrived when Tom Shaw fired in the rebound after a Rossi Jarvis header had struck the woodwork on 32 minutes.

Tom Phipp went close to a goal with a fizzing drive which skidden narrowly wide before the break and after the interval former Cambridge man Liam Envur-Maram saw a goal ruled out for offside while Calum Willock (pictured) should have pulled Fleet back into the game against his former club, only to head over when well-placed.

Fleet had gone three games unbeaten on the road before Tuesday night.