by Steve Tervet

Liam Daish and Tony Burman experienced contrasting emotions in Tuesday’s derby at Stonebridge Road but agreed a draw was a fair result.

Dartford manager Burman, pictured left, saw his side throw away a 2-0 lead and could not hide his disappointment.

By contrast, Ebbsfleet boss Daish was full of praise for his side’s fighting spirit and felt they could even have taken maximum points had their equaliser not come so late. Nathan Elder’s 94th-minute leveller arrived in controversial circumstances.

Joe Howe appeared to have fouled Dartford’s James Rogers on the halfway line but referee Charles Breakspear awarded the free-kick to Ebbsfleet, who took full advantage by scoring.

Burman said: "I felt James moved backwards from it, their guy has gone over the top and it was a foul to us. What the referee was doing giving a free-kick to Ebbsfleet, I do not know."

Ebbsfleet looked out of the game at 2-0 down but Elder’s rapid response set up a grandstand finish.

Daish, pictured right, said: "I’m pleased for the lads. They deserved that. We scored at the right time straight after going 2-0 down and from then on, it was all us.

"If there was another 10 minutes on clock after we’d equalised, we’d have gone on and won it."