Ebbsfleet remain five points clear at the top of National League South after drawing with title rivals Oxford City in a Stonebridge Road thriller on Saturday.

Luke Coulson's stunning free-kick put the visitors in front but Matt Godden earned the Fleet a crucial point when he struck just before half-time.

Fleet piled on the pressure after the break and City had a man sent-off in stoppage-time but it finished all square at the end of what was a fantastic advertisement for the division.

Ebbsfleet came into the game on the back of three straight home defeats, most recently a 3-2 reverse at the hands of Wealdstone, but boss Daryl McMahon chose to field the same XI which started that game.

That meant eight-goal midfielder Jordan Parkes was again left on a Fleet bench which also featured Charlie Sheringham and Robbie Willmott.

In the only change for the visitors, Mo Fofana made his second City debut having rejoined on loan from National League side Barrow earlier in the week. He replaced Darren Pond in general manager Justin Merritt's line-up.

Ebbsfleet were on the front foot early on, Stuart Lewis looping a volley wide and Danny Haynes almost forcing an own goal when his low cross from the right was awkwardly headed just past the near post by Oxford defender David King.

Dean Rance rifled a daisy-cutter wide from 35 yards and Haynes then wanted a penalty when he tangled with Jose Lapoujade, although it would have been soft if referee Ian Rathbone had obliged.

Godden had the ball in the net moments later only to look across and see the flag raised for offside.

At the other end, Adrian Santiago's long ball almost got Coulson in behind the Fleet defence but the home side then were inches away from taking the lead. Laurie Walker got caught under Matt Fish's swirling cross and the goalkeeper palmed the ball onto the head of Tom Bonner before turning in relief to see it drop just wide.

Danny Kedwell collected Fish's pass and shot straight at Walker before another offside flag frustrated Godden as he looked to run onto Bonner's dinked cross.

But then a moment of absolute brilliance silenced Stonebridge Road.

City won a free-kick 25 yards out and Julen Lafuente rolled the ball back to Coulson, who teed himself up for a volley which flashed past Brandon Hall, kissed the underside of the crossbar and crashed into the net. It was a goal which would have graced any league in world football.

Coulson's strike stunned the Fleet players as much as their supporters and it took McMahon's men a while to respond.

Fish's cross was almost diverted into his own net by Jon Arzamendi, Joe Howe rasped a shot over and Kenny Clark headed over from a left-wing Lewis corner.

But the visitors looked comfortable as the first half entered stoppage-time.

Comfortable, that was, until Kedwell did well to find JP Kissock from the left-hand touchline and Kissock's delightful chipped pass over the City defence was volleyed home on the bounce by Godden, who this time was onside.

That changed the whole mood around the ground going into the break and Fleet had a spring in their step at the start of the second period.

Godden's low shot was spilled by Walker and Kedwell, following in, appeared to be shoved inside the box but Mr Rathbone said no foul.

Kedwell was in the thick of the action again when the ball bounced kindly for him and he got there ahead of Walker, only for the goalkeeper's challenge on the edge of the box to go unpunished.

King and Kynan Isaac had shots blocked for City but play quickly switched to the other end and Haynes was so close to getting on the end of Godden's teasing left-wing cross.

The pace was unrelenting, with tackles flying in on both sides. Oxford substitute Connor McDonaugh headed just wide as Oxford enjoyed a spell of dominance but then back came Ebbsfleet.

Chances came from two Lewis corners, the first punched just past his own post by Walker and the second nodded wide from a good position by Clark.

The teams continued to trade blows, Reece Fleet lashing a shot over for City and Godden firing Kissock's neat through-ball against the base of the far post, only to be flagged offside again.

Willmott replaced Haynes with 20 minutes left as the home side continued to press. Lewis cut in from the left and curled a shot towards the far corner which Walker did well to save.

Coulson tried his luck with another free-kick from similar distance but this time Hall saved comfortably.

Five dramatic added minutes saw King sent off for hauling down Godden, who forced Walker to dive to his left and push out the resulting free-kick.

But even better was the save from Walker which denied Lewis the winner as he surged onto Kedwell's cute pass inside the box with only seconds left on the clock.

Ebbsfleet: Hall, Fish, Howe, S Lewis, Clark, Bonner, Rance, Kissock, Kedwell, Godden, Haynes (Willmott 69mins). Subs not used: Acheampong, Miles, Sheringham, Parkes.

Oxford: Walker, King, Lapoujade, Fleet (McDonaugh 46mins), Santiago, Arzamendi, Coulson, Fofana, Sterling-James, Lafuente (Pond 84mins), Isaac (Benjamin 74mins). Subs not used: Pifarre, Stonehouse.

Attendance: 1,098.