Ebbsfleet United 0 Stevenage Borough 1

CRAIG DOBSON'S first-half goal condemned 10-man Ebbsfleet United to a 1-0 defeat against Stevenage Borough in the Blue Square Premier on Saturday.

The game's only goal came after 29 minutes when a left-sided cross from Daryl McMahon fell to Dobson, who fired home from just inside the area.

Fleet's best first-half chance came just before the goal when a Stacy Long shot was tipped over the bar by Alan Julian.

Dobson had a glorious chance to double Borough's lead in the 39th minute, when a cross from Steve Morison found him in space, but the striker somehow fired his shot wide when it looked easier to score.

Ebbsfleet looked to find a way back into the game in the second-half and Luke Moore was unlucky not to pull the home side level on 53 minutes when his low shot was well smothered by Julian.

But Borough always looked the more likely to score with John Martin seeing his shot come back off the post after 56 minutes.

Fleet's best chance came just after the hour mark when Danny Slatter's long range effort was well saved by Julian, with Moore unable to reach the rebound.

Ebbsfleet were reduced to 10-men late on in the game when captain Paul McCarthy was sent-off after handballing a shot from Stuart Lewis on the goal line.

The resulting penalty from Borough's John Nutter was well saved by Scott Tynan, with Fleet unable to find an equaliser in the remaining minutes of the game.

Ebbsfleet: Tynan, Bostick, Hawkins, McCarthy, McPhee, Purcell, Long, Slatter, DeBolla (Nade 64), Eribenne, Moore.
Subs Not Used: Cronin, Starkey, Maskell, Coleman.
Attendance: 1,201.

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