Ebbsfleet went back to the top of National League South thanks to a goal in either half against Chelmsford on Tuesday night.

Rakish Bingham rounded off a brilliant team move just before the half-hour and Luke O’Neill scored a second goal with a minute left to seal the points.

It means the Fleet go above rivals Dartford on goal difference, and still have two games in hand on Alan Dowson’s men.

Chelmsford started brightly and dominated the first 10 minutes, which proved a nervy watch for home fans.

Fleet keeper Mark Cousins fumbled a right-wing cross under pressure from former Ebbsfleet and Dover forward Reece Grant, before redeeming himself with an excellent save to deny Jamie Yila from close range.

Tom Blackwell impressed for Chelmsford in the heart of their midfield while Kai Yearn was finding pockets of space as the visitors looked the more threatening.

Top scorer Dominic Poleon saw his snapshot saved by the legs of on-loan Chelsea keeper Eddie Beach before Yearn shot wide at the other end from 20 yards.

Ebbsfleet took the lead with one flowing move that started with Cousins, who had previously looked anxious playing the ball out at the back. This time he found the returning Josh Wright, the ball was swiftly worked down the Fleet left before it was played back into Wright and he fed Rakish Bingham, who blasted home in the 27th minute for his third goal in as many games.

Such a brilliant move should have meant those nerves were put behind the home side. But Greg Cundle uncharacteristically gave possession away cheaply midway inside his own half and it needed a quick recovery from his willing team-mates to block Yearn’s shot from 20 yards.

Both sides had chances just before the break, Yearn and Blackwell failed to get a notable shot on target while Fleet’s Franklin Domi – their most advanced player at times – shot high when he broke through.

Fleet defenders Chris Solly and Luke O’Neill were both booked early in the second half while the home side also replaced Wright with Toby Edser.

Cundle’s low shot was deflected wide and Sterling-James twisted and turned before seeing his cross-shot deflected for a corner.

At the other end, skipper Dave Winfield headed wide and Yearn shot weakly at Cousins from 20 yards but Ebbsfleet were largely untroubled despite their slender lead.

Poleon robbed Winfield with five minutes left inside his own penalty area but Beach was out smartly to make a decent save.

The Fleet wrapped up the points in the 89th minute, O’Neill turned and scored from close range after a near-post corner caused confusion in the Chelmsford defence.

Ebbsfleet: Cousins, O’Neill, Solly, Finney, Sterling-James, Wright (Edser 52mins), N’Guessan, Domi (Paxman 80mins), Cundle, Bingham, Poleon (Coulthirst 90mins). Subs not used: Jombati, McQueen.

Chelmsford: Beach, James, Barnum-Bubb, Winfield, Yearn, Blackwell (Da Costa 78mins), Ochieng, Grant (Jackson 78mins), Terry, Yila (Jones 46mins), Krasniqi. Subs not used: Lodovica, Vaz.

Referee: Farai Hallam.

Attendance: 944.