Ebbsfleet struck late to beat Tonbridge at Longmead on Tuesday night.

New signing Robbie Willmott scored twice in the last five minutes and his goals capped the Fleet's strong second-half display - which was sparked by a string of substitutions.

Tonbridge pushed their visitors hard, though, particularly during the first period when their pressing game gave Ebbsfleet no time to settle.

Nathan Elder led the line for Tonbridge against his former club and it was the big centre-forward who had the first chance of the night. Elder climbed well to meet a Nick Wheeler corner and Dean Rance had to hack his header off the line.

It was Wheeler who had the next effort, a rasping drive from just outside the box which forced goalkeeper Jon Miles to dive and palm the ball away.

Ebbsfleet had started sluggishly but they suddenly sprang into life and almost took the lead. Joe Howe's cross from the right flank was flicked on by Adam Cunnington and Matt Godden drilled a half-volley towards the near post which Anthony Di Bernado did well to keep out.

Miles, though, was the busier of the two keepers in a first half which Tonbridge shaded.

He flung himself to his left and pulled off an excellent save after Tom Parkinson had risen to head Wheeler's hanging cross back across goal towards the far corner.

Godden saw one shot blocked after Cunnington had flicked on a long ball out of defence and he then went close again when Sean Shields' deep cross from the right fell at his feet in the box. Stuart Lewis tried his luck in the melee which followed but Tonbridge flung bodies in front of the ball and cleared their lines.

The game quietened down for a while until Wheeler curled a free-kick onto the head of Parkinson. His effort was straight at Miles, although the keeper needed two attempts to gather the ball in safely.

Tonbridge should have gone ahead late in the first half. First Wheeler got away from Fleet right-back Howe and squared for Tommy Whitnell, who shot wastefully over, before Elder scuffed a golden opportunity straight at Miles after Charlie Webster had picked him out in the middle.

Fleet boss Daryl McMahon rang the changes at half-time, sending on Matt Fish, Tom Bonner, John Paul Kissock, Jordan Parkes and Alex Osborn.

Parkes showed quick feet on the edge of the box but Godden couldn't quite match his dexterity, awkwardly shovelling a first-time shot well wide of the near post.

The travelling supporters gave Tom Phipp a warm welcome when the former Fleet midfielder came off the bench for Tonbridge but he barely got a kick as the visitors stepped it up.

Parkes showed his class in central midfield, keeping Ebbsfleet moving with neat flicks and sensible short passes, while Kissock tidied things up from his deeper role.

Slick interplay between Parkes and Cunnington set up Osborn for a shot which flew over.

Phipp looped a header over for Angels before Danny Kedwell, on from the bench, improvised a volley which dropped just over Di Bernado's crossbar.

The deadlock was finally broken with five minutes left. Parkes teased over an inviting cross from the right and Willmott powered a bullet header into the net.

Tonbridge went in search of a last-gasp equaliser and the Fleet survived two goalmouth scrambles before Miles pulled off a smart save from point-blank range.

But the Angels were caught with a sucker punch in the final of normal time when Osborn and Parkes combined well on the counter-attack and Willmott found the bottom corner with a precise left-footed drive.

Tonbridge: Di Bernado, Folkes, Parter, Carey (Phipp 54mins), Miles, Ball, Webster (Otobo 76mins), Parkinson, Elder (Ramadan 76mins), Whitnell, Wheeler (Blewden 83mins). Subs not used: Pearson, Slocombe, Milham.

Ebbsfleet: Miles, Howe, Braham-Barrett (Fish 46mins), Johnson (Kissock 46mins), Acheampong, Clark (Bonner 46mins), Godden (Willmott 73mins), S Lewis (Parkes 46mins), Cunnington (Kedwell 73mins), Rance, Shields (Osborn 46mins). Sub not used: Hall.

Attendance: 305.