Ebbsfleet went 10 points clear at the top of National League South after claiming a nervy Boxing Day win over Concord Rangers at Stonebridge Road.

Goals from Jordan Parkes (2) and Danny Kedwell had the Fleet 3-0 up early in the second half but Concord scored twice to set up an nervy finale.

The Essex side hit the woodwork twice but Daryl McMahon's men did just enough to take full advantage of Maidstone's 1-0 defeat away to Margate, with Matt Godden's 93rd-minute strike finally killing off the spirited visitors.

Ebbsfleet's team bore three changes, two of them enforced, from the 1-0 defeat at home to Bath. Anthony Acheampong made only his second league start of the season in place of suspended captain Tom Bonner, while Joe Howe missed out after injuring his calf in training. Danny Haynes took his place in the starting XI while John Paul Kissock made way for Stuart Lewis.

Former Fleet and Maidstone winger Ben Greenhalgh started for the visitors, who brought in Tom Stephen and Sam Bantick for Arthur Lee and Joe Gardner. Ex-Dartford midfielder Max Cornhill was on the bench.

Acheampong lined up between Matt Fish and Kenny Clark in a back-three as McMahon switched formation to accomodate the personnel changes.

Haynes and Anthony Cook started on the right and left flanks respectively, with Parkes the most advanced midfielder in support of Kedwell and Godden.

The hosts didn't look convincing in their new defensive shape and Concord had early chances.

Bantick tricked his way past two players and lashed a shot over before firing a 20-yard effort straight at Brandon Hall after more decent build-up by the visitors.

Sandwiched between those efforts was a Godden header which dropped onto the roof of the net as he craned his neck to meet a Parkes cross from the left.

Parkes then nodded a Fish cross into the path of Godden but goalkeeper Ben McNamara got there first and grabbed the ball before it could reach the striker.

At the other end, Fleet were indebted to Kenny Clark for keeping the scores level. The centre-half scrambled back to clear off his goal line after Greenhalgh had controlled Bantick's pass and chipped Hall from a narrow angle.

Ebbsfleet got the home crowd going moments later when Parkes drove forward, Kedwell spread play wide to Cook and his cross was headed at McNamara by Godden.

Hall pulled off a brilliant save to deny Lewis Taaffe the opener, diving low to his left, and that moment looked even more key when the home side took the lead five minutes later.

A well-timed Cook tackle got the Fleet moving in midfield and Godden spotted Kedwell's diagonal run from right to left, playing a great through-ball for his striker partner. Kedwell has laid on many goals for Godden this season but the roles were reversed this time as Kedwell strode into the box and smashed a left-footed shot high beyond McNamara.

Concord almost hit back immediately. Bantick struck the angle of crossbar and post and Greenhalgh saw his shot from the left-hand side of the box flash inches wide as the Fleet goal continued to live a charmed life.

But it was 2-0 five minutes before half-time when Parkes exchanged passes with Kedwell and swept a precise shot inside the near post with his left foot.

That was the last meaningful action of the first half and when play restarted after the interval, Ebbsfleet were straight on the front foot.

Godden fired a free-kick high over the bar and Lewis had a drive held by McNamara after Parkes' flick had sent Kedwell charging through the middle.

And when Cook was shoved to the floor by Concord right-back James Hammond, Concord paid dearly. Parkes took this free-kick and bent the ball brilliantly inside the far post as McNamara back-pedalled in vain.

That goal looked to have put the Fleet in complete control but they conceded just two minutes later. Steve Cawley's pass across the box was fired home by Taaffe, who was all alone at the back post.

McMahon's side pressed forward in search of a fourth goal.

Godden was sent clear and he forced a smart save from McNamara before Lewis curled a terrific strike just wide of the far post after persistent work by Dean Rance to get himself to the byline.

A shot across the face of goal by Cook then deflected behind and it appeared just a matter of time until the next goal arrived.

One duly did - but at the other end. Hall got caught under Greenhalgh's inswinging corner from the left and although someone may have got a touch inside the six-yard box, it looked like the ball drifted straight in.

With his team looking increasingly nervy at the back, McMahon sent on Dean Pooley for Parkes and reverted to 4-4-2 with Pooley at left-back.

But the visitors came so close to squaring it up when captain James White ran onto a bouncing ball 30 yards out and unleashed a thunderbolt which left the crossbar shaking.

Godden twice tried to set up Kedwell at the other end but on neither occasion were the strike partners on quite the same wavelength.

Concord threw men forward in a desperate climax but the Fleet dug in and Godden ran onto substitute Alex Osborn's through-ball deep in added time to finally clinch three priceless points.

Ebbsfleet: Hall, Fish, Haynes (Osborn 80mins), Lewis, Clark, Acheampong, Rance, Parkes (Pooley 69mins), Kedwell, Godden, Cook. Subs not used: Miles, Sheringham, Kissock.

Concord: McNamara, Hammond, Stephen, Dowie (Cornhill 82mins), Easterford, Bailey-Dennis, Taaffe, White, Greenhalgh, Cawley (Cox 74mins), Bantick (Gardner 74mins). Subs not used: King, Lee.

Attendance: 1,227.