Dartford came from behind to earn a draw at Stonebridge Road on Easter Monday.

Matt Godden fired Ebbsfleet in front on 37 minutes but Ryan Hayes scored early in the second half to ensure it finished all square in the north Kent derby.

On a day when none of the top three sides in National League South won, this may turn out to be a point gained for Fleet. They're now five clear of Maidstone, who lost 3-0 at Chelmsford, although Sutton maintained their pursuit of the leaders by coming from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Whitehawk.

Fleet boss Daryl McMahon rang the changes after their 2-1 reverse at Weston-super-Mare on Good Friday. Bryan van den Bogaert and Sam Deering were left out altogether while John Paul Kissock and Charlie Sheringham were dropped to the bench.

In came Joe Howe, Dean Rance, Aaron McLean and Matt Godden, although club captain and former Dartford defender Tom Bonner - available after serving a four-match ban - didn't make the starting XI.

Darts skipper Elliot Bradbrook missed the game through suspension and injury ruled out Lee Burns and Andy Pugh, while the visitors didn't take a chance on their new signing, ex-Fleet favourite Paul Lorraine, who's still building up his fitness.

Tom Gardiner replaced Burns at right-back in the only change from Dartford's 3-1 win at home to Bishop's Stortford three days earlier.

Neither side found much of a rhythm during a cagey first half.

Ebbsfleet's only chances in the opening quarter came from set-pieces. Anthony Acheampong fired a shot over at the Swanscombe End after Danny Kedwell had scuffed Jordan Parkes' corner back across the face of goal and Godden got his head to another Parkes corner but couldn't keep his effort down.

Sandwiched in between, Tom Bradbrook got half a sight of goal in the Fleet box but Kenny Clark was there quickly to charge his shot down.

Passes were being misplaced all over the field so Stuart Lewis decided to try his luck with a pot-shot from 25 yards. His effort was dipping and Deren Ibrahim had to beat it behind.

At the other end, Bradbrook nodded a cross down into the six-yard box and Fleet keeper Nathan Ashmore failed to gather but Danny Harris couldn't get his toe to the bouncing ball.

Fleet broke the deadlock eight minutes before half-time. The ball reached Godden in the inside-right channel and he cut inside before arrowing a left-footed shot between Ibrahim and the base of the near post.

That goal brought the crowd to life and Fleet were buzzing in the last few minutes of the half. McLean helped Parkes' forward ball into Godden's path and Ibrahim had to adjust to keep his first-time volley out of the bottom corner.

Dartford's attacking threat had been minimal to that point but they equalised less than two minutes into the second half.

Play was switched from left to right and although Ashmore got down to save Hayes' initial effort, he failed to push the ball to safety and Hayes rifled the rebound into the roof of the net.

Suddenly the mood changed and Dartford began playing with real belief. Bradbrook almost got on the end of a cross from the left and Ashmore had to be alert to drop on the ball.

McMahon responded by making a double substitution on the hour mark, sending on Sheringham and Sean Shields for McLean and Parkes.

Within four minutes they'd combined to good effect, Sheringham sending Shields away on the counter-attack and his pass driven low at Ibrahim by Godden.

Shields' dribbling gave Fleet a new attacking dimension and they went close again when Kedwell's inviting cross from the right was just ahead of Sheringham, allowing Ibrahim to claim.

Dartford packed 10 men behind the ball as Ebbsfleet, urged on by the bumper Bank Holiday crowd, pushed forward in pursuit of a winner.

However, the next few chances went the way of the visitors. Ashmore had to save from Harris and Cogan, who also wafted a shot high over the crossbar.

Ibrahim caught a Godden header just under his crossbar and Dartford survived an almighty scramble in the last minute when a shot came back off the post and Kissock saw a shot deflected narrowly wide.

Fleet were convinced they should have had a penalty for a foul on Kedwell but referee Anthony Serrano waved away their impassioned appeals.

Ebbsfleet: Ashmore, Fish, Howe, Lewis (Kissock 80mins), Acheampong, Clark, Rance, Parkes (Shields 60mins), Kedwell, McLean (Sheringham 60mins), Godden. Subs not used: Bonner, Miles.

Dartford: Ibrahim, Gardiner, Wynter, Vint, Wood, Noble (Sykes 83mins), Hayes (Simmons 74mins), Ferguson, T Bradbrook (Dembele 90mins), Cogan, Harris. Subs not used: Francis, Mensah.

Attendance: 2,435.