Ebbsfleet outclassed Margate on Bank Holiday Monday.

After four successive draws, Daryl McMahon's side turned in their best performance of the season so far to emphatically end that run at Stonebridge Road.

Margate played the whole of the second half without a recognised goalkeeper but they were simply second-best on a day when the hosts turned on the style.

Ebbsfleet's side bore three changes from the 0-0 draw at Eastbourne, with full-backs Marvin McCoy and Jack Connors making way for wingers Sean Shields and Anthony Cook.

Jack Powell took Sam Deering's place in midfield but injuries again ruled out Stuart Lewis and Danny Kedwell, so Aaron McLean and Charlie Sheringham continued up front.

Arron Tumwa for Danny Fitzsimons was Margate's only change as manager Nikki Bull sent out a side which featured four former Ebbsfleet players.

Yado Mambo started in their defence, with Matt Johnson in midfield and Michael Thalassitis further forward with captain Luke Moore. Another ex-Fleet man, Alex Osborn, started the afternoon on the bench.

Summer signing Mark Phillips made his home debut in a back-three for Ebbsfleet, with Cook and Shields operating as attack-minded wing-backs.

Fleet started with real intent and hit the woodwork twice inside the first minute.

McLean turned and saw his snapshot come back off the same post which Sheringham then struck, via a deflection. From the resulting corner, taken by Powell, captain Dave Winfield powered a header just wide.

At the other end, Kenny Clark misjudged the bounce of the ball and Elliott Buchanan thrashed a shot into the Plough End when he should at least have worked Nathan Ashmore.

Fleet's positive play continued and much of the first half was played in the Margate half.

Quick feet from Shields allowed him to get a shot away but keeper Lewis Ward dropped on the ball.

However, the home side were in front on 13 minutes. When a Powell free-kick came back off the wall, Rance rattled the post with a crisp drive from 20 yards and McLean was on hand to knock the rebound into the net.

Phillips was out quickly to block a Johnson shot as Gate looked to hit back but with McLean really looking in the mood, some of Ebbsfleet's attacking play was irresistible.

McLean, who was giving centre-halves Mambo and Manny Parry all sorts of problems, sent Shields clear in the inside-left channel and when the winger stepped inside, most inside the ground expected the net to bulge. Ward, though, made an excellent save when Shields pulled the trigger.

Both sides lost a player to injury just after Thalassitis' dangerous cross from the right had narrowly eluded Buchanan in the middle. Rance pulled up in the process of trying to cut out the ball and was unable to continue, as was Tumwa for the visitors.

That break in play broke up the flow of the game for a while but Fleet were soon back at it, Anthony Cook flashing a low cross through the six-yard box from wide on the right.

Adam Cash dragged a low shot well wide for Margate, who were then lucky not to have their goalkeeper sent off after a moment of real controversy.

Sheringham's flick sent substitute Deering clear and Ward, who charged out of his box to intercept, got there second and flattened the midfielder. Referee Elliott Kaye went straight to his pocket but only showed Ward a yellow card.

Ward stayed on the pitch but was powerless to stop Powell's brilliant free-kick flying into the top corner as Fleet doubled their lead in sensational style.

The hosts might have gone further in front before half-time.

Deering saw a low cross hacked clear, Powell's free-kick from the right flank caused a scramble and Ward beat out a Shields strike at his near post.

The interval couldn't come quickly enough for Bull and his players but there was bad news for Margate during the break when it became clear Ward was injured and couldn't play on.

Without a keeper on the bench, Bull handed the gloves to defender Brett Johnson, who was called into action within a minute of the restart.

Deering played the ball to McLean and his curling effort was creeping inside the far post until Johnson dived to his left to concede a corner.

Johnson then held another McLean effort following neat build-up down the Fleet left, before Adam Cash cleared brilliantly off the goal line after Deering's clever backheel had teed up Cook.

Margate were on the ropes now. They somehow stopped Winfield sweeping in a Shields cross and when Powell's next corner dropped for McLean, blue shirts again threw themselves in front of the ball to protect Johnson.

The dam cracked on 61 minutes, Powell splitting the Gate backline with a superb pass and Deering sweeping the ball low beyond Johnson.

It should have been 4-0 when Fleet broke at pace but Cook failed to pick out McLean in the middle.

Ashmore, having barely touched the ball all afternoon, kept his concentration well to deny Buchanan at the near post when the striker tried his luck from a tight angle.

With the game won, Fleet were guilty of switching off a couple of times and Buchanan stung Ashmore's palms again before Thalassitis fired a shot just wide.

But there was a swagger to Ebbsfleet's play in the closing stages as, with the pressure off, all the flicks and tricks came out.

Johnson held a Powell shot after some truly intricate inter-passing and when Cook found Deering with a great crossfield pass, he played a one-two with Sheringham and drove a shot just over.

The rout was completed two minutes from time by substitute Darren McQueen, who showed a cool head to slide the ball low past Johnson's right hand when sent clean through down the left.

Ebbsfleet: Ashmore, Cook, Shields (Connors 74mins), Phillips, Winfield, Clark, Rance (Deering 27mins), Kissock, Sheringham, McLean (McQueen 77mins), Powell. Subs not used: Bubb, Miles.

Margate: Ward (B Johnson 46mins), Cash, Tumwa (Fitzsimons 27mins), M Johnson, Mambo, Parry, Fuseini, Moore, Thalassitis (Barrington 82mins), Buchanan, Donnelly. Subs not used: Akindayini, Osborn.

Attendance: 1,071.