Ebbsfleet went top of Vanarama National League South with a 2-0 win at Margate on Saturday, but were pushed all the way by the battling hosts at Hartsdown Park.

With leaders Bath drawing, Daryl McMahon's unchanged side made it four straight wins with goals from Kenny Clark before the break and Jordan Parkes late-on after Brett Johnson saw red for the hosts, who remain winless and now have just four points from nine games.

The scoreline did not tell the while story however as Terry Brown's team more than played their part in the game, enjoying the majority of possession and territory for much of the game and drawing several good saves from keeper Brandon Hall.

The difference was the finishing as Clark turned in a rebound two minutes before the break, after Matt Godden had rattled the bar with an acrobatic volley, and then Parkes finished a slick move involving Dean Rance, Danny Kedwell and sub Danny Haynes with little more than 10 minutes to play.

Gate played the final 15 minutes a man short after Johnson saw red for a second yellow, the first for clipping Godden on the break and the second for catching sub Danny Haynes.

In the end it might have been more than two as Nikki Bull superbly deflected a Parkes strike over in the dying minutes having saved from Kedwell earlier, with Parkes lashing the rebound over with the goal at his mercy.

Kedwell saw another shot blocked after a slick break from the visitors with the resulting corner from Parkes coming back off the frame of the goal.

Gate were still in the game and Danny Green drew a flying save from Hall as the hosts sought to level in the second-half and the forward glanced a header wide from a Kane Wills cross while Freddie Ladapo could only direct his effort straight at Hall while his shot just after the hour was deflected wide with the hosts screaming for handball.

Margate had enjoyed the best of the opening 45 minutes with Wills lashing over following a corner, earned by one of several dangerous David Hunt long-throws, while Freddie Ladapo was narrowly beaten to a bouncing ball by keeper Brandon Hall.

Jake Goodman headed another corner over the bar while Wills again missed the target after being played in down the right and the tireless Ladapo side-footed straight at Hall from the edge of the box as Gate broke at pace.

The move of the half came five minutes before the break when the lively Nathan Green robbed opposite full-back Matt Fish in his own box and then burst 70 yards, exchanging passes with Christian Jolley down the left before stinging the palms of Hall with a low drive.

The save looked even more crucial three minutes later when a Parkes free-kick was acrobatically hooked goalwards by Matt Godden, with Clark on hand to prod home the rebound after the ball cannoned back off the bar.

Earlier Parkes had seen a shot blocked from the edge of the box before Glen Wilson charged down another of his efforts allowing Bull to gather.

Bull had also stopped a John-Paul Kissock blast from 20 yards after a corner was cleared.

Margate: Bull, Wilson, Green, Hunt, Goodman, Johnson, Wills, Moore (Wassmer 79mins), Ladapo, Green, Jolley (Taylor 73mins). Subs: not used: Rents, Taiwo, Taylor, Gaggin.

Fleet: Hall, Fish, Howe, Lewis, Clark, Bonner, Rance, Parkes, Kedwell (Cunnington 79mins), Godden (Haynes 69mins), Kissock (Willmott 69mins). Subs not used: Acheampong, Miles.

Attendance: 1,017.