Leaders Ebbsfleet took a huge step towards the National League South title with victory over promotion rivals Havant on Saturday.

The Fleet completed the double over the Hawks thanks to a first-half goal from top scorer Dominic Poleon and a late second through Franklin Domi.

With Dartford dropping points at Welling, it means the Fleet are now eight points clear at the top while Havant trail them by 13 points, albeit with a game in hand.

Ebbsfleet make three changes from the side that defeated Concord last weekend with Omari Sterling-James, Toby Edser and Josh Wright coming into the starting line-up. There was no space in the squad for former Havant man Billy Clifford.

Third-placed Havant make five changes from their midweek defeat at Taunton while Hawks boss Paul Doswell - who has had previous run-ins with Fleet boss Dennis Kutrieb on his last two visits to the ground - was absent from the touchline as he was on holiday.

Havant started the brightest and could have been ahead inside two minutes. Danny Wright played in strike partner Mo Faal clean through on goal but he shot wide of the far post from an angle with just keeper Mark Cousins to beat.

Ebbsfleet nearly paid the price of losing the ball on the edge of their own penalty area in the fifth minute but Tyrell Miller-Rodney blazed over for the visitors.

It took the Fleet eight minutes to get out of their own half, a flowing move involving Greg Cundle and Rakish Bingham ended with the former’s shot being deflected behind for a corner.

Former Dover right-back Josh Passley was booked for pulling back Greg Cundle, giving excellent referee Callum Walchester little choice but to show the yellow card.

Ebbsfleet went ahead on 23 minutes, a lovely one-two down the right wing saw the ball pulled back to Bingham and his cross-shot was turned in at close range by Poleon for his 22nd goal of the season.

Havant had a great chance to level matters just four minutes later but Faal’s volley went straight at Cousins.

The Fleet keeper then produced an outstanding save on the half-hour, turning over Charlie Ruff’s blockbuster 20-yard free-kick that was heading to the top corner.

Ebbsfleet nearly responded with a second goal straight away as Bingham played in Poleon but Havant keeper Teddy Sharman-Lowe made a smart save to deny him.

Captain Chris Solly made a great tackle to deny Faal early in the second half before Ebbsfleet had a golden chance to double their lead on 52 minutes when Joe Newton tripped Sterling-James in the box. Bingham stepped up but on-loan Chelsea keeper Sharman-Lowe made a fine save low down to his left.

Sharman-Lowe saved with his legs to thwart Cundle while Cousins continued to impress at the other end, another stop denying Faal.

Faal and skipper Joe Oastler were then somehow denied an equaliser midway through the half after a right-wing cross created problems in the home defence, Haydn Hollis getting the plaudits from his team-mates for some last-ditch defending.

Sterling-James was booked for his reaction to a challenge by Miller-Rodney, which went unpunished apart from the award of a free-kick.

The game threatened to come to the boil and after the referee spoke to both managers, presumably regarding an off the ball incident on the pitch, Fleet’s Luke O’Neill and Havant’s Oastler were both booked after an altercation. Substitute James Roberts then went into the book for a foul on Poleon.

Poleon hit the side netting before the Fleet scored a second when substitute Domi was allowed to run at the Havant defence and he produced a neat left-foot finish for his third goal of the season to seal a sixth straight win for Ebbsfleet.

Ebbsfleet: Cousins, O’Neill, Solly, Hollis, Sterling-James (McQueen 90mins), Wright (Domi 74mins), N’Guessan, Edser (Romain 90mins), Cundle, Bingham, Poleon. Subs not used: Chapman, Coulthirst.

Havant: Sharman-Lowe, Passley, Newton, Oastler, Nembhard, McCarthy, Miller-Rodney, Wright (Roberts 65mins), Faal, Burnett, Ruff (Matthews 73mins). Subs not used: Shroll, Rooney, Collins.

Referee: Callum Walchester.

Attendance: 1,681.