Ebbsfleet suffered a third successive National League defeat on Saturday at the hands of play-off chasing Oldham.

The Fleet looked to have snatched a late point but Oldham scored the winner with five minutes left at Stonebridge Road.

Ebbsfleet made two changes from the team beaten at Maidenhead in midweek, with Rakish Bingham and Craig Tanner replaced by Louis John and Lewis Page.

Oldham started brightly and nearly took a sixth-minute lead when Tom Conlon’s deflected 25-yard shot had to be turned away for a corner by the scrambling Mark Cousins in goal.

Then, striker Mike Fondop hooked a right-foot shot over the bar after a nod-down by strike partner Joe Garner.

Page’s involvement lasted just over half an hour before he limped off with a leg injury, replaced down the left by Greg Cundle.

It was the opposite wing-back that nearly broke the deadlock on 34 minutes as Mark Kitching stepped inside past Ben Chapman and sent a 25-yard left-foot shot just over the bar.

Fondop had two more chances as it was one-way traffic throughout the first half, the Fleet’s only attempt at goal coming with the last kick of the first 45 minutes. Good work by lone striker Dominic Poleon created a chance out of nothing as Wes Fonguck set up Sha’mar Lawson but the on-loan Millwall midfielder dragged his shot well wide.

It was to be Lawson’s final involvement as he was replaced at the break, for the second successive game, by Tanner.

Oldham took just three minutes of the second half to get themselves ahead. Conlon’s cross was headed across goal by Fondop and Kitching reacted quickest to head beyond Cousins to the delight of the visiting fans.

The introduction of Will Randall with 20 minutes left heralded a change of shape from the home side. It needed an excellent challenge by Shaun Hobson to deny the tireless Poleon against his former club.

Poleon did get on the scoresheet when Kitching’s foul at a corner was spotted by the referee. The Fleet striker sent keeper Mathew Hudson the wrong way from the penalty spot with nine minutes left.

But Oldham regained the lead just four minutes later when Kitching crossed from the left for Otis Khan to score from close range.

Ebbsfleet: Cousins, Page (Cundle 32mins), Wright, John, Lawson (Tanner 46mins), Fonguck (Tanga 56mins), Poleon, Domi, Chapman, Olagunju (Randall 69mins), Dallison. Subs not used: Berry, Ondo, Phillips.

Oldham: Hudson, Ogle, Kitching, Hobson, Monte, Lundstram, Fondop (Gardner 84mins), Conlon, Garner (Norwood 68mins), Caprice (Uchegbulam 77mins), Khan. Subs not used: Moloney, Stretton, Dolan, Hammond.

Referee: Aaron Farmer.

Attendance: 1,589 (288 away).