Ebbsfleet turned in their best performance of the season to hold National League leaders Salford City at Moor Lane.

The Fleet players travelled to the north-west having not been paid but they gave everything for the fans and each other in an heroic display.

They briefly led through Corey Whitely's goal of the season contender and fully deserved their point against the title favourites.

There was no Dean Rance for Ebbsfleet, the midfielder having rolled his ankle in training, so winger Myles Weston returned on the right-hand side of a 4-4-2 system.

Salford, chasing a club record 14th match unbeaten in all competitions, were unchanged.

They knocked the ball about nicely from kick-off but it was the Fleet who created the best early chances.

Danny Kedwell's header from a Sam Magri cross forced goalkeeper Chris Neal to concede a corner, which the Ammies only half-cleared.

The ball ran to Luke Coulson outside the box and his long shot, although straight at Neal, slipped through his fingers and almost dribbled into the net.

As it was, the ball rolled wide for a corner from which Dave Winfield sent a header crashing against the crossbar.

But it didn't take the home side long to get their passing game going and Fleet had to work so hard out of possession to make sure they left no gaps to play through.

Tom Walker got away from Jack Payne and Chris Bush and delivered a dangerous low cross which had to be scrambled away before Mark Shelton warmed Nathan Ashmore's palms from distance.

The visitors won a throw-in deep in the Salford half but the set-piece almost led to a goal for the home side.

Bush hurled the ball in from the left but when the Ammies broke, Danny Lloyd hared down the left. He picked out Adam Rooney in the middle but Ashmore and Kenny Clark, between them, managed to keep the ball out.

Ebbsfleet were set up to strike on the counter-attack, with Coulson and Whitely feeding off Kedwell's flicks, and the tactic was working reasonably well.

Payne's shot deflected off Whitely and almost wrong-footed Neal although Salford continued to press.

Danny Whitehead was afford too much space when Walker rolled the ball back to him but Ashmore was right behind Whitehead's well-struck shot from 20 yards.

Whitehead tested Ashmore again moments later before a moment of sheer brilliance gave Ebbsfleet a 35th-minute lead.

The ball was knocked back towards Neal's goal by a Salford player and Whitely nicked the ball in front of his man before whipping a wonderful left-footed shot into the far corner of Neal's net.

Even some of the home supporters applauded the goal but they were cheering one of their own just three minutes later.

Ashmore did brilliantly to keep out Rory Gaffney's point-blank effort when he connected with a whipped left-wing cross but the keeper was powerless to stop Gaffney knocking the rebound into the roof of the net.

Gaffney peeled off his man when Rooney sent in another cross from the left but Fleet did well to block, as they did just before half-time when Andy Drury threw himself in front of another Whitehead shot.

The dangerous Gaffney stepped in from the right flank and whizzed a shot narrowly wide at the start of the second half.

But Ebbsfleet remained bright and Weston saw one shot deflect behind and a second saved by Neal after darting inside from the right.

The visitors dominated possession for a while and Salford couldn't break out, to the frustration of the home crowd.

Gaffney knocked a low cross into the six-yard box and Winfield had to be alert to clear his lines as the Ammies tried to rouse themselves.

But you could sense the nerves around Moor Lane as Whitely's cross looped up for Kedwell, whose goalbound volley was blocked.

Ashmore made a tremendous save to deny Lloyd when he surged into the box down the left and more heroic Fleet defending kept the rebound out as well.

All over the pitch players in blue were putting their bodies on the line and Ebbsfleet were also showing their quality on the ball too.

They moved the ball smartly from right to left through midfield and Bush crashed a shot over.

Salford debutant Dennis Politic saw a shot deflect just over as time began to run out for Salford and Sam Magri did well to cut out a dangerous cross before Ashmore came flying out to claim another.

Ashmore looked back to his absolute best in the dying moments, making a stunning save before getting up to claw the ball over the bar.

It was like the Alamo at times but Ebbsfleet survived four minutes of stoppage time to clinch a result which sends a very clear statement of togetherness and fighting spirit.

Salford: Neal, Wiseman, Touray, Shelton, Pond, Piergianni, Lloyd (Rodney 89mins), Whitehead, Rooney, Gaffney, Walker (Politic 68mins). Subs not used: Crocombe, Hogan, Maynard.

Ebbsfleet: Ashmore, Magri, Winfield, Clark, Bush, Weston, Payne, Drury, Coulson (McQueen 85mins), Whitely (Shields 80mins), Kedwell. Subs not used: Miles, Adams, Wilson.

Attendance: 2,498.