Ebbsfleet 1 Barrow 0

Midfielder Neil Barrett scored a 90th-minute winner as Ebbsfleet secured a 1-0 victory over Barrow in the Blue Square Premier at Stonebridge Road on Saturday.

The game looked to be heading for a goalless draw until Barrett fired home from the edge of the area to send the Fleet fans into a frenzy.

Manager Liam Daish handed Karl Murray his first start after the midfielder joined on a short-term loan deal from Bromley on Wednesday.

Ebbsfleet started brightly and came close to opening the scoring after eight minutes when George Purcell laid the ball into the path of Barrett, who fired wide from long range.

The visitors offered little of an attacking threat throughout the first half and registered their only shot on goal after 23 minutes when Paul Tait fired wide from inside the area.

Murray then fired just wide for the home side before Barrett headed over.

The Fleet continued to push forward and almost grabbed the opening goal on 38 minutes when Purcell got past two players before sending in a cross which Luke Moore just failed to get on the end of.

In the second half, Ebbsfleet continued where they left off and almost broke the deadlock on the hour mark when Murray saw his volley from the edge of the area well saved by substitute keeper Tim Deasy.

Deasy was called into action again just four minutes later when he dived at full stretch to push Moore’s shot round the post.

Purcell then found substitute Stacy Long in space on the left - but the midfielder’s driven shot was well saved by Deasy.

Ebbsfleet’s best chance fell to Barrett but his header from Murray’s cross hit the outside of the post, before being cleared.

Barrow struggled to create much but almost grabbed a late goal when Ashley Winn saw his close-range effort pushed round the post by Lance Cronin.

Instead it was left to Barrett to grab the winner when he volleyed home Sacha Opinel’s left-sided cross deep into injury-time.

Fleet: Cronin, Opinel, Smith, Gash (Ibe 73), Stone (Long 56), Barrett, Ricketts (Slatter 83), Purcell, Moore, Charles, Murray. Subs not used: Mott, Pooley.

Attendance: 1,187.

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