Hampton and Richmond lose a fourth straight game against table topping Ebbsfleet
By Joe Acklam
9th Nov 2022 | Football
Hampton and Richmond sacrificed an early lead to lose their fourth straight game as Ebbsfleet United came from behind to win 2-1.
Tommy Wood gave Hampton a surprise lead after just 10 minutes, but Rakish Bingham pegged them back before half-time to enter the dressing rooms level.
Greg Cundle then gave the visitors the lead mid-way through the second half before Shaq Coulthirst missed a penalty with five minutes to go.
A fourth straight defeat sends the Beavers down two places to 17th in National League South courtesy of draws for Slough Town and Farnborough.
Stefan Ilic started very brightly and created two chances within three minutes as first his dribble ended with Tommy Block picking out Wood who could only head over and then a minute later, he teed up Connor Kurran-Browne in the area, whose shot was blocked.
The goal would soon follow as Franklin Domi was forced to bring down Ilic just outside the area, and the resultant free-kick was delivered to the back post and Mark Cousins made a hash of the clearance as he slammed it against Wood and the ball ricocheted into the back of the net.
Hampton's quick start continued as Kurran-Brown stole the ball off Omari Sterling-James and he spotted Cousins off his line and tried his luck from distance, but his speculative effort went wide of the mark.
Joe Walsh came to the rescue for the Beavers as Ebbsfleet countered quickly down the right flank and cut the ball across to Dominic Poleon and he fired goal wards, but Walsh stuck out a strong hand to push it over the top.
After 18 minutes the Fleet levelled the scores as this time they countered down the left and crossed low to the waiting Bingham to tap home.
On the half hour mark Ilic continued to dazzle Ebbsfleet defenders at will, going past three blue shirts to open up a shooting angle and he blasted it just wide of the post.
With three minutes to go until half-time Sterling-James charged down the side and played a great ball that seemed for all the world to be going straight to Poleon in the middle, but Walsh dove at his feet to punch the ball clear.
On 66 minutes Ebbsfleet took the lead as Sterling-James clipped the ball into Cundle, who with his first touch after coming off the bench he arrived at the back post and nestled the ball in the back of the net.
With five minutes remaining Poleon rounded Walsh and Tommy Block brought him down before he could put it into an empty net to concede a penalty, which Coulthirst stepped up to take but fired it wide of the mark.
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