Staines Town earned a point on their first visit to Stonebridge Road in almost a third of a century on Saturday.

The hosts were called Gravesend & Northfleet in those days and, while their name has changes, it remains a traditional old ground.

The surface was decent, and the afternoon mild, as Steve Cordery sent his side out with one enforced change from Monday, as Darty Brown was serving his one match suspension, while René Steer was recalled.

The opening exchanges of this game were played at a fast and furious pace, with both Phipp and Willock testing Louis Wells at one end, whilst Warren Harris and Ali Chaaban each found the side-netting at the other, all within the first 10 minutes.

Wells then made a terrific save to keep out a powerful West free kick from just outside the box, but he was unable to do anything about Ebbsfleet’s opener in the 12th minute.

A corner from the left by Ashley Carew found the powerful Calum Willock in space in front of goal, and he flashed an unstoppable header past Louis Wells to give the Kent side the lead.

The half continued to produce plenty of chances, with Staines feeling that they were getting the better of proceedings.

Chaaban cannoned a free-kick off the Fleet defensive wall, and Leroy Griffiths fired one shot across the face of goal, and another just over. What appeared to be little more than an accidental collision between Gordon and Carew resulted in an uncharacteristic yellow card for the Staines captain, but he was to be joined in the ref’s book by half his team in a feisty second half.

But before that, Staines had threatened again, the ball pinging back and forth across Edwards’ goal before finally going just too high from the boot of Griffiths.

At the other end, Wells was by no means a spectator, pulling off a good save from a Phipp shot and another drive by Willock. However, after a mere one minute of added time, this lively half closed with United still a goal to the good.

That situation lasted only three minutes into the second half, though, as Harris brought the ball down well and threaded it through to Ali Chaaban, who burst between two defenders and fired clinically into the bottom corner.

Nine minutes later, the mercurial Chaaban – who had to endure some unpleasant stick from fans taking advantage of ‘Non-League Day’ but emerged to claim the NLP’s Man of the Match accolade – centred to André Scarlett, who was just denied a second Staines goal by a despairing defender’s outstretched boot.

Moments later, Ricky Shakes came on for the home side to much acclaim, and the returning striker almost made an indelible mark on the game when put away after a Staines corner had been cleared: however, his shot flew wide.

Before that, Jackson was booked for a foul on Henry, who was also carded for retaliation, but worse was to come for Staines when Willock bore down on goal, and was brought down just outside the box by Ifura, leaving referee Parker no option but to show a red card.

The first scare was survived when Lorraine curled his free kick round the wall gaining no more than a corner, but 10-man Staines were stretched for the final 25 minutes (plus 4 added).

Extra height was added to the defence by replacing Steer with Orlu, whilst Taylor freshened up the attack, and Staines accumulated further yellow cards for Scarlett (dissent) and Kamara (foul on Sealey moments after the Fleet sub had come on).

Wells made a brave 88th minute save from Henry and Staines took an age to clear the loose ball as memories of Dover haunted the fans, and the Swans’ keeper also leapt to hold a tantalising West cross-shot. In the added minutes.

Risbridger received a final yellow card for shirt pulling, and Shakes showed that he can be a real handful, twice finding excellent positions but putting one wide and seeing the other well saved by Wells.

But the final talking point was Staines’ claim for a very late penalty: from an all too rare attack, sub Marc Charles-Smith seemed to be away in the box, when Henry challenged him from behind, bringing him down, but the ref believed he had played the ball and waved play on.

All in all, however, Staines cannot be too disappointed with a hard-earned away point from a big club who were in the Conference National last season.

Five successive draws have seen them slip to 14th, but they have still lost only once. Former Hayes man Marwa was voted Ebbsfleet’s sponsors’ Man of the Match.

Ebbsfleet: Edwards, Henry, Udoji, Carew, Pooley, Lorraine ©, West, Marwa, Willock, Phipp (Shakes 57), Stone (Sealey 84); unused Sherlock, Benjamin, Hagen.

Ref: A Parker (Stanford-le-Hope).

Staines: Wells; Jackson, Steer (Orlu 75), Gordon ©, Ifura [SO 65], Risbridger, Scarlett, Kamara, Griffiths, Chaaban (Charles-Smith 89), Harris (Taylor 75); unused King, Courtnage (gk).

Assistant referees: Mark Potkins (Woodbridge) & K Theobald (Sudbury); Attendance: 832.