Ebbsfleet United made it six goals in two games against the division’s tightest defence as an excellent away performance saw Josh Wright’s side lead 3-0 before a late Maidenhead comeback proved too little, too late.

Josh Coley was one of two changes and he added a goal and an assist to cap a fine display as Fleet bounced back from the weekend reverse at Dorking.

The first chance of the match fell to the visitors inside the opening five minutes when a set piece delivered by Charlie Seaman was eventually gathered by Jake Hessenthaler whose first-time shot went narrowly wide.

Both sides settled but it was mainly a midfield battle with few chances at either end of the pitch. The hosts fired a free-kick just off target as they began to enjoy the bulk of possession in the opening 20 minutes.

The Fleet began to power on through, however, and they threatened again when Coley picked out Dominic Samuel with a ball over the top but as the top scorer eased through two markers, the flag went up.

The deadlock was broken with 32 minutes on the clock. A press on the Magpies box saw Ben Chapman work his way into space and he picked out Coley with a delivery whose header beat Jordi van Stappershoef to land in the bottom corner.

Hessenthaler pulled off an important block to keep the Fleet in front as the visitors headed into the break ahead.

Matt Hall was instantly called into action in the second 45 as he denied Jayden Mitchell-Lawson’s tight-angled shot while Josh Umerah’s shot moments later was wide of the mark.

Coley continued to pose a threat up top as quick-thinking and skilful movement from the No.21 allowed him to get a shot away but it didn’t hit the target.

The Fleet’s advantage was doubled in the 63rd minute. More skilful play from Coley down the left allowed him to escape a defender and he surged into the box, laying a ball off to Edser who arrived to send a low precise shot into the bottom corner.

Two was soon three as Chapman beat his man down the left again and his pass was intercepted by Owen Cochrane on the edge of the box, the referee awarding a penalty for handball. Substitute Kwesi Appiah stepped up and made no mistake with his kick.

Fleet looked home and dry on 90 minutes but it was a nervy final five minutes as Maidenhead sparked a late comeback. First, Liam Dulson found some space to fire across goal and in before Matt Robinson got the break from a bounce inside the box to hit home a second.

In the dying moments, a corner was awarded and Hall did ever so well to spring across and push away a header before Magpies goalkeeper van Stappershoef attempted a headline-grabbing bicycle kick that didn’t quite come off.

EUFC: Hall, Olagunju, Dallison, Passley, Hessenthaler, Seaman, Edser (Wyllie 77), Kennedy, Chapman, Coley (Barnes 83), Samuel (Appiah 73).

Subs: Sandford, Cosgrave, Nelson, Peake.

MUFC: Van Stappershoef, Bartley, Ragguette (Cochrane 46), Welch-Hayes (De Silva 70), Onariase, Mitchell-Lawson, Robinson, Yearwood (Odelusi 73), Umerah, Dulson, Popoola (Pendlebury 75).

Subs: Collins, Pritchard, Clerima.

Attendance: 821

Photos: ©EUFC, Ed Miller