Jimmy Quinn made two changes to the side that drew at home to Weymouth, calling up Josh Coulson and Magno Vieira for Paul Carden (injured) and Mark Beesley (bench) and changing to a back four with Michael Morrison and Wayne Hatswell in the fullback positions. With Carden the latest to join the injury list (hamstring), Quinn opted for a front three of Vieira, Boylan and Jeffery with Dan Gleeson anchoring the midfield and Rob Wolleaston and Courtney Pitt either side of him.

Ebbsfleet manager Liam Daish made three changes, calling up George Purcell, Darius Charles and Mark Ricketts for Luke Moore, Gary McDonald and Neil Barratt.

The opening exchanges were lively with Michael Morrison keen to get forward down the right, Dan Gleeson looking assured in his new role in the centre of midfield, and the front three stretching the Ebbsfleet defence by using the full width of the pitch.

The first chance arrived in the sixth minute when Magno Vieira showed good pace down the left and cut inside but fired into Lance Cronin's arms when Lee Boylan was haring through the middle, and three minutes later United earned their first corner when Courtney Pitt's free kick was headed behind, but although Wolleaston's flag kick was whipped in dangerously it was cleared to safety.

Vieira again showed his pace and persistence in the tenth minute when he raced to the edge of the area and twisted inside Darius Charles but the Brentford loanee did well to hold him up and eventually cleared the ball, and two minutes later he raced onto a through ball, past a defender and the exposed keeper and rolled the ball towards the open net, but his shot was underpowered and Charles got back to clear it off the line.

Wayne Hatswell crashed a free kick into the ball when Jack Jeffery was brought down by Hawkins just outside the area, and Ebbsfleet threatened on 15 when Bostwick's 25 yard drive deflected off Josh Coulson, Dan Gleeson heading away Long's corner.

Ebbsfleet's towering teenager striker John Akinde nodded one wide from close range on 18, and two minutes later United went close when Wolleaston brought the ball forward and Morrison's long looping ball to the far side of the area was met by Lee Boylan with a diving header just the wrong side of the post.

But the game was changed in the 26th minute when Akinde raced onto a low through ball and prodded the ball into the area, and as Danny Potter raced out to meet him and dived to stretch both hands towards the ball the big striker toppled over. Akinde had been going wide anyway and the backtracking Josh Coulson had changed his run to cover the open goal so Potter was not the last man, but referee Phil Gibbs was quick to produce a red card.

With no goalkeeper on the bench, Lee Boylan was unfortunate to be sacrificed so defender Mark Peters could go on to take over the gloves. The U's player-coach has taken over in goal before and played well, but although he dived the right way he was unable to stop Ebbsfleet captain Chris McPhee putting his side ahead from the penalty spot.

Dan Gleeson drove a long-range shot over the bar as both sides adjusted to the changes, and in the 33rd minute United scored an early equaliser to send the travelling fans in noisy raptures. Hawkins brought down Vieira on the left just inside the Ebbsfleet half, Courtney Pitt lifted a looping free kick to the edge of the six yard box and Wayne Hatswell beat McPhee to the ball and headed it over Cronin into the bottom corner.

Despite being in an uncovered stand, the away fans made Stonebridge Road sound like the Abbey Stadium as they celebrated the goal.

The goal seemed to knock the home side out of their stride and they failed to test Peters apart from an Akinde header at a free kick on the left of the area that he claimed confidently, and as play entered first half stoppage time Gleeson's good pass released Vieira down the right channel and into the area, but he lifted a shot into Cronin's arms.

Half-time summary from match commentator Mark Johnson:
"A half that started well with a good chance missed, threatened to implode when Potter saw red and Ebbsfleet took the lead, but Hatswell's header restored parity and suggests that the game isn't up."

Second half:
Both sides emerged unchanged for the second half and Vieira earned a corner in the opening minute as he hared down the left channel with Charles in hot pursuit and the Brentford defender resorted to barging him over two yards outside the area.

Charles was booked for the foul and Wolleaston's free kick was charged down by McPhee, but ten man United threatened again when Pitt tricked his way to the edge of the area and was lifted off his feet by Ricketts, and Pitt tested them again in the 51st minute when he whipped in a corner that Opinell managed to clear.

Peters made his first serious save in the 55th minute when he parried McPhee's header following a free kick on the right and claimed the ball at the second attempt, and a minute later Albrighton's clearance fell for Akinde but the striker's header was comfortable for United's stand-in keeper.

Still the home side threatened and Purcell's 20-yard shot may have been curling away from the diving Peters but crashed against the post, and less than a minute later the home side had a corner that skidded off a United defender's head and was cleared off the line at the far post by Pitt.

Peters was tested again on the hour when a free kick was cleared to Charley Hearn who volleyed the ball into the ground and straight at him, and the Welshman made another save two minutes later when Purcell cut inside and curled a shot that Peters pushed behind at the near post.

The flagkick was cleared by Wolleaston, but a minute later Ebbsfleet took the lead again when a low cross from the right was touched on to Akinde who shifted the ball from his right to his left foot and drove it beyond Peters inside the far post.

Jimmy Quinn made an immediate change to bring on Danny Brown for his first game since the end of January in place of Morrison, with Dan Gleeson moving to right back, and four minutes later he sent on Stephen Reed for Pitt, who had run his socks off supporting the front men.

Jack Jeffery had been playing deeper but with the introduction of the two defensively-minded midfielders he was pushed forward again to support Vieira as Quinn tried to engineer another equaliser. Reed clearly had licence to get forward too and three minutes after coming on he burst down the left channel and was crudely prevented from breaking into the area by the outstretched trailing leg of the beaten Mark Ricketts, who was duly booked.

Hatswell's free kick was blocked by the wall and on 76 Ebbsfleet collected their third booking when Bostwick brought down Danny Brown, then with ten minutes remaining Liam Daish sent on Raphael Nade for goalscorer Akinde.

Brown had added strength to the U's midfield and at times it was hard to tell that United were missing a man as they played the better football. Reed made a strong run down the left to deliver a superb curling cross that arrived between Cronin and Vieira and was cleared for a corner, Hatswell nodding Wolleaston's flagkick narrowly wide.

The referee was busy with bookings and substitutions as Ebbsfleet seemed content to see out the remaining minutes, Purcell yellow carded for shoving Albrighton off the pitch as they jockeyed for possession then replaced by Luke Moore moments later, and Sasha Opinell for kicking the ball away in protest when a free kick was awarded against Ebbsfleet the 89th minute.

Reed's resulting free kick curled into the area but was cleared and as play entered the three minutes of stoppage time the ball fell for Dan Gleeson on the right 25 yards from goal but he drove it over the bar.

In the dying moments Opinell drove a long-range shot high and wide, Ebbsfleet were denied what would have been a flattering third goal when Nade pulled back a low pass to McPhee as he reached the edge of the box but his angled shot crashed off the top of the bar in the last action of a game that was changed by that first half dismissal of Danny Potter.

The result saw United drop from second to fourth in the table following wins for Torquay and Burton.

Ebbsfleet United:
Lance Cronin, Mark Ricketts, Darius Charles, Peter Hawkins, Sasha Opinell; Chris McPhee (c), Michael Bostwick, Charley Hearn, Stacy Long; John Akinde (Raphael Nade 81'), George Purcell (Luke More 88').
Subs not used: Sam Mott, Neil Barratt, Ronnie Bull.

Booked: Charles foul 47', Ricketts foul 73', Bostwick foul 76', Purcell foul 86', Opinell dissent 89'

Cambridge United:
Danny Potter, Michael Morrison (Danny Brown 65'), Mark Albrighton (c), Josh Coulson, Wayne Hatswell; Magno Vieira, Dan Gleeson, Rob Wolleaston, Courtney Pitt (Stephen Reed 70'); Jack Jeffery, Lee Boylan (Mark Peters 28').
Subs not used: Robbie Willmott, Mark Beesley.

Sent off: Danny Potter 27' professional foul

Referee: Mr Phil Gibbs

Att: 1,388 (away 470)

Mark Johnson's Match Summary:
"Another away defeat for the U's but the bare scoreline doesn't begin to tell the story of the match in which the U's came close to taking the points against the odds. The key moment came after 27 minutes when John Akinde eluded the United defence and Danny Potter helped him find the penalty he was desperately searching for. With no sub keeper on the bench Mark Peters went in goal and his first task was to pick Chris McPhee's penalty out of the net, but against the odds the ten men hit back when Wayne Hatswell hit a levelling goal ten minutes before the break. For long spells you wouldn't have known which team was a men short but Akinde won it for Ebbsfleet midway through the second half to end United's brave resistance."

Mark's Man of the Match:
"Dan Gleeson - a colossal performance in the heart of midfield before switching to a more familiar rightback position later on. Honourable mentions for Jack Jeffery who put himself about, Magno Vieira showed electric pace up front, while the back line also put in towering performances."

Ref: Mr Gibbs - no doubt about the penalty, perhaps a doubt about the red card that was the key moment, but seemed to get most of the other decisions right. 6/10."

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