Aaron McLean scored a 92nd-minute winner for Ebbsfleet at Basingstoke on Saturday.

McLean's first goal for the club completed a dramatic comeback after National League South leaders Fleet had trailed 1-0 at half-time.

Their spirited second-half performance deserved all three points and after Anthony Cook had cancelled out Jack Deaman's opener, McLean struck in the dying seconds to earn Fleet possibly their most important win of the season so far.

This result extended the Ebbsfleet's unbeaten away record but, crucially, it sent them eight points clear at the top as second-placed Maidstone were held 2-2 at home by Concord.

Fleet boss Daryl McMahon made two changes to his starting XI, bringing Stuart Lewis and Cook back into midfield. Lewis took JP Kissock's place in the centre while winger Cook came in for Danny Haynes in another like-for-like switch.

The visitors were again missing defenders Kenny Clark and Joe Howe through injury, while new signing Reiss Greenidge watched from the stand.

Basingstoke handed home debuts to goalkeeper Dan Lincoln and forward Reece Connolly, who replaced ex-Welling man Rowan Vine in one of two personnel changes. The other saw Louie Soares, once a loan player at Ebbsfleet, brought in for James Harper.

The Fleet's best chance of the first half came in the second minute, Lewis crossing from the right and Jordan Parkes' low shot forcing Lincoln to concede a corner.

Thereafter, it was the home side who carried more of an attacking threat.

Ryan Case latched onto a diagonal pass and cut inside two Fleet defenders before dragging a shot wide.

Some unconvincing defending by the men in red then invited Tom Bird forward and the left-back drove a shot over from outside the box.

Connolly connected with a Bird corner and his header was on target, with the visitors doing well to block it.

At the other end, Lincoln was claiming everything in the air. First he came for a right-wing Cook cross with Danny Kedwell lurking behind him and then got hands to a deep delivery by left-back Bryan van den Bogaert.

Brandon Hall did equally well to grab a swirling cross from Connolly which briefly threatened to drop under the crossbar - but he was beaten six minutes before half-time.

Bird floated over a corner from the left and Deaman sent a thumping header into the net.

Cook had a snapshot saved at the other end when the ball ran free on the edge of Basingstoke's box but that was a rare bright spark in a poor 45 minutes for Ebbsfleet.

They looked to rectify that at the start of the second half, buidling up a real head of steam in the minutes after the restart.

Parkes had a shot blocked and Anthony Acheampong saw a header cleared off the line before Lincoln arched his back to tip another Parkes shot behind for a corner.

Deaman then put his team in trouble by looping a heavy back-header over Lincoln but recovered superbly to get them out of it. Matt Godden latched onto the loose ball and was about to force it home from next to the post when Deaman came steaming in with a last-ditch tackle.

Dean Rance then played in Godden and he went round Lincoln although the keeper recovered sufficiently to concede a corner.

McMahon rang the changes, sending on McLean and Haynes, and within a minute Ebbsfleet were level.

A ball from the right ran all the way to Cook on the left-hand side of the box and he cut inside before rifling a low shot past Lincoln.

The goal lifted Ebbsfleet and Haynes dug out a terrific cross for McLean, who climbed well but saw his header well saved by Lincoln.

Hall saved from former Fleet striker Liam Enver-Marum at the other end before Lincoln came to Basingstoke's rescue again, diving to his left to claw out a Kedwell header.

Basingstoke substitute Lloyd Macklin then lost possession in midfield and almost paid the price. McLean broke, spread play wide to Kedwell and his low centre looked set to be converted by Lewis until a covering defender got back to clear off the line.

Kedwell teed up Lewis for a shot which flashed wide and Lewis also failed to hit the target with his next effort but McLean's stabbed finish when Kedwell nodded a Hall free-kick back across the six-yard box sent the travelling supporters wild.

Basingstoke: Lincoln, Case, Bird, Soares, Gasson, Deaman, Dunn (McAuley 80mins), Southam, Connolly, Flood (Enver-Marum 63mins), Williams (Macklin 69mins). Subs not used: Smart, Howe.

Ebbsfleet: Hall, Fish (Haynes 65mins), Van den Bogaert, Lewis, Acheampong, Bonner, Rance, Parkes (McLean 65mins), Kedwell, Godden, Cook. Subs not used: Sheringham, Kissock, Miles.

Attendance: 608.