Ebbsfleet suffered a third straight home league defeat in their final game of 2014.

They were beaten by Basingstoke for the third time this season and finished with 10 men after goalkeeper Brandon Hall was red-carded with the visitors leading 2-1.

Matt Johnson had cancelled out Robert Rice's opening goal but Simon Dunn restored Basingstoke's lead and Town skipper David Ray struck the killer blow from the free-kick which followed Hall's sending-off.

Late goals from Shaun McAuley and Tom Bird compounded the Fleet's misery in front of their owner, Dr Abdulla Al-Humaidi, who was watching from the directors' box.

There was only one change to the Ebbsfleet side which started at Chelmsford on Boxing Day. In came Dagenham & Redbridge loanee Sean Shields, with Matt Godden dropping to the bench. New signing Tyrone Marsh made his home debut.

Basingstoke, 2-1 winners at home to Staines 48 hours earlier, made three alterations. Manager Jason Bristow brought in Nathan Smart, James Harper and Dunn for Andrew Jenkinson, Jamie Brown and Shaun McAuley - who were all among the substitutes.

The home side started on the front foot and put Basingstoke under pressure in the opening exchanges.

Johnson delivered a cross which was brought down well by Billy Bricknell but although the striker turned sharply, his shot was well blocked.

A strike from Johnson flashed past the far post and centre-back Anthony Acheampong then got the Fleet moving by winning possession high up the field. He fed Shields, who ran on and picked out Bricknell but this time goalkeeper Stuart Moore saved Basingstoke, standing tall to deny Bricknell.

But it was the visitors who took the lead on 19 minutes. Louie Soares, a former loan player at Ebbsfleet, whipped in a free-kick from the left-hand touchline and the slightest touch from Rice in the six-yard box carried the ball beyond Hall into the far corner.

That goal changed the pattern of play. Basingstoke were happy to sit back and protect their lead, while much of Fleet's play was one-paced and predictable.

Kenny Clark toe-ended a Daryl McMahon free-kick wide of the near post and Marsh rifled a shot wide before McMahon came within inches of equalising. His free-kick from 20 yards seemed destined for the top corner but Moore flung himself high to his right and touched the ball against the inside of the post.

It was a brilliant save - but it only kept Basingstoke ahead for a few minutes.

The board had just gone up for one minute of stoppage-time when Joe Howe's cross from the left was headed down by Clark into the path of Johnson. He drove the ball into the roof of the net to restore parity at a crucial time.

Ebbsfleet would have been looking to build on Johnson's goal at the beginning of the second half but it was Basingstoke who flew out of the traps when play restarted.

Clark threw himself in front of a Dunn strike and Chris Flood flashed a shot across the face of goal when he got free in the penalty area.

In between those chances, Marsh almost punished a suicidal pass by Harper but Moore got down well to claw his effort out of the bottom corner.

But at the other end, Basingstoke kept creating - and spurning - good opportunities.

It needed a good save from Hall to thwart Rice when Ray nodded a Bird cross into his path. Clark then blocked a shot from Ray which looked like it was going on.

But the home side's luck didn't hold for much longer, Dunn following in to make it 2-1 after Hall had pushed a long-range effort from substitute Lloyd Macklin into his path.

Godden came on for Bricknell and immediately sent a dipping shot just wide of the far post.

However, the home side were reduced to 10 men when Hall raced out and up-ended Macklin and he sprinted clear of the home defence. Shields was taken off so new signing Jamie Turner could go in goal but the former Welling keeper was picking the ball out of his net just seconds after entering the fray.

Turner pushed Soares' low free-kick back into the six-yard box and Ray pounced to make it 3-1.

Things got even worse, five minutes from time, when Howe clipped Nathan Smart's heels in the box and substitute Shaun McAuley scored from the penalty spot.

That sent the home fans streaming to the exits and most of those who had stayed were on their way when Bird rifled in Basingstoke's fifth goal a minute from the end.

Ebbsfleet: Hall, Huke (Pooley 90mins), Acheampong, Clark, Howe, Johnson, McMahon, Shields (Turner 72mins), Cook, Marsh, Bricknell (Godden 62mins). Subs not used: Corcoran, Osborn.

Basingstoke: Moore, Smart, Bird, Rice, Dickie, Ray, Harper, Dunn (Brown 80mins), Cox (Macklin 33mins), Flood, Soares (McAuley 75mins). Subs not used: Case, Jenkinson.

Attendance: 897.