Four players were shown red cards on a crazy afternoon at Stonebridge Road.

The dismissals all followed one incident during the second half and it finished nine-a-side as National League South leaders Ebbsfleet dropped more points at home in the title race.

Not since September have they won back-to-back league games at Stonebridge Road and Sutton's win over Margate saw them move within 10 points with two games in hand.

Ebbsfleet, without the suspended Danny Kedwell, were unchanged from their 1-1 draw at Truro. Kedwell missed the trip to Cornwall for personal reasons but here he served the one-match ban for being sent off at Oxford City two weeks earlier.

Goalkeeper James Hamon made his debut for the visitors, having just arrived on loan from Exeter City, while another new signing, winger Shepherd Murombedzi, was named among the Hayes substitutes. Jim Fenlon replaced Lewis Ferrell in Garry Haylock's only other change.

Fleet almost took the lead inside two minutes. Matt Godden latched onto Matt Fish's chipped pass down the right and crossed low for Stuart Lewis. Plenty inside the ground thought Lewis' stabbed effort had gone in but Hamon dropped on the ball in the nick of time.

That was as good as it got for Ebbsfleet in a slow-paced first half. Their build-up was too ponderous and when they did get forward, the final ball was too often lacking.

Elliot Benyon lashed a shot over for Hayes and Darren Purse fired into the side netting when Ashley Lodge's corner from the left was allowed to travel right through the penalty area.

At the other end, Lewis' excellent cross from the right was turned goalwards by centre-half Anthony Acheampong but Hamon saved easily.

Anthony Cook then cut insde from the left flank and whipped a deep cross to the back post. Aaron McLean got himself on the end of it but was denied by Hamon at point-blank range.

What little tempo there was disappeared when a lengthy stoppage saw Fleet skipper Tom Bonner receive treatment after being clattered by goalkeeper Brandon Hall in the act of claiming a free-kick from the Hayes right.

Right-back Fish was Ebbsfleet's best attacking outlet. He did well to get beyond Max Worsfold and his low cross was hacked clear from inside the six-yard box. Fish then fed Godden inside the area and the striker went to ground but referee Anthony Da Costa waved away the home side's muted penalty appeals.

McLean got himself into a shooting position in stoppage-time but Mr Da Costa pulled play back for a free-kick just as he looked set to pull the trigger. Cook delivered the set-piece which was headed over by Bonner.

The second half was just 20 seconds old when Cook crossed from the right and McLean's downward header was brilliantly kept out by the diving Hamon.

Play settled into something of a lull until the match exploded on the hour - for all the wrong reasons.

Hamon caught a cross into the Hayes box but Purse appeared to punch Acheampong on the goal line, sparking a nasty brawl in the six-yard box. Players from both sides waded in and it took some time for the officials to separate them.

When the fighting stopped, all three officials got together to discuss the fall-out and Bonner was the first player to see red, followed by Manny Monthe. Mr Da Costa then gave Cook his marching orders and Adam Everitt followed him down the tunnel before more deliberations saw Purse yellow-carded.

Play eventually restarted after what seemed an eternity.

Danny Haynes, on from the bench, crossed deep from the right and Godden knocked the ball down for McLean who shot into the side netting.

Haynes then made ground before shooting wide although Hayes fired a warning across the Fleet bows at the other end when Benyon received the ball from Luke Williams and fired beyond the far post.

Ebbsfleet piled on the pressure in the closing stages but couldn't find a way through.

McLean headed Godden's cross at Hamon, who clawed out a Dean Rance shot and then watched Godden's glancing header from a Lewis corner flash wide.

Rance was pushed over in the box in the sixth of seven added minutes but the referee missed the foul as it finished all square.

Ebbsfleet: Hall, Fish, van den Bogaert, Lewis (Kissock 89mins), Acheampong, Bonner, Rance, Parkes (Haynes 70mins), Godden, McLean, Cook. Subs not used: Howe, Miles, Sheringham.

Hayes & Yeading: Hamon, Fenlon, Brown, Everitt, Purse, Monthe, Williams, Lodge (Durojaiye 76mins), Benyon, Kennedy (Simpson 88mins), Worsfold. Subs not used: Ehvi, Murombedzi, Pickford.

Attendance: 950.