Ebbsfleet's Vanarama Conference South promotion odds got a little longer on Saturday when they were held to a draw by Hemel Hempstead at Stonebridge Road.

Goals from Danny Kedwell and the returning Matt Godden had turned the game on its head after Oliver Hawkins had given Hemel an early lead.

But a brilliant free-kick from Tudors skipper Jordan Parkes meant it finished all square.

Godden was back in the Ebbsfleet starting XI for the first time since Boxing Day, having completed his recovery from a foot injury. He came in for the injured Brendan Kiernan, while Matt Fish for the suspended Kenny Clark at right-back was the only other change from Fleet's previous outing - a 1-0 home defeat to Bromley 11 days earlier. Goalkeeper Preston Edwards made his 200th appearance for the club.

The inclusion of Dean Rance, Alex Osborn and Anthony Acheampong on the home side's substitutes bench was further proof that Jamie Day's injury list is, at last, getting shorter.

Hemel, who like Ebbsfleet were playing their first league game for almost two weeks, also made two changes. In came new signing Jordan Brown and Moussa Diarra for Arthur Lee and Zane Banton.

As part of their annual community day initiative, Ebbsfleet had distributed a thousand free tickets to local schools and businesses and a big crowd was in place by 3pm.

But the home faithful were silenced just four minutes into the game. Dennis Oli crossed from the left and Hawkins was left unmarked to send a looping header over Edwards.

Fleet stayed positive, though, and Hemel keeper Laurie Walker let a daisy-cutter from Kedwell through his hands. Fortunately for Walker, the ball fizzed just wide.

He was powerless to stop Kedwell levelling the scores on 12 minutes, however. Sean Shields burst down the left and delivered a low cross which Kedwell converted from inside the six-yard box.

The pair resumed their duel moments later. Walker raced out of his box to head a long ball clear and with the goal gaping, Kedwell tried an audacious volley from 40 yards. For a split-second the crowd through he'd scored a wonder goal - but the ball dropped just the wrong side of the post.

The game was wide open and Hemel started to pass the ball nicely without creating anything clear-cut.

Diarra got himself in a tangle when Fish crossed from the right and it almost led to a second Fleet goal. Diarra was only a few inches off the ground when he attempted to head the ball clear and it ran loose for Godden, who blazed over.

Hawkins nodded a cross wide at the other end but Ebbsfleet were about to take the lead.

With the visitors appealing for a foul on left-back Brown, the persistence and innovation of Godden got him away from the labouring Diarra on the right-hand side of the penalty area. Godden kept his cool and planted a low shot across Walker into the far corner.

Kedwell was limping heavily at the end of the first half after sliding into the perimeter wall and he didn't appear for the start of the second, Rance taking his place.

Having been injured in the challenge which preceded the goal, Brown also had to come off, with Hemel boss Dean Brennan sending on Banton.

The visitors, having struck early in the first half, repeated the trick in the second. Kelvin Langmead tugged Hawkins back on the edge of the box and Parkes curled a sublime free-kick over the wall and into the top corner.

Adam Cunnington tried to match Parkes at the other end, curling one free-kick against the crossbar from 30 yards and another, from slightly closer, just wide of the left-hand post.

Play became stretched again, with the Fleet desperate to get their noses back in front and Hemel posing a real threat on the counter-attack.

Time started to tick away and Osborn made his return to action as Day looked for another attacking dimension. Mark Gower replaced Godden with 10 minutes left.

Fleet needed a grandstand finish but one never came. Osborn shot straight at Walker from the edge of the area but that was as close as the hosts came to nicking a late winner.

Theo Lewis smashed a shot over the bar in stoppage-time and the groan from the crowd said it all.

Ebbsfleet: Edwards, Fish, Langmead, Bonner, Jefford, S Lewis, T Lewis, Shields (Osborn 76mins), Godden (Gower 80mins), Kedwell (Rance 46mins), Cunnington. Subs not used: Pooley, Acheampong.

Hemel Hempstead: Walker, King, Brown (Banton 46mins), Parkes, Hyam, Diarra, Oli, Harriott (Connolly 87mins), Hawkins, Asafu-Adjaye, Potton (Johnson 76mins). Subs not used: Kabamba, Head.

Attendance: 1,636.