Matt Godden's hat-trick sent Ebbsfleet on their way to victory against Bishop's Stortford on Saturday.

Godden has now scored eight times in his last eight games and with Tom Bonner also on target, Fleet raced into a 4-0 lead at Stonebridge Road.

But the National League South leaders made harder work of this game than they needed to, conceding twice in the last 15 minutes before eventually seeing it through.

However, with Oxford City losing 2-1 at home to Gosport, this result - Ebbsfleet's first home win for almost two months - saw them go seven points clear at the top.

There was drama before a ball had even been kicked - which didn't happen until 3.10pm.

Joe Howe pulled up during the warm-up and Aiden Palmer got the call to replace him at left-back for what would have been his first start of the season.

But the visitors staged a last-minute protest, claiming that because Palmer hadn't been named on the original team sheet, he wasn't allowed to play.

After hurried discussions between Fleet staff and the match officials, the teams finally emerged from the tunnel - with Anthony Acheampong wearing the No.3 shirt, not Palmer.

Acheampong, a centre-half by trade, lined up alongside Bonner and Kenny Clark as part of a back-three, with Matt Fish and Jordan Parkes flanking the central midfield trio of Dean Rance, Stuart Lewis and JP Kissock.

It was an unfamiliar system put together in unusual circumstances but any fears the home side might be thrown by the incident were allayed after just five minutes.

Danny Kedwell dug out a delightful crosses from the left-hand byline and Godden rose magnificently at the back post to head the ball back across Tom Lovelock, who got a hand to it but couldn't keep it out.

However, with applause still ringing around Stonebridge Road, the visitors almost hit back. Morgan Ferrier got in behind Acheampong down the Fleet right and rattled the crossbar, perhaps via the fingertips of goalkeeper Brandon Hall.

But the home side bossed the first half against a Stortford side who packed all 11 men behind the ball whenever they lost possession.

Kedwell smashed a free-kick over from 25 yards and the home side then doubled their lead on 23 minutes.

Kissock was allowed space to get a shot away from just outside the box and although Lovelock got down to save, he couldn't hold onto the ball. Godden was unable to force it over the line but Bonner did, pouncing from no more than a couple of yards out.

Stortford were reeling now and Ebbsfleet could smell more goals.

Rance fired a shot over and then, three minutes before half-time, the home side did strike again.

This time Bonner helped assist, his diagnonal ball into the left-hand channel turned across ball by Kedwell and Godden obliging with a neat finish from close-range to complete a terrific 45 minutes for Daryl McMahon's men.

Acheampong headed off the line in stoppage-time when Hall misjudged his punch but when Stortford boss Rod Stringer asked the referee if he was going to blow for time, it told you just how one-sided the opening period had been.

As if to make a complete mockery of the delayed start, Palmer was introduced as a half-time replacement for Acheampong, who had injured himself making a challenge moments before the break.

Stortford were more positive in the first few minutes of the second half than they had been in the whole of the first and Hall did well to palm Frankie Merrifield's 20-yard strike round the post.

At the other end, Parkes let rip from similar range and forced a good save from Lovelock.

The goalkeeper had to stay alert, saving from Lewis after Palmer had won the ball in midfield and then from Parkes, whose free-kick from 20 yards was creeping inside the post.

As the game began to drift, McMahon swapped the guile of Kissock for the pace of Danny Haynes and the change paid immediate dividends.

Kedwell sent Haynes racing down the right and although his first touch wasn't the best, he was able to hook the ball across goal for Godden, who spun and slid in his hat-trick goal.

That was Godden's last contibution as he made way for Charlie Sheringham moments later.

And the Fleet then lost their clean sheet when Merrifield stole through midfield and into the box before sliding a low shot beyond Hall.

Dymon Labonne dragged a shot wide and Ferrier then shot straight at Hall after cutting in from the left flank.

The visitors punished some bad defending to make it 4-2 with nine minutes left. Fleet failed to cut out a low cross from their left and after Ferrier's shot had rolled against the base of the post, Kieran Bywater followed in to snaffle the rebound.

Bywater rifled a long-range drive inches wide and McMahon was the picture of concern as the same player went close with a free-kick in the dying stages.

But it could, and probably should, have been a more comfortable margin of victory in the end as Ebbsfleet hit their visitors on the counter-attack.

Sheringham hit Haynes' low centre straight at Lovelock and Haynes saw his rebound cleared off the line before deciding to go himself when Fleet next broke.

His shot was beaten out by Lovelock and with Sheringham waiting unmarked in the six-yard box, it looked like the wrong decision - although it mattered not.

Ebbsfleet: Hall, Fish, Acheampong (Palmer 46mins), S Lewis, Clark, Bonner, Rance, Parkes, Kedwell, Godden (Sheringham 74mins), Kissock (Haynes 68mins). Subs not used: Miles, West.

Bishop's Stortford: Lovelock, Vanderhyde, Herd, Merrifield, Gayle, Allen, Bywater, Church, Rowe, Buchanan (Labone 44mins), Ferrier. Subs not used: Smith, Ekim, M'Boungou, Hutton.

Attendance: 1,003.