THERE was to be no underdog cup upset in the FA Trophy third round on Saturday as Ebbsfleet United proved too strong for lower league opponents Swindon Supermarine and eased into the next round with a 2-0 win.

The first half started in front of a packed stadium.

Attendance fell just short of 4,000 as the Ebbsfleet fans took advantage of the open gate and came to cheer on the reigning FA Trophy holders.

Fleet looked to stamp an early dominance on the game and the first 15 minutes saw Liam Daish’s side camped in the Supermarine half as centre-forward Michael Gash looked to dominate in the air and unsettle the opposition backline.

Stacy Long and Neil Barrett had early shots from Gash flick-ons and both tested Swindon keeper Matt Bullman.

Fleet midfielder Jamie Hand was allowed a lot of time on the ball in the centre of the pitch and played some fine, long passes to the wings.

On several occasions, Ricky Shakes used his speed down the right flank well but often his delivery was poor.

After surviving the first quarter of an hour, Swindon Supermarine settled into the match and sought to create some dangerous chances of their own.

Striker Alan Griffin looked to play in a similar vein to Gash by holding up the ball and supplying the midfield and around the half-hour mark, Cronin was forced into making a number of saves.

Fleet were almost punished on 38 minutes when Supermarine midfielder Ashley Edenborough bundled past home skipper James Smith in the box, but then scuffed his one-on-one opportunity against Cronin with the ball trickling into the grateful keeper’s arms.

New signing Guiseppe Sole was anonymous until late in the half when he had two dangerous opportunities from close-range free-kicks.

Fleet piled on the pressure before the whistle and captain Smith, with the last touch of the half, headed over unopposed from six yards out.

Swindon Supermarine had not only survived the first-half but also worried the Blue Square Premier side too.

Diash’s half-time team-talk hit home because the Fleet restarted at a frenetic pace and Gash duly scored within 10 minutes.

The striker started the move from the halfway line.

He played a perfect pass into space for Shakes, who struck low at keeper Bullman.

Gash had continued his sprint into the box, collected the rebound and finished calmly into the empty net.

The talismanic frontman was in inspired form and scored again with a close-range header from a corner three minutes later.

Ebbsfleet continued to dominate possession and swamped the demoralised opposition. Swindon Supermarine had run out of any attacking ideas and made three substitutions in a bid to change their fate, but all to no avail.

Defensive duo Smith and Leon Crooks were faultless, while Hand was dictating the midfield with Gash running his defenders ragged until the very end.

The fans left the stadium singing about a quick return to Wembley and with man-of-the-match Gash leading the line, it their dreams could well come true again.

Ebbsfleet: Cronin, Crooks, Smith, Stone, Gash, Long (Judge 82), Barrett (Ricketts 88), Sole, Shakes (Moore 65), Hand, Duncan. Subs not used: Pooley, Mott. Att: 3,750.