Ebbsfleet United secured their spot in the play-offs following a frustrating 0-0 draw away to Thurrock on a scorching bank holiday Monday.

Despite dominating the game, Ebbsfleet failed to score from numerous opportunities but qualified for the play-offs due to results elsewhere.

Ebbsfleet manager Liam Daish made no changes to the side that was well-beaten by Chelmsford three days earlier, whilst Thurrock manager Grant Gordon fielded a 4-4-2 formation that looked to use the attacking experience of strikers Lee Boylan and Danny Hockton to catch Ebbsfleet on the counter-attack.

The game got off to a quick-paced start, with both sides putting the ball into dangerous areas without much reward. The first goal scoring opportunity fell to Ebbsfleet’s Michael West, who put his free header from a Ricky Shakes cross straight at Thurrock goalkeeper Joe Woolley. West had another opportunity ten minutes later, when he burst past two challenges into the penalty area, but his placed shot went wide of the goal.

Boylan had Thurrock’s best chance of the opening exchanges when he cut in from the right-wing, but his shot was straight at Ebbsfleet goalkeeper Preston Edwards.

Woolley then had to be alert to palm away Paul Lorraine’s close range volley, before some brilliant link-up play between Shakes and Calum Willock resulted in the ball being back-heeled to West, but he somehow fired over from six yards. The final chance of the half fell to Thurrock’s Joao Carlos, whose fantastic improvised back-heel bounced up off the floor and clipped the crossbar with Edwards beaten.

The second half continued in the same vein as the first, with Woolley doing well to first keep out Willock’s placed shot from the edge of the area, before palming away Shakes’ goal bound volley.

Due to the heat, the game suffered a lull, as neither side were able to continue the quick tempo. Hockton was played through on goal by Carlos, but miscued his shot over the goal when Edwards narrowed the angle. Tom Phipp’s mistimed volley found its way to substitute Joe Howe, who missed from close range when it seemed easier to score.

Edwards then seemed to injure his hamstring when claiming a loose ball, meaning Daren Hawkes was brought on, and five minutes of stoppage time was added onto the end of the game. During these five minutes, Phipp struck the post from what seemed to be an impossible angle to score from, before Ashley Carew’s snap shot was spilled by Woolley, who saved Willock’s follow up effort, and Howe hit the bar with the loose ball to mark the end to a frustrating afternoon for Ebbsfleet.

Ebbsfleet Team: Edwards (Hawkes 88), Stone, Lorraine, Easton, Duncan, Phipp, Marwa, Carew, West (Howe 77), Willock, Shakes (Ginty 68)

Subs not Used: Fakinos, Erskine

Attendance: 647