Ebbsfleet United let a two-goal lead slip on Saturday as they were held 2-2 at Gosport Borough on a cold and windy January afternoon.

After Adam Cunnington scored a brace with two close range finishes, the Fleet looked like they would be heading for their first win since manager Jamie Day made mass changes to his squad.

However, the hosts scored two goals in three minutes to deny Day’s side all three points.

Day made two changes from the side which drew 1-1 with Braintree in the FA Trophy, with Tom Bonner making his debut in defence, replacing Anthony Acheampong, and Sean Shields coming in at left wing-back for the injured Joe Howe.

In this season’s previous encounter between these two sides, Gosport put on a well-organised display to run out 3-0 winners in a game that also marked the end of Steve Brown’s reign as Fleet manager.

Yet in this match it was Ebbsfleet who appeared to be the more organised side and they opened the scoring in the second minute.

Stewart Lewis’ 20-yard strike deflected into the path of Cunnington who finished past wrong-footed Gosport keeper Nathan Ashmore.

Danny Kedwell then nearly doubled the lead on 10 minutes, but his accurate header was clawed away by a diving Ashmore.

The keeper then produced an even better save to again deny Kedwell, this time from a looping header that appeared to be heading into the top corner of the goal.

At the other end, Preston Edwards saved Matt Paterson’s low first time strike from the corner of the area.

Ashmore then turned away Kelvin Langmead’s 18-yard header before Shields curled a shot just wide of the post after cutting inside from the wing.

While the Fleet may have felt aggrieved to be going into half-time only 1-0 up, they continued to dominate the second half and doubled their lead on the hour.

A good team build-up resulted in the impressive Theo Lewis finding Shields on the wing and he beat his marker before curling in a low cross which was met by Cunnington, who slid in and finished from close range.

This appeared to wrap the game up for Fleet, but Gosport immediately stepped their game up and on 66 minutes halved the deficit as Paterson ran on to a superb through ball from Dan Wooden and finished low into the bottom corner past the onrushing Edwards.

The goal seemed to spur on the hosts and their equaliser came three minutes later when Wooden produced an absolutely unstoppable shot which curled into the top corner from 25 yards.

Fleet were now clearly rattled, but had enough defensive quality to prevent Gosport from taking the lead, although they came close when Justin Bennett’s 20-yard free-kick deflected onto the top of the bar.

Ebbsfleet: Edwards, Fish, Clark, Bonner, Langmead, Shields (Kiernan 73), Johnson, S Lewis, T Lewis, Kedwell, Cunnington (Marsh 84) Subs not used: Hall, Pooley, Acheampong. Att: 562.