Ebbsfleet United 1-0 Hartlepool United: Pools fall to disappointing defeat as Fleet make a winning start to life under new boss Harry Watling

The Fleet made a winning start to life under new boss Harry Watling thanks to Rakish Bingham's deflected effort five minutes before half time.

Pools made a host of changes in a bid to get back into the game and Mani Dieseeruvwe passed up a presentable opportunity late on as Darren Sarll's side lost on the road for the second time this season.

Pools, who rose into the National League play-off places following their 2-1 victory over Boston in midweek, were looking to win on the road for the fourth time in five matches.

Sarll made one change from Tuesday night's trip to Lincolnshire as the mercurial Anthony Mancini replaced Greg Sloggett, who was missing from the matchday squad with a hamstring complaint, after the Frenchman changed the game following his half time introduction in Boston.

Dan Dodds, who had missed the last seven games through injury, was back on the bench along with teenage midfielder Darren Robinson, who returned to the squad after representing Northern Ireland under-21s on international duty.

Veteran frontman Gary Madine dropped out of the squad with a groin complaint.

Ebbsfleet, meanwhile, came into the game rooted to the bottom of the National League table following a dismal start to the campaign that had seen them take just two points from their opening eight games.

That dire run cost boss Danny Searle his job earlier in the week and the Fleet were hoping to make the most of the so-called new manager bounce after appointing 34-year-old Harry Watling as his replacement on Thursday.

Watling spent 18 months in charge of Hartford Athletic in the USL Championship, where his side set a new record for the most goals scored in the regular season but just missed out on the play-offs, finishing fifth.

The new Fleet boss has since worked closely with outspoken manager Michael Beale at both Rangers and QPR and has vowed to get the Kent outfit building from the back.

Watling's first Fleet side included former Pools frontman Rakish Bingham and featured three changes as Josh Wright, who was in caretaker charge in midweek, Will Randall and Wes Fonguck came into the side.

Fleet goalkeeper Mark Cousins, who has spent the last two seasons in Kent, is three years Watling's senior while Josh Wright was born three weeks before the new boss.

Veteran forward Dominic Poleon dropped out of the squad after limping off towards the end of Ebbsfleet's goalless draw with Aldershot in midweek.

Pools made a lively start and looked a threat whenever they managed to win the ball back high up the pitch against a Fleet wide who were looking to get the ball down and build through the thirds.

Mancini, who scored the winner the last time Pools visited Kent, drifted into a pocket of space as he ran off the shoulder of Toby Edser and flashed a low ball across the face which the waiting Mani Dieseruvwe couldn't quite connect with at the back post.

The visitors had the first real chance of the game when Mustapha Olagunju's attempted clearance rebounded off Mani Dieseruvwe and cannonned into the path of Grey, who might feel like he took one touch too many as Mark Cousins reached out to smother his effort.

There was an injury blow for Darren Sarll's side after a quarter of an hour when Kieron Freeman, so impressive in recent weeks, pulled up as Pools looked to defend an Ebbsfleet attack led by marauding Fleet full-back Lewis Page.

The experienced full-back signalled straight away to the Pools bench and was replaced by Dan Dodds, whose welcome return came somewhat earlier than expected.

Despite a decent start from Darren Sarll's side, the hosts grew into the game and began controlling the contest with the experienced Josh Wright making them tick in the middle.

And the Fleet's patient play eventually paid off five minutes before the break when former Pools forward Rakish Bingham fired them in front.

A long ball caught Tom Parkes out and Bingham did well to fashion an opportunity as he twisted and turned on the edge of the box before his deflected effort wrong-footed Adam Smith and fired the hosts into the lead.

Much like in midweek, the visitors could have few complaints about trailing at the break as, after Joe Grey threatened to open the scoring early on, Pools allowed Ebbsfleet to grow into the game and Harry Watling's side were good value for their half time lead.

Pools showed signs of improvement after the break and Dan Dodds lashed a shot just over the home side's crossbar after a strong driving run from the defender 10 minutes into the second half.

Billy Sass-Davies denied Ben Chapman with a goal-saving block 20 minutes from time while Franklin Domi felt he should have been awarded a penalty after going down under a challenge from substitute Luke Charman.

Darren Sarll rolled the dice and Charman's introduction was followed by the arrival of Adam Campbell as Pools played with six attackers on the pitch for the final quarter of an hour.

In spite of all the attackers Pools had on the pitch, marauding full-back Dan Dodds continued to be his side's biggest attacking threat and drilled a low strike into the midriff of the Fleet's Mark Cousins as the clock ticked down.

Mani Dieseruvwe wasted his side's best chance of the game with five minutes of normal time remaining after Mustapha Olagunju got caught underneath Adam Smith's hopeful ball forward but the Pools frontman dragged his effort wide.

Charman's inventive effort nestled the wrong side of the side netting in added time but, in truth, the visitors rarely looked like equalising as Ebbsfleet celebrated three points for the first time this season.

Pools: Smith; Freeman (sub, Dodds, 16), Sass-Davies, Parkes (c), Ferguson; Sheron (sub, Featherstone, 64); Hunter (sub, Campbell, 72); Mathurin (sub, Charman, 56), Mancini, Grey; Dieseruvwe.

Ebbsfleet: Cousins; Randall (sub, Tanga, 66), Chapman, Olagunju, Dallison, Page; Domi (sub, John, 84), Edser, Wright; Fonguck (sub, Cundle, 56), Bingham.