BLUES boss Neil Young accused his injury hit side of being naive after bowing out of the FA Trophy.
But nobody could fault Chester’s application, endeavour, commitment, and bravery after they had produced a never-say-die display against a side who play two divisions above the Blues.
And there was certainly no evidence that Ebbsfleet had been favourites to progress from the entertaining second round clash despite ultimately extinguishing Chester’s dreams of a Wembley appearance.
But a few uncharacteristic defensive errors from set-pieces, plus the addition of suspensions and injuries to three key players during the tie proved costly in the end despite Jamie Rainford’s 72nd minute goal setting up a thrilling finale for Chester and a nail-biting conclusion for their nervous hosts.
The occasion presented an intriguing indication of how fast Chester had developed as a club since being formed only 18 months ago.
And, with one door to silverware closing, the focus now will be firmly fixed on securing a second successive title-winning campaign.
Young made three changes to the team that had scored a 4-0 league win at Rushall Olympic the week before.
Suspended duo Wes Baynes and Michael Powell and midfielder Robbie Booth were replaced by Levi Mackin, Liam Brownhill and Rainford in the starting line-up.
But Matty McGinn, Jerome Wright and Antoni Sarcevic all had to be substituted during the course of the tie.
McGinn pulled up before the interval with a hamstring problem, Wright struggled with an ankle injury and Sarcevic left the pitch clutching a painful rib injury.
Chester forced Ebbsfleet onto the back foot for the majority of the opening half, but the Blues failed to capitalise on their possession and creativity.
Brownhill produced Chester’s first shot after just three minutes, but his powerful angled drive from the right edge of the area flew inches wide.
Wright and Rainford looked lively seconds later in a promising left wing move which the home club defused on the edge of their box, and Sarcevic nearly pounced on a defensive error by Yado Mambo.
Ebbsfleet countered when Nat Pinney’s stinging 25 yard effort had to be gathered at the second attempt by John Danby.
But Chester hit back through Rainford whose sixth minute shot was dragged well wide, and skipper George Horan’s touch from McGinn’s eighth minute corner bounced agonisingly wide of the left post.
McGinn put Ebbsfleet under more pressure with a long throw into the area which had to be hooked off the line by home captain Paul Lorraine, while Wright and Rainford continued to probe for a breakthrough with in a move that culminated in Rainford firing wide.
Horan[s loud appeals for a penalty in the 19th minute were ignored by Bognor referee Tim Robinson, as Chester continued to push forward in numbers.
But Danby came to the rescue a minute later when he cleared from outside his area under pressure from Ebbsfleet forward Calum Willock.
Sarcevic attempted to get Chester back into an attacking mode in the 21st minute with a low 20 yard shot which home keeper Preston Edwards held.
McGinn’s left wing centre proved too high for Matty McNeil in the 24th minute, and Edwards looked relieved to hold a goalbound shot from Wright a minute later.
Chester conceded against the run of play in the 27th minute when Willock’s near post header from Tom Phipp’s corner beat Danby and found the back of the net.
And Willock should have doubled his team’s advantage three minutes later when he was one-on-one with Danby but sliced his 15 yard attempt wide.
Brownhill’s 32nd minute free kick picked out McNeil as Chester worked hard to get back on level terms, but the tall striker’s header found the arms of Edwards, and the home keeper was perfectly placed a minute later to save a goalbound effort from Rainford.
Ebbsfleet looked a real threat before the break after substitute Ricky Shakes had replaced Neil Barrett.
McGinn had to head a Phipp’s shot off the line in the 35th minute, before Michael West’s thunderbolt was gathered by Danby at the second attempt, and the Blues keeper ended the half by pulling off a superb save to deny Pinney in a one on one situation.
Danby continued where he had left off after the break to another memorable save to deny Willock in the 47th minute after Chester had introduced Alex Brown in place of McGinn, before Iain Howard replaced Wright in the 49th minute.
Ebbsfleet had emerged for the second half with a spring in their step, but Pinney ballooned his 51st minute effort over the bar, and Mambo also volleyed over from 15 yards a minute later.
But Chester looked shellshocked when Mambo’s unchallenged header from West’s 55th minute free kick found the bottom right corner of the net to put the home club 2-0 up.
Danby ensured the home club failed to extend their advantage with fine saves from Pinney and West, and Chester responded when Horan’s header was clawed away by Edwards and Mackin’s goalbound header was cleared off the line.
McNeil reduced the Blues arrears in the 62nd minute when he steered a header from Brown’s free kick into the net off the foot of the left post.
But Ebbsfleet regained a two-goal cushion three minutes later after West’s shot was parried by Danby and cleared off the line by Horan into the path of Shakes who hammered the ball into an empty net.
Chester were forced to introduce third substitute Michael Wilde after Sarcevic had to leave the pitch with a rib injury in the 67th minute, but just five minutes later Rainford provided hope of a dramatic comeback when his 25 yard shot was turned into the net by Lorraine in the 72nd minute.
Brown came so close to an equaliser when his 74th minute scissor kick flew inches over, before Ebbsfleet hit back with Willock heading fractionally wide from West's free kick.
McNeil’s miscued shot from Wilde’s flick on in the 80th minute was gratefully accepted by Edwards as time began to run out for Chester.
Pinney blazed over after Danby had brilliantly saved West’s deflected 25 yard free kick.
And Chester had two further chances to earn a replay, but Wilde’s volley from McNeil’s flick on in the 84th minute found the arms of Edwards, and Rainford dragged an 18 yard effort well wide just two minutes later.
EBBSFLEET UNITED (4-4-2): Edwards 8; Stone 7, Lorraine 7, West 8, Marwa 8; Phipp 8, Howe 7, Barrett 7 (Shakes 38), Pinney 8; Willock 9, Mambo 8. Subs (not used): Herd, Simpemba, Azeez, Darvill.
CHESTER (4-4-2): Danby 8; Brownhill 7, Horan 7, Taylor 7, McGinn 7 (Brown 46); Wright 7 (Howard 49), Smith 8, Sarcevic 7 (Wilde 67), Mackin 8; Rainford 8, McNeil 9. Subs (not used): Simm, Judge.
REFEREE: Tim Robinson (Bognor Regis).
ATTENDANCE: 1,387.
MATCH RATING (1-5): ***
MAN OF THE MATCH: Striker Matty McNeil worked his socks off.