Ebbsfleet’s unbeaten start ends at 12 games as Vennings and Gbadebo are sent off at Truro

Sunday 1 November 2026 · By Grant Cove

Ebbsfleet United’s unbeaten league start ended at 12 games on Saturday with a 3–0 defeat at Truro City, a match in which they were down to ten men after about a quarter of an hour and nine at the end.

James Vennings was sent off for a challenge on Tom Tweedy, with the BBC giving the time as 15 minutes and the clubs 16. Camron Gbadebo took a second yellow card near the end. Truro scored through Harvey in the 57th minute, Tom Harrison in the 70th and a Harvey penalty in the 82nd. The crowd was 1,885, according to the BBC.

Ebbsfleet’s own report on their website called it “an unmatched contest for three-quarters of the game”. It said Daniel Ogunleye had a goal ruled out for offside in the 55th minute that “appeared harsh from later video analysis” and that Ben Chapman had a curling effort wide just before the break. Of the red card, the club’s report said it “appeared the Fleet player slipped but his foot was high”.

Josh Wright made one change, with Finlay Barnes in for Lennon Peake. Truro’s report said Ebbsfleet were missing club captain Kewsi Appiah and assist leader Peake.

Ebbsfleet remain third on 28 points from 13 games, with eight wins, four draws and the one defeat. They have played one fewer game than Truro and Salisbury and two fewer than Maidstone United. Truro lead on 30 points, Maidstone have 29 and Salisbury are level with Ebbsfleet on 28, behind them on goal difference. Ebbsfleet’s goal difference of plus 19 is the best in the division, and their ten goals conceded are joint-fewest with Salisbury. They have scored 29, the third-most.

At home they have won four of seven for 15 points, and away they have won four of six for 13.

Off the pitch, the BBC reported that the National League lifted the club’s suspension on 2 September and that: “The club remains under a player registration embargo.” It said a suspended six-point deduction applies should the club fail to comply with “as yet unspecified obligations”. The BBC has also reported that HMRC issued a winding-up petition over unpaid debts going back to April, since fully paid after a takeover by John O’Leary. No newer announcement was available at the time of writing.

The fixtures keep coming. Ebbsfleet are at Farnborough on Tuesday 3 November at 7.45pm, as the club put it, “the remorseless run of games continues”. They then host Chesham United on Saturday 7 November and visit Chelmsford City on Monday 9 November. The FA Trophy second round takes them to Farnham Town on Saturday 14 November, another all-South tie.

Farnborough are 16th on 17 points, having lost 5–0 at home to Horsham on Saturday. The first league defeat will test how Wright’s side respond over the coming week.