Lewes were on the wrong end of two poor decisions as their two-match winning run came to an end with a 2-1 defeat Ebbsfleet.

Referee Stuart Burt awarded a free-kick against Chris Breach in first-half stoppage time which presented the home side with an equaliser.

He then denied Lewes a penalty in the second half when Luke Rooney appeared to be brought down.

Both decisions looked harsh on the Rooks, who turned in one of their best footballing displays of the season against an Ebbsfleet side desperate for a win to ensure their survival.

The Rooks made two changes to the team that beat Weymouth on Saturday. Geoff Banks-Smith and Grant Hall dropped out with Josh Jirbandey and Ryan Storrie returning to the starting line-up.

With skipper Danny Cullip still suspended, Jirbandey came in at centre-back with Anthony Barness switching to right-back.

There was a worrying moment for Ebbsfleet in the 14th minute when Darius Charles bundled over Tim Rivers as he appeared to be in behind the defence but the home skipper escaped with a booking.

Lewes were more than a measure for their opponents at this stage, restricting Ebbsfleet to a single chance for Michael West which Rikki Banks held easily.

The Rooks threatened to break the deadlock on 34 minutes through Breach, the scorer of their winner against Weymouth on Saturday. Michael Standing sent over a teasing free-kick from the right which Breach directed just wide of the far post with a diving header.

Ebbsfleet made a change on 36 minutes, taking off former Crawley defender Sacha Opinel who looked in danger of a red card after three fouls on David Wheeler.

A minute later Rooney threaded a pass in behind the defence for Rivers who miscued a shot past the near upright.

Lewes were creating the more chances and Rooney had a 20-yard effort touched over the bar by goalkeeper Lance Cronin.

The pressure paid off four minutes before the break when Standing delivered a corner from the right which Jirbandey met at the near post with a right-foot volley into the top corner.

In the third minute of injury time Breach was penalised right on the edge of the penalty area when it looked like he had been fouled. Rashid Yussuff's free-kick came back off the wall but he buried the rebound low into the bottom corner.

Lewes were forced into a change at half-time with Ben Osborn replacing the injured Joe Keehan and they lost Breach on a stretcher three minutes into the restart following a challenge with Michael Gash.

Grant Hall's arrival meant they now had seven teenagers on the pitch but they continued to push forward and were unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty when Rooney appeared to be chopped down.

Ebbsfleet had more luck with a penalty decision on 71 minutes when Sam Fisk was adjudged to have brought down Guiseppe Sole. Fisk was booked and Sole tucked away the spot-kick.

The hosts shut up shop after that and Lewes could not force an equaliser despite six minutes of stoppage time.

Lewes: Banks; Barness, Jirbandey, Breach (sub Hall 52), Fisk; Wheeler, Standing, Keehan (sub Osborn 46), Rooney, Storrie; Rivers (sub Sutton 79). Subs not used: Foreman, Bell.

Ebbsfleet: Cronin; Stevens, Crooks, Charles, Opinel (sub Pooley 36); Yussuff, West (sub Sole 59), Ricketts, Long; Gash (sub Ibe 88), Shakes. Subs not used: Purcell, Mott.

Referee: Stuart Burt (Northampton).