THE brave Blues saw their Wembley dream die as they were knocked out of the FA Trophy at the second-round stage.

Neil Young’s men matched their higher-ranked opponents for most of a pulsating afternoon at Stonebridge Road but were unable to force the replay their efforts deserved.

Calum Willock and Yado Mambo put the Blue Square Premier hosts in control before man-of-the-match Matty McNeil gave the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League Premier Division table-toppers hope.

That hope had seemingly been extinguished when Ricky Shakes restored Ebbsfleet’s two-goal lead. Chester were not finished yet, though, and the returning Jamie Rainford struck to set up a grandstand finish.

The Blues were the better side in the early stages, forcing a number of corners and having a strong penalty appeal waived away when George Horan appeared to be dragged down in the box.

It therefore came against the run of play when the 2008 winners opened the scoring in the 27th minute through Willock, who was given the time and space to head home a left-wing corner whipped into the near post by Tom Phipp.

Prized asset Michael West, who is being tracked by a string of Championship clubs, should have doubled Ebbsfleet’s advantage almost immediately.

The midfielder fired wide when through on goal and was nearly made to pay when Rainford latched on to Matty McGinn’s through pass and saw his first-time effort turned away by Preston Edwards.

John Danby was then forced into serious action for the first time, saving well from Nathaniel Pinney after the striker capitalized on Michael Taylor’s slip, as Liam Daish’s team finished the first half strongly.

Ebbsfleet, playing their first full match since Boxing Day, continued in the ascendency after the restart.

Danby made another excellent stop, this time from Willock, before Mambo blazed over with the goal at his mercy.

But the on-loan Charlton Athletic defender made amends in the 55th minute when he rose highest to nod in West’s well-flighted free kick into the area.

Chester’s cause had not been helped by the loss of McGinn and the lively Jerome Wright to injury.

But roared on by an inspirational away support, they battled back and halved the deficit in the 62nd minute through the ever-impressive McNeil.

Moments earlier Levi Mackin had headed against the bar. The veteran striker was not to be denied, however, as he stooped low to brilliantly to head in substitute Alex Brown’s inswinging free kick.

Back came the Kent outfit and three minutes later sub Shakes smashed home from close range after captain Horan had cleared off the line from Pinney.

A fourth goal of a frantic 17-minute spell followed in the 72nd minute when a cross to the back post from Wright’s replacement Iain Howard fell to Rainford, whose 16-yard drive deflected past Edwards and spun into the bottom corner.

The Blues piled forward in search of an equaliser. Brown looped an acrobatic volley on to the roof of the net before sub Michael Wilde sent an instinctive strike straight at Edwards.

Ebbsfleet also had their opportunities in a barnstorming end to the game, most notably when Pinney skied over from 10 yards after Danby had saved from West.

But they had already done enough to book their place in the last 16 and leave Chester to think what might have been.

Ebbsfleet: Edwards, Stone, Lorraine, Mambo, Howe, Phipp, Marwa, Barrett (Shakes 38), West, Willock, Pinney. Subs: Herd, Simpemba, Azeez, Darvill.

Goals: Willock 27, Mambo 55, Shakes 65.

Chester: Danby, Brownhill, Horan, Taylor, McGinn (Brown 46), Sarcevic (Wilde 67), Smith, Mackin, Wright (Howard 46), Rainford, McNeil. Subs: Simm, Judge.

Booked: Smith.

Goals: McNeil 62, Rainford 72.

Referee: Tim Robinson (Bognor Regis).

Attendance: 1,387.