Sutton United's Vanarama Conference South promotion aspirations suffered a psychological blow as they were humiliated at Ebbsfleet United on Saturday.

Having matched their hosts for the opening 20 minutes, boss Paul Doswell's men collapsed to a 3-0 defeat after conceding two goals in four minutes midway through the first half.

There wasn't much to choose between the sides early on, but even at this stage Ebbsfleet had the greater threat going forward and Charlie Sheringham should have given them an early lead when he hit the bar with a close range header from Matt Johnson's cross.

There was menace on both flanks, with Anthony Cook skipping over Kevin Amankwaah's challenge and bursting in to the penalty area before pulling a shot wide, while Sutton went closest early on when Jack Evans cut in from the right and hit a low left-footed shot just wide.

The game took its decisive turn midway through the half after Joe Howe combined with Johnson on the right before pulling the ball back for Billy Bricknell, whose mishit shot was matched by Charlie Clough's miscued clearance which sliced the ball across goal to where Cook was waiting to volley past Julian.

Four minutes later Bricknell turned neatly between defenders after U's had allowed Johnson's long throw to bounce in the penalty area, and tucked the ball past Julian to double the lead.

Sutton responded well, with Kuffour breaking through on the right and seeing his shot blocked in the six yard box by Howe, with Kane Haysman's shot from the rebound hitting Kenny Clark.

Dundas set up another chance for Kuffour as he knocked Amankwaah's long cross down, but goalkeeper Brandon Hall, who had at one stage looked as though he was going to be stranded out of position but who recovered to catch Kuffour's lob.

Evans sent a free kick just over after Dean Rance had been booked for impeding Dundas on the edge of the penalty area, and early in the second half whipped in another free kick from the left which Hall tipped over the bar.

But Sutton's bright start to the second half was stopped in its tracks as first Sheringham's header was cleared off the line by Evans, and then, when they failed to clear a cross from the right, Sheringham was left free in front of goal, and although Julian saved well he was unable to prevent Bricknell netting the rebound and repeating his two goal performance in the corresponding fixture last season.

Sutton's response was a triple substitution, including a return to United colours for Harry Osborne as he began a second spell on loan from Charlton, but although they kept looking for a way back the closest they came was when Clough headed wide at the far post from Matt Lockwood's cross.

Ebbsfleet felt able to take off Bricknell and centre back Anthony Acheampong, who had kept the threat of Dundas and Kuffour to a minimum.

But they could still have extended their lead before the end, with one electrifying run by Cook ending with a deep cross which Sheringham headed just over, and Julian brilliantly turning aside Sheringham's powerful shot and also denying substitute Matt Godden before Clark headed the rebound over the bar.

Sutton: A Julian, K Amankwaah, J Evans(sub M Lockwood 58), M Spillane, C Hart(sub H Osborne 58), C Clough, K Haysman, R Wellard, C Dundas, J Kuffour(sub N Bignall 58),D Binns. Subs n/u J Lawrence, T Lovelock. Booked: Clough (51-foul), Binns(87-foul).

Ebbsfleet: B Hall, J Howe, A Palmer, D McMahon, A Acheampong(sub S Huke 79), K Clark, M Johnson(sub C Sessegnon 83), D Rance,C Sheringham, B Bricknell(sub M Godden 67), A Cook. Subs n/u D Pooley, P Edwards. Goals: Cook (22), Bricknell (26,52). Booked: Rance (42-foul).

Referee: John O'Brien (Wimbledon Park) Attendance: 879