Steven King will ask Whitehawk for funds for new players as he bids to keep their promotion bid on track.

A weary Hawks side were ground to a 1-0 home defeat by leaders Ebbsfleet in Vanarama National League south yesterday.

King, whose men were sunk by Matt Godden’s 75th-minute goal, is particularly keen on extra options up front and in central defence.

But he admits it is tough to compete with bigger-budget sides such as Ebbsfleet, who look set to win the division helped by 31 points from their 11 away games to date.

The Hawks boss told The Argus: “I know we need a few bodies. I will have to ask the club whether it is going to happen.

“The players gave me everything. It just didn’t happen for us.

“I thought it was fine lines again. We had the better of the first half but couldn’t quite get that goal.

“Then they had more of the second half but they are a full-time side.

“You could see the tiredness in our lads. Ebbsfleet have more players to chose from and they can rotate.”

On this occasion Ebbsfleet only actually made one change to their Boxing Day line-up.

But they clearly had good options on their bench and did not even use John Paul Kissock, one of the central characters in Hawks’ play-off team last season.

King’s more immediate personnel problems will be eased when Eastbourne Borough visit on Saturday.

On-loan Craig Braham-Barrett, who was not allowed to play against his parent club yesterday, will return.

And King hopes centre-back Paul Lorraine, who was given a warm ovation by Ebbsfleet supporters as he took his place to watch his present club tackle the team he used to captain, will also be back.

Those will be timely returns because Hawks need a lift after this reverse to opponents who were not pretty to watch but who did a very effective job.

Ebbsfleet, whose set-up includes former Albion boss Steve Gritt as assistant manager, offered next to nothing in the first half.

But they had chosen to change ends and go down the slope in the second period and they made that count.

Craig Ross saved a hotly-disputed but tamely struck 62nd-minute spot kick by ex-Gillingham striker Danny Kedwell after substitute Anthony Cook had tumbled under the keeper’s challenge.

Godden fired a good chance wide before again getting in behind and putting the winner into an empty net after his initial lob over Ross had come back off a post.

Ebbsfleet had further chances on the break while Hawks, despite switching Sam Deering to a more central role, struggled to create.

But they almost sneaked a point in the 90th minute when Jordan Rose went forward for a free-kick and sent his header against a post with keeper Brandon Hall beaten.

“It would have been sneaking a point,” Rose agreed.

“In the second half they created quite a few chances and we were lucky really to only concede one.

The Argus:

Craig Ross saves Danny Kedwell's penalty

“It was a hard game. They played no football whatsoever but they gave us no time on the ball. They were a solid team with a good gameplan but it was disappointing to lose in the manner we did.”

Jake Robinson came closest to making the first-half breakthrough Hawks probably needed with the incline in their favour. He hooked the ball goalwards from a tight angle in only the tenth minute and Hall back-pedalled to tip it over.

Rose had a shot blocked from the resulting corner but it was not until late in the half that Hawks managed another little period of pressure, with Danny Mills having a shot held by Hall and another blocked in the goalmouth.

Hawks had only one first-half scare, when Rose saved well after Anthony Acheampong was left horribly unmarked at a free-kick. But Ebbsfleet stepped it up a gear after the break and that proved decisive.

Whitehawk: Ross; Arnold, Leacock, Rose, Sessegnon; Deering, Mendy (sub Neilson 68), Torres, Martin; Robinson, Mills. Subs not used: Stevens, Gotta, Moreno, Ngamvoulou.

Yellow cards: None.

Ebbsfleet: Hall; Fish, Clark, Acheampong, Pooley; Parkes, Rance, Lewis, Haynes (sub Cook 58); Kedwell, Godden (sub Osborn 88). Subs not used: Miles, Sheringham, Kissock.

Goal: Godden 75.

Yellow card: Acheampong (32) foul, Lewis (45) foul, Rance (50) foul, Cook (89) foul Referee: Justin Amey.

Attendance: 639.