GOALKEEPER Stuart Moore played a starring role as Basingstoke Town reached the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup with a come-from-behind victory at Ebbsfleet United on Saturday.

Chris Flood and Liam Enver-Marum got the goals as Town hit back to win the game in the closing stages, having gone behind to Charlie Sheringham’s strike.

However, it was Moore who stole the show, the young Reading loanee pulling off a string of fantastic saves to keep the visitors in the tie.

For the first time in a number of games, Basingstoke manager Jason Bristow was forced to make changes to his side. With Simon Dunn and Manny Williams both missing through injury, Jamie Brown and Andrew Jenkinson came into the Town midfield, with four youth team players named on the bench.

The visitors made a lively start but Moore was called into action for the first time on four minutes, saving from Sheringham. Billy Bricknell rattled the crossbar with the rebound, but the flag was up for offside.

The Town goalkeeper was back in action on 11 minutes, somehow tipping Bricknell’s angled effort over the crossbar, while Sheringham and Anthony Cook both fired off-target as the hosts piled on the pressure.

Nathan Smart almost turned Matt Johnson’s cross into his own net as Ebbsfleet dominated, while Moore was called upon again soon after, denying Sheringham from close range.

Home captain Daryl McMahon was next to be denied by the young goalkeeper, who kept out his low free-kick and then made another good save to keep out Johnson’s header.

When Moore was finally beaten six minutes before the break, the post came to Town’s rescue, McMahon seeing another free-kick come back off the upright.

A free-kick at the other end gave Town their first real chance, Flood forcing a good save out of Brandon Hall, while Brown’s header from the resulting corner was parried to safety by the home goalkeeper.

Ebbsfleet continued to create chances after the break. Bricknell shot straight at Moore and McMahon hit the side-netting before they finally broke the deadlock on 52 minutes, Sheringham heading home from close range after Moore had pulled off another top save to keep out Dean Rance’s effort.

Town could have crumbled, but they fought back and levelled out of nothing 20 minutes later, Flood hammering an excellent shot beyond Hall from 25 yards.

Ebbsfleet nearly replied immediately, but Bricknell failed to hit the target with a clear opportunity after good work from Cook.

Town looked more of a threat and Enver-Marum felt he should have had a penalty when he went down in the area, but the referee waved play on, while Ebbsfleet substitute Matt Godden saw his effort deflected into the side netting.

The visitors scored what proved to be the winner on 83 minutes. Tom Bird’s corner was cut out but the ball found its way back out to the left-back and his second cross found an unmarked Enver-Marum, who directed a well-placed header into the corner of the net.

There was still time for Moore to pull off one more save, diving to his right to keep out McMahon’s long range effort, while the hosts ended the game with 10 men, Joe Howe seeing red for a lunging challenge on Town substitute Lloyd Macklin.

Click here to see a post-match interview with Basingstoke Town manager Jason Bristow

Basingstoke Town: Moore, Smart (sub Rice 45min), Bird, Soares, Gasson, Ray, Brown, McAuley, Enver-Marum, Flood, Jenkinson (sub Macklin 67min). Subs (not used): Argent, Hallahan, Jones, Vawake, Stubbs.

Ebbsfleet United: Hall, Howe, Palmer, McMahon, Acheampong, Huke, Johnson (sub Godden 75min), Rance, Sheringham, Bricknell, Cook. Subs (not used): Clark, Edwards, Corcoran, Sessegnon, Sanderson, Mazzone.

Attendance: 958