Ashford United 4 Ramsgate 2 match report: Two-goal Gary Lockyer helps Nuts & Bolts all but secure second-placed finish in Isthmian South East with win at Homelands

Hitman Gary Lockyer helped Ashford all but secure a second-placed finish as they beat Ramsgate 4-2 on Easter Saturday.

Two-goal Lockyer and Tommie Fagg scored in the first half of the Isthmian South East contest for Tommy Warrilow’s men, with Ben Fitchett netting for the Rams, before Mamadou Diallo struck after the restart.

Late on, substitute Karn Miller-Neave did get a late second consolation goal for the Rams.

It was a must-win match for the sixth-placed visitors in their play-off bid, with Herne Bay having won the previous day at Sittingbourne to leave the Rams five points behind, but second-placed Nuts & Bolt drew first blood at Homelands in front of a crowd of 560.

Fagg was left unmarked from a sixth-minute corner and he headed past away goalkeeper Jacob Russell for his 11th goal of the season.

But eight minutes later, Steve Lovell’s Rams levelled. An Ashley Miller corner was expertly flicked past keeper Jordan Carey by Fitchett with their first clear-cut opportunity.

Josh Ajayi drove at the Nuts & Bolts backline in the 15th minute, his cross-cum-shot just evading frontman Miller.

Ramsgate’s tails were now up and Carey had to be alert to beat away top scorer Ajayi’s effort.

Midway through the first period, Ramsgate’s William Hoare became the first player in the book for a foul on Fagg.

That set-piece eventually fell to top scorer Lockyer but he stabbed narrowly wide of Russell’s right-hand post.

But in the 25th minute, Ashford won a penalty when referee Nick Dunn adjudged Lockyer had been fouled by Jerald Aboagye. Lockyer’s effort bounced off the post before it went in.

A brilliant run from Adem Ramaden through the midfield then presented Lockyer with a fine chance for Ashford, however he failed to hit the target