Ashford United manager Craig Stone sees skipper Gary Lockyer’s patience rewarded with late equaliser against Jersey Bulls

Gary Lockyer’s patience was rewarded with his late goal for Ashford last weekend.

Skipper Lockyer scored an 88th-minute bicycle-kick equaliser as the Nuts & Bolts earned a 1-1 draw against Jersey Bulls.

The Nuts & Bolts dominated possession against an away side who sat in and allowed them to have the ball.

But they were facing defeat after conceding from a second-half corner until Lockyer’s late show.

Ashford boss Craig Stone had spoken to his captain at half-time about the need to stay in the box and not go looking for the ball - a conversation that paid off.

“Gary was frustrated because we’d had loads and loads of possession but our entries into the 18-yard box weren’t where they needed to be,” said Stone, who takes Ashford to Crowborough this Saturday (3pm).

“We spoke about that and I spoke to Gary individually and said I know it’s going to be frustrating but if you stay around the 18-yard box, a chance will come.

“He only needs one or two chances and he will score and that proved the case with his goal.

“He was in the right place at the right time, it dropped to him, he took a touch and just instinctively bicycle-kicked it into the far corner.

“The moment he didn’t stay in the 18-yard box will be the one where he kicks himself because the chance would come and he wouldn’t be there.

“That’s what we said to him and credit to him because he could have easily got frustrated and gone in different places himself to find the ball.

“But he stayed where he needed to, it took until the 88th minute before he got his chance, but he took it well.”

Ashford enjoyed 70 per cent possession in the first half and 73 per cent in the second half.

Stone took Jersey’s approach as a compliment to his side.

“Apparently their manager said