The defeat leaves them still needing something from their trip to bottom-of-the-table and already relegated Leyton next Saturday.

Hastings looked as though they might secure their status against a Rams side in the hunt for the final play-off place and were up 2-1 with less than half-an-hour remaining, but two well-struck free kicks by substitute Stuart King turned the match on its head.

The visitors thought they had opened the scoring on nine minutes but Nick Davis' volleyed finish was ruled offside.

The U's looked very bright and after Steve Elliott had stung the fingers of goalkeeper Paul Wilkerson from 30 yards Sam Adams went close with a shot which looped agonisingly beyond the far post.

The Rams opened the scoring five minutes before half time when the normally dependable Rhys Whyborne - named the supporters' club's joint player of the year with Ade Olorunda before kick-off - missed a long ball and Dean Hill set up Warren Schulz for a simple finish.

Hastings were back on level terms within nine minutes of the start of the second half courtesy of an Adams penalty awarded for a tug on Russell Eldridge.

Olorunda put them ahead for the first time after 62 minutes with a stabbed shot which beat the dive of Wilkerson and nestled in the bottom corner of the net.

Ramsgate were back on level terms not long after when King unleashed a spectacular free kick which from 25 yards appeared to take a slight deflection before crashing into the roof of the net.

King struck again 10 minutes from time from another deadly set piece although Hastings were probably justified in feeling hard done by after being penalised for handball on the edge of their own box.