Ashford United are one game away from promotion after a night of play-off drama at Hastings.

They trailed twice in the Bostik South East semi-final but fought back with goals from Jay May and Sam Corne.

The tie went to extra time and was settled by a Corne penalty in the 119th minute as Ashford set up a final against Horsham on Friday night.

May and Toby Ajala returned to the Ashford side having sat out the 5-0 win over Haywards Heath on Saturday, while Hastings' leading scorer Daniel Ajakaiye, a former Ashford player, was only on the bench.

The opening stages were predictably cagey with neither side wanting to make a mistake.

Bradley Stevenson, on loan from Gillingham, shot just wide for the hosts from outside the box although Danny Parish was inches away with a curling free-kick at the other end.

Both teams were guilty of squandering possession cheaply although Hastings were having slightly the better of things.

Davide Rodari controlled a throw-in and spun well but fired over, before the same player missed his kick in front of goal after the U's had caught Ashford napping by taking a quick free-kick down their left.

The visitors had two shots well-blocked by Hastings defenders inside the penalty area but May and Parish were getting little change out of the Hastings backline.

A minute before half-time, Hastings' patient approach almost paid dividends when they worked the ball into Rodari's feet and he had Sam Mott scrambling after stepping inside and arrowing a low shot just wide with his left foot.

It hadn't been much of a first half but the the semi-final exploded into life after the break.

Hastings struck first, Rodari converting Lanre Azeez's cutback after the ex-Ebbsfleet winger had skipped past a couple of players on a terrific run to the right-hand byline.

Jack Tucker, another Gills youngster, almost made it 2-0 straight away but Mott flew to his left and pulled off a good save to keep Ashford in the tie.

At the other end, Parish managed to escape Tucker's attentions near the corner flag, turning sharply and picking out May with a fine cross to the back post. May's initial header was clawed out by Charlie Horlock but the big centre-forward reacted quickest in the six-yard box to stab the loose ball home.

Back came Hastings though, Jack Dixon planting the ball into the net for a 2-1 lead after Laurent Mendy had done well to block his first effort.

But a fourth goal in the space of 19 minutes saw Ashford hit back once again when Corne craned his neck to head home Ajala's dinked cross from the left.

The pacy Ajakaiye entered the fray 20 minutes from time, giving Hastings a different option up front as the game began to really open up.

Good work down the right by Jerald Aboagye created a shooting chance for May, who was unmarked in the middle, and he must have been relieved to see the flag raised for offside after dragging his shot wide when he should at least have worked the goalkeeper.

Josh Wisson got his head to a left-wing cross as Ashford threatened a third goal but failed to get a good enough connection at the near post.

Tommy Warrilow sent on Trey Williams for the tiring May but neither side were able to snatch a winner before the end of the 90 minutes.

Dixon's long-range thunderbolt at the start of extra time forced another good save from Mott, who was then closed down by Azeez when a poor backpass sold him short. The ball ricocheted to Dixon, who took aim as Mott scrambled back, although yellow shirts threw themselves in front of the effort.

Hastings dominated the first extra period, with Azeez their danger man down the right, but Ashford's defence defended their box well.

And if anyone was going to win the tie late on, it was going to be Ashford, with Parish glancing a header wide after Bode Anidugbe had turned down a shooting opportunity and crossed the ball instead.

The two managers must have been thinking about their penalty takers with a minute left but when Parish got the wrong side of Gary Elphick, the defender dragged him down and Corne fired the spot-kick to Horlock's right to spark wild scenes among the travelling supporters.

Hastings: Horlock, Beale (Mongoy 120mins), Elphick, Rodari (Ajakaiye 69mins), Lovatt, Adams (Cruttwell 79mins), Tucker, Stevenson, Fielding, Azeez, Dixon. Subs not used: Black, Howlett-Mundle.

Ashford: Mott, Aboagye (McIntyre 115mins), Mendy, Wisson, Coker, Kamara, Corne, Anidugbe, Parish, May (Williams 83mins), Ajala. Subs not used: Hook, Munyama, Woodcock.

Attendance: 1,123.