Ramsgate striker Joe Taylor is relishing one of the closest Isthmian South East title races in years.

Long-time leaders Rams dropped to second place last week, with Cray Valley going a point clear.

The Millers remain unbeaten, edging in front of Ben Smith’s side after finally catching up on multiple games in hand.

There’s everything to play for in the final 12 matches of the season, with the sides due to meet at Southwood in April.

Taylor, the Rams’ 36-goal leading scorer, said: “It looks like a two-horse race although, saying that, there’s still a couple of teams who could make their way into it. It’s exciting.

“Normally, when a team have lots of games in hand, everyone normally says, ‘They’ve got to win them, I’d rather have the points’.

“To be honest, it’s not worth looking at the table until it all levels out and fair play to Cray Valley because they’ve kept winning and when we’ve dropped points, they’ve gained points.”

Taylor played under Millers boss Steve McKimm during a brief spell at Tonbridge and has stayed in touch with him.

He added: “They’ve got a good side and a good manager, and so have we.

“It’s no surprise to see we’re the two teams at the top of the table. I’ve got a lot of respect for Steve.

“He’s one of my old managers and I know a lot of their players.

“I wasn’t with him for long at Tonbridge but he’s someone I’ve kept in touch with, which shows you what type of man he is and how well respected he is.

“He’s a good person and I still talk to him from time to time.

“They’re unbeaten and we’re one point behind, which shows you how good they are and how good we are.

“Usually there’s one breakaway team but it’s not like that.

“I’ve won this league with Cray Wanderers and we were miles better than everyone else.

“Folkestone and Hastings were also the same, and that’s how it’s been recently.

“It’s quite unusual to be happening this way where two or three teams are still in it.

“Consistency is going to be key. Cray always seem to manage to pick up points and if they keep doing that, it’s going to be hard to take it off them.

“But from our point of view, if we can find our consistency again, and we’ve got to play them at home, then I fancy us.

“We’ve had a bad run recently where we’ve dropped too many points but we’ve had lots of injuries and boys leaving and a lot of new boys coming in.

“It was an unsettling period but we won our last game and we had a couple of good sessions either side of that and I feel we’re starting to turn a corner with our new players.

“We just need to build our consistency and our confidence back.

“If we do that, I’d be putting my money on us if I were a betting man.”

Taylor needs two more goals for his best-ever season and is closing in on Mick Williamson’s all-time Ramsgate record.

“I haven’t scored in my last three games, which is a drought for me,” said Taylor.

“It’s weird to say that but that’s how well things have gone for me in the last few years.

“I need to go at more than one a game to get 50 but if we get back to our attacking football, I can do it.

“If I don’t, then 40’s not a bad number to get it, is it?

“We’re having a great season and we set high standards.

“If you go three games without scoring or you don’t win 10 games in a row, people start digging you out as having bad form.

“To be honest, I wouldn’t have it any other way because you’re at a club that’s playing for something.

“You don’t want to be in mid-table with nothing to play for – you want to be playing for titles.

“Every striker gets stick but the best strikers get the most stick. I’m used to it.

“When we go away I get a lot of opposition fans giving me stick. I’d be worried if they weren’t.”

Rams host Ashford in a Kent derby at Southwood this Saturday (3pm).