Lowestoft – forced to play with just 10 men for most of the game – saw their hard work undone within four second-half minutes.

Having seen Jake Reed head just over from Jacek Zielonka’s free-kick, Lowestoft were dealt a hammer blow with just 12 minutes on the clock, when Rory McAuley’s underhit pass was seized upon by Tom Derry who fell under Dean Leacock’s challenge – and the referee immediately produced his red card.

Despite being a man short Lowestoft were still looking dangerous, with both McAuley and Reed going close, but at the other end Ben Dudzinski saved bravely at the feet of Collins.

It was Lowestoft who opened the scoring in the 35th minute. Reed was proving a thorn in the home defence all afternoon and another foul on him gave Lowestoft a free-kick a couple of yards outside the area. Ollie Humphrey changed flanks to take the kick which curled over the defence and inside the near post.

Lack of concentration gifted Kingstonian an equaliser within a minute as their best player, Jerome Frederico sent in a cross from the right which went across the face of goal to be turned in at the far post by Kane Haysman.

Lowestoft were thankful to Dudzinski for two top-class saves in as many minutes as he pushed a close-range volley onto the bar and then went full length to turn Taylor’s effort onto the post.

Lowestoft made the ideal start to the second period by taking the lead inside two minutes. Reed pounced onto Thompson’s poor control and raced into the penalty area and as he took the ball round Aaron Goode the defender brought him down. Reed blasted the spot-kick high into the net.

Lowestoft came under more pressure, Dudzinski producing a series of outstanding saves.

But the game turned in the 74th minute with the introduction of the massive frame of striker Ricky Sappleton, who won the game for the Ks inside four minutes. His 76th-minute header came back off the bar, with following up to score from close range.

Two minutes later another cross found Sappleton and his header looped back over Dudzinski.