Ascot United’s plight deepened as they suffered a sixth straight defeat at promotion-chasing Moneyfields.
The Yellamen were a goal down inside three minutes when Kieran Alcock crossed for Alfie Bridgman to head home.
Adam Payce on a loose ball to fire into the top right-hand corner at the second attempt to make it 2-0 in the eleventh minute.
But Ascot somehow dragged themselves level with goals in the 27th and 34th minutes; firstly when Harry Rice’s spot-kick found its way past ‘keeper Malachi Owusu – who got a hand to it – before the same player levelled it when he raced onto an underhit back-pass and rolled into an empty net.
But the initial hope of a turnaround were all-but-extinguished before half time as Jack Lumsden glanced home before Tom Cain scored another header in first-half injury time.
Bridgman’s fine strike soon after the restart made it 5-2 before completing his hat-trick in the 52nd minute with a tap-in to make it 6-2.
Ascot limited the damage after this point, and debutant Lucas Wynn grabbed a consolation in stoppage time after Kamaron English had cut the ball back.
The Yellamen have now failed to win any of their last thirteen games and have conceded 34 goals in the process, leaving them five points from safety and with their destiny firmly out of their own hands ahead of Tuesday night’s trip to seventh-placed Harrow Borough, who are joint-top of the form table on points earnt from their last six.