Lewes 3-0 Burgess Hill

The Rooks run riot in the sun on bank holiday Monday in front of a roaring Dripping Pan crowd.

Lewes continued their strong start to the season with a sensational second half performance against Sussex rivals Burgess Hill.

After their opening day defeat to Hashtag United at The Dripping Pan, the Rooks bounced back with three consecutive victories on the road to Carshalton and Welling. This was followed with a 2-1 win against Potters Bar Town.

Newly promoted Burgess Hill have had a mixed start to their first season in the Isthmian Premier league since 2019. Jay Lovett’s side have collected 7 points from a possible 12 in the league so far.

The first half was an even affair but Burgess Hill were more dominant with the ball. The Hillians forced well-timed blocks from Jake Burchell and Ian Gayle.

Lewes had a big shout for a penalty after a pull of the shirt which was waved away by referee Jake Woodman. The Rooks best chance of the first half came when Charlie Walker’s free kick whooshed over the bar.

Lewes manager Bradley Pitchard was clearly unhappy with the lack of possession the Rooks had in the first half. So, he made two changes to the midfield. Philippines International Mark Swainston replaced Mark Chadwick whilst Devonte West replaced Arezki Hamouchene .

Lewes broke the deadlock on the 47th minute. Ian Gayle leaped and smashed a bullet header into the net to give the Rooks the lead.

This goal gave the Rooks momentum. In the first half the Hillians were playing out from the back very well but Lewes weren’t pressing very well meaning Burgess Hill could break the lines ieasily. However, the half time break immediately saw a more energetic Lewes side.

Lewes extended the lead on the 72nd minute from another corner. This time Kaan Bennett headed home from Jabri Christmas’ corner.

Bennett was a constant threat in the second half who Burgess Hill found very difficult to deal with.

Lewes sealed the victory in the 86th minute when substitute Bille Clark ran through the Burgess Hill midfield and slotted in fellow substitute Walter Figueria who found the net with a composed finish into the bottom-right hand corner.

This victory marked Lewes’ fourth win a row in the Isthmian Premier League and means they are now sitting in fourth position. Lewes will look to bring this momentum into their FA cup clash with Flackwell Heath this Saturday.

Burgess Hill are also in FA cup action this weekend and have a trip to Wokingham. The Hillians will be looking to book their place in the second qualifying round of the FA cup after back-to-back defeats over the August bank holiday weekend.