Lewes answered their critics who said they did not take their chances and lacked goal hungry forwards with a crushing win over Sutton Valence. The hosts were desperate to win to keep alive feint hopes of getting into the relegation play offs but this defeat means they are automatically relegated. Lewes stay in seventh place with an outside chance of getting up to fifth if they win their final match and results go in their favour.

A change of formation up front paid dividends for Lewes who opened the scoring after five minutes after good work by James Fuller who slipped the ball for Gaston Golstein to beat the last defender before smashing the ball home from an acute angle. They doubled the lead soon after when the tireless Matt Clark pounced from close range to score from a rebound off the goalkeeper. It was 3-0 within another two minutes when interplay by the forwards saw Golstein play David Roberts in and his shot went into the roof of the goal. Lewes made it 4-0 after twenty minutes when Golstein tapped the ball home from close range after a goalmouth melee. Five minutes before half time Lewes scored their best goal after an interchange of passing starting with Alex Warner from the back and finishing with Golstein scoring Lewes’s fifth and his hat trick. Just on half time it was 6-0 when Golstein set up Roberts at the far post.

In the second half Lewes continued to dominate and won a penalty corner in the opening minute and Matt Rickson scored from a rebound to make it 7-0. Sutton Valence did have opportunities but the Lewes back four of skipper Matt Needle, Rickson, Warner and Connor Zimmerman supported by good saves from goalkeeper Josh Pewter ensured a clean sheet.

Mid way through the half Chris Spruce scored slotting home a rebound off the goalkeeper following a penalty corner to score the eighth and the final ninth goal came with ten minutes to go when a good passing move saw Golstein score his fourth and wrap up Lewes’s most convincing win of the season. Skipper Needle said ‘This was our best and most clinical performance of the season. We have not converted enough of the chances we have created during the season but on Saturday I cannot praise the midfield and forwards enough for their hard work and methodical finishing.‘

Lewes’s final league match is away on Saturday against Old Georgians who are just above them in the league.