A relatively bullish start from the Rooks ended in the all-too familiar spectacle this season of capitulation, with visitors Rushden & Diamonds cutting through the Lewes defence seemingly at will in the second half.
Goals from Daryl Clare and Chris Hope - and a brace from Leon Knight - condemned Lewes to another depressingly one-sided defeat.

And with Setanta's television cameras beaming the events live to at least part of the nation, segments of the crowd chose the moment to let manager Keehan know that they had seen enough.

Chants of "Keehan out", "Sack the Board" and "Steven King's Barmy Army" rang out across the ground as the goals rained in at the Terry Parris Stand end.

It was the first time this season that understandable disappointment amongst fans at Lewes's poor start to the season had risen to such vociferous attacks on the man brought in to replace King in such controversial circumstances at the beggining of the summer.

What gave the atmosphere of disaffection all the more poignancy for the under-fire Keehan was that King himself was watching from the stands. Setanta's innovative approach to covering football includes live interviews with both sides' managers - and experts in the stand - as the action unfolds. And as pitchside interviewer Rebecca Lowe sought the views of King in The Rookery, so another of Rushden & Diamonds' goals went in, adding to the ire of the pockets of angry fans at the Dripping Pan.

It was impossible not to suspect that at least some of the vocal dissent aimed at Keehan was at least in part for the benefit of the TV cameras. As Lowe approached Keehan at pitchside to obtain his perspective on the disappointing second half fare, so a group of around a dozen irate fans began chanting for his dismissal with full gusto - presumably to garner maximum humilation for the Rooks boss and the Lewes directors who appointed him in place of the most successful ever Rooks boss - King - and his superb championship-winning squad of 2007/08. Who DOESN'T wish that squad were fighting in the Blue Square Premier now?

Many of those directors were sitting not far to the left of this observer's view in the Press benches - and as the chants grew ever louder and more animated, so their hackles rose ever further.

The rights and wrongs of last Spring's developments had, of course, been thrashed out in the most emotive terms in the weeks after King's departure. But as the new season drew ever nearer, a consensus had grown amongst fans - and indeed journalists - of "what's done is done and we move on". That uneasy peace was abruptly ended tonight.

Whether it can be regained remains to be seen. Lewes now have the best part of a week-and-a-half before their next game, a crunch meeting with fellow strugglers Altrincham, just above the Rooks in the Blue Square Premier. That may buy Keehan vital time to - in his words - "beg, steal or borrow" much needed reinforcements to his struggling squad. It should certainly - touch wood - allow his captain Danny Cullip sufficient time to recover from a hamstring injury and forge, hopefully - if briefly - an obdurate partnership at the centre of Lewes's defence with former Albion colleague Kerry Mayo at the heart of the defence (Mayo, on a month's long loan in from Brighton made his Lewes debut this evening). Heaven knows they need one. Desperate defending in the air was the root cause of each of the four goals conceded by Lewes tonight - and another drubbing at the hands of Altrincham could prove fatal to Keehan's hopes of a long and healthy tenure at the Dripping Pan.

Keehan may have his failings - his much-heralded lack of managerial experience at this or any level above the Sussex County Football League is not open for debate. And this challenge may prove a step too far for him.

But all of the sports writers who have had dealings with him this season will tell you he is a decent, honest and honourable man. And he is trying his best to rebuild a squad from scratch that won't just flatter to deceive before leaking four or five - but one that might, just might, keep Lewes Football Club in this division. This observer hopes he does succeed, not just for the obvious good of this great, if not-so-little-anymore football club, but because he IS a decent man. Of course, decent alone doesn't cut it in the cut-and-thrust world of football management - there's always an out of work manager around the corner to fill your shoes, isn't there?

On the subject of decent men, the most distressing moment for this observer on what turned out to be a distressing night for Lewes FC was the vision of Rooks legend, record appearance holder, former manager and once again chairman Terry Parris feeling the need to leave his seat as the chanting grew ever louder. Parris moved to the gangway behind the main stand, hands clenched and trembling with emotion and, perhaps, anger (although if it was anger, he'd never show it as he's too much of a gentleman) as his beloved club was embarrassed, if not shamed, by the chanting and jeering being viewed and relished by 150,000 or so armchair fans.

If you want Keehan out, you're well within your rights to ask as much. After all, you pay good money to watch his team fail. Just don't drag the club Terry loves through the mud on national TV while you're doing it.

PS. The chap making the most noise about wanting Keehan out was standing in the front row, just yards to the right of the Lewes dug-out - well within earshot of all inside. As he grew in confidence at the noble or otherwise stand he was taking (with a captured audience all around him), he attempted to launch into a soliloquy - at which point he tripped over his tongue quite majestically, prompting shouts of "Sit down" and "Shut up" from the previously quiet spectators around him. Perhaps the majority of Lewes fans don't want Keehan out just yet after all?

Log on later on Friday for a match report and comments from Kevin Keehan.

What do you think of Brian Pollard's views? Leave your comments below.