Billingshurst blown away by ruthless Mile Oak

In gale force winds on the exposed Chalky Road pitch it was the hosts that adjusted to the conditions and eased to victory.

In doing so they inflicted Hurst with their heaviest defeat of the season and just their second reverse in nine league games.

The visitors had the wind advantage in the first half, but failed to take advantage of it and trailed 1-0 at the break owing to a badly defended corner.

Hurst, while pinning their opponents in, failed to really test home stopper Aaron Stenning after a string of wasted corners and set-pieces.

With Oak's first real foray forward they forced a point blank-save from Andy Barr. From the resulting corner an unmarked Harry Furnell angling his stooping header into the far corner.

It was a crucial lead considering what sort of wind the hosts were playing into with numerous goal-kicks from Stenning only just clearing the edge of his own 18-yard box.

With this in-mind, after some choice words at the break, the Hurst management team were expecting better game management, decision making and just some good passing in the second; they got little of it.

They trailed 2-0 on 55 minutes as the ball was moved to Bradley Donaldson on the right side of the box and his low effort took a huge deflection and rolled into the net.

Billingshurst attempted to push forwards and created a decent change for Archie Goddard, who miscued.

Inevitably gaps emerged at the other end. Central midfielder Zachary Haulkham found himself in plenty of space and with Barr off his line, sent a long range effort sailing home.

Hurst made a triple substitution which gave themselves some bite going forwards through Harry Smith, Tom Ingold and new signing Jack Reeves, but it was to be one of those days as Oak added a fourth through Chris Whittington, before Matt McAlpine limped off injured.

To compound a miserable day for the away side, Zak Kladis added another spectacular wind-assisted goal with a free kick from around 45 yards on the stroke of full-time.

Having read the riot act at full-time, manager Lee Spickett said: "I’m absolutely shell shocked by that display, or lack of display should I say.

"We’ve had to sit for 25 minutes at the end of the game and question players effort, and mental attitude towards games.

"Yes, the pitch is difficult to play, and yes conditions were extremely hard, but that was unacceptable from this group and the quality we have in this squad.

"We’re just not turning up prepared in certain games and I’m finding it frustrating."