Leon puts record straight

Victory came thanks to young former Hailsham player Leon Legge '“ out of favour in recent weeks '“ as he rose to power in a magnificent header from Dean Brennan's superb swerving and dipping corner in the 73rd minute. It was tough luck on Borough goalkeeper Lee Hook, who seconds earlier had somehow pawed away Brennan's powerful 20-yarder for the corner when it had looked a certain goal.

Legge was booked for ungentlemanly conduct as he celebrated with Lewes fans alongside the Philcox Stand.

The Rooks thought they had gone ahead in the 52nd minute when Jean-Michel Sigere's low shot cracked in off Hook's far post, but their joy was shortlived as Middlesex referee Marvin Thompson ruled it out for offside against Craig Watkins.

The official said later: 'It was deflected in by a Lewes player who was standing in an offside position. I told him that if he hadn't touched it the goal would have stood.'

It was a busy afternoon for Mr Thompson, who booked six players in a full-blooded derby game low on quality but in which tackles flew in thick and fast.

Borough, who totally dominated the first half, thought they had a spotkick on 27 minutes when Legge felled Mark Corneille. The linesman flagged for a penalty but Mr Thompson overruled him and gave a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area.

Lewes manager Steve King made three changes from the team beaten at Borough, with Legge joining Steve Robinson, back from suspension, in central defence and Paul Kennett returning from injury in midfield. The injured Max Hustwick, Jay Lovett and Morgaro Gomis dropped out.

Borough were missing Scott Ramsay and Danny Simmonds through injury while Dean Cox was on the substitute's bench for Brighton at Southampton.

Stuart Tuck returned, and Borough manager Garry Wilson decided to play the speedy and combative Yemi Odubade as a lone striker.

Even so, Borough bossed the first half when the Rooks had just one shot on goal, an Amos Foyewa effort that went 15 yards wide.

Foyewa, carrying an injury, had a nightmare half down the right side, and with no outlet on the left as Dean Hopper could make little impact Borough broke swiftly from defence and gave Lewes problems on both flanks.

Former Rook Anthony Storey was pulling the strings in midfield, but fortunately a number of threatening situations and corners produced very little in front of goal.

The one dangerous moment came on 29 minutes when a corner bounced out to Matt Smart. He drove in a powerful shot that Rooks's goalkeeper dived left to push away for a brilliant save.

Storey was wide with two efforts before Hooper and Djoumin Sangare were booked for fouls with Lewes under constant pressure.

Watched by a crowd of 1,193 including former coach Gary Elphick '“ who is currently taking a rest from the game but admits to 'beginning to get itchy feet' '“ Lewes looked a different team after the break.

Borough had been engaged in a 3-3 draw with Maidenhead on a heavy pitch on Saturday while the Rooks's game at Eastleigh was postponed, and it showed in the visitors's legs in the second half.

Manager King said afterwards the plan had been to not play too much football in the first half and wait for the Borough legs to tire after an hour. In the event it worked perfectly.

Lewes attacked Borough time and again, with Brennan firing in some fine crosses from the right, but no Rooks's player could get on the end of them.

Sigere saw his effort ruled out, Storey went into the book for a foul while Craig Watkins, on a three-month loan from Exeter, saw a 30-yarder go just wide.

On 65 minutes manager King pulled off Watkins and Foyewa and sent on Manny Omoyinmi and Craig Watts, fit again after a lengthy injury spell.

The move stretched Borough across the pitch for the first time in the match and paid off as Lewes man of the match Legge came up with his wonderful goal eight minutes later.

Odubade was then booked for a foul on goalkeeper Paul Wilkerson, who required lengthy treatment. Harsh words were exchanged between the benches though the referee declined to take any action unlike at Priory Lane when King and his assistant Stuart Cash were asked to leave the dugout.

Omoyinmi blasted wide after good work by Sigere before Borough hauled off Joe Keehan, a two-goal scorer on Boxing Day, and Corneille, with Danny Marney and Loui Fazakerly replacing them.

The switch almost paid off as Borough went on the attack for the first time in many minutes and Odubade's pace saw Robinson make an untidy challenge. Fortunately Wilkerson was on hand to turn his shot for a corner.

And in the final seconds Borough's Ben Austin was just over with a rasping drive.

Lewes: Wilkerson, Sangare, Hooper, Kennett, Robinson, Legge, Foyewa (Watts), Brennan, Watkins (Omoyinmi), Sigere, Harkin.