Lewes back on track

The Rooks were looking to recover from the disappointment of losing their season opener away to Staines on Saturday, and this was a result which proved to be the perfect tonic.

Both sides began brightly, but it was the home side that made all the inroads during a first period in which they dominated, with Simon Wormull orchestrating a superior Lewes attacking display.

So it was no surprise to see Wormull involved when the Rooks carved out their first clear-cut attempt on goal.

The veteran midfielder knocked the ball from a free kick to George Jones, who clipped over the Thurrock backline, only for Ross Sutton to mis-time his connection.

Lewes eventually found the net on 25 minutes when Jones was again involved in the build up.

The young winger fired in a neat cross from a free kick which was met ernestly by the head of Lewis Ide, thumping the ball past Andre Charles-Foster in the Thurrock goal.

It was a strike that only served to further whet the Rooks appetite for an attacking onslaught, and with Wormull’s effervescent play in the middle of the park possibilities were seemingly endless.

Ide could have netted a second close to half time, controlling superbly just inside the penalty area by flicking the ball over his head before narrowly chipping over the crossbar.

Steve Ibbitson’s side emerged for the second half in search of a second goal to further stabilise their position, and Wormull capped his man-of-the-match display with a stunning effort on 63 minutes.

In possession 40 yards out, the ex-Spurs trainee glanced up to see Charles-Foster lingering off his line and sent a perfectly weighted lob over the stranded stoppers head and into the back of the net.

It was a goal which should have buried the game as a contest, but Cliff Akurang had other ideas and bagged a gift of a goal for Thurrock to put the visitors right back in, slotting home from close range after both Lewes centre halves had failed to deal with the stocky striker authoritatively.

The Rooks then survived a late scare when Kenny Clark rattled one of Chris Winterton’s posts, and held on for a well earned three points.

Manager Ibbitson said: “I was very pleased with the way that we played, especially with the injuries that we got and it’s really nice to get the three points under our belt.

“But we swithced off for their goal. It was disappointing that at 2-0 and I wouldn’t say cruising, we let them back into the game.”

Lewes host Basingstoke tomorrow (Saturday) before travelling to Woking on Tuesday.

ROOKS: Winterton; Barness (sub Leach 46), Pearson, Manning, Cobbs; Jones (sub Murphy 84), Breach, Ide, Sutton (sub Lang 70); Wormull, Gradwell. Subs not used: Rivers, Hopkinson.