Siggy on target for winning Rooks

Steve King's team had gone behind in the 17th minute in similar bizarre circumstances when goalkeeper Paul Wilkerson hesitated in attempting to clear a back pass and kicked it against Josh Scott. The ball rebounded across goal and the striker was handed a tap-in.

But The Rooks were behind for only seconds as at the other end Mo Harkin sent in a high cross, goalkeeper Wells was caught in no man's land and Jean-Michel Sigere headed into the corner of the net.

Hayes had much of the play in the opening 15 minutes, but from then on Lewes dominated though the first touch was sometimes a lottery on a pitch that passed a mid-afternoon inspection after lingering frost had put the match in jeopardy at lunchtime.

Watched by former Crawley manager Francis Vines and a crowd of 356, Lewes were guilty of some suicidal back passes in the opening half and were fortunate on a couple of occasions not to concede a goal.

Manager King recalled Morgaro Gomis to midfield in place of the injured Paul Kennett, while Jay Lovett and Max Hustwick took over from Mark Wright and Djoumin Sangare from the team beaten by Weymouth.

Hayes were at their liveliest in the opening minutes and Kieran Knight should have scored from Shaun McAuley's fine cross when unmarked but headed wide.

Hayes adopted a physical approach and attracted six yellow cards from referee Dave Bushell while Brennan was booked for the Rooks.

Most of Lewes's first-half chances fell to Sigere and he saw a diving header go just wide and then couldn't get a foot to the ball in a goalmouth scramble.

At the other end Hustwick produced the tackle of the night when Scott was through on goal.

As the pitch cut up play became increasingly scrappy in the second half with few chances at either end.

Lewes: Wilkerson, Lovett, Hooper, Hustwick, Robinson, Harkin, Brennan, Gomis, Foyewa, Sigere (Sangare), Omoyinmi (Beckford). Unused subs: Legge, Fogden, France.