Crowhurst return to the summit, top two lose in Division Two, Ninfield stretch their advantage

Jan Bailey and Wes Tate scored two goals each, and Dominic Clarke, Stephen Greenfield and Harry Loates also found the net as the Crows ran out comfortable winners away to Hawkhurst United. Leon Fisher and Joshua Hasemore replied. Previous Premier Division pacesetters St Leonards Social dropped to third after their match away to Rock-a-Nore was abandoned. Battle Town climbed from fourth to second - three points behind Crowhurst - on the back of a 2-1 success away to fifth-placed Punnetts Town. Ollie Jeffs and Trystan Mayhew netted for Battle, who were made to work a good deal harder than in their 7-1 cup triumph over the same opponents a week previously. Casey Ham notched for Punnetts. Wadhurst United moved out of the bottom two following a 2-2 draw away to sixth-placed Northiam 75. The goals of Oscar Garcia-Cruz and Dean Hilton Huish for 10-man Northiam were matched by Ryan Bateman and Dean Tincombe for Wadhurst. DIVISION TWO The top two in Division Two both lost, meaning Northiam 75 II remain three points clear of Little Common II. Northiam were beaten 3-2 away to a Hooe side which started the day bottom of the standings but rose three places to sixth courtesy of its splendid win. Callum Holt-Burgess, Jay Skinner-Swain and James Walker were Hooe's scorers, while Will Goodsell and Kelvin Lowes responded for a Northiam team which finished with 10 men. Common would therefore have gone top had they won, but instead they went down 4-3 at home to third-placed Westfield II. Steffan Davies, Alan Johnson, Isaac Miller and Cameron Woodley scored for 10-man Westfield, who are now three points behind Common with a game in hand. Attilio Field, Kit Harris-Macrae and Nick Kavanagh retaliated. Catsfield are up to fourth in a very competitive division after making it seven points from a possible nine with a 4-3 win at home to Sandhurst. James Found (2) and Jon Bilsby were on the scoresheet for Sandhurst in another closely-contested and high-scoring third-tier encounter. DIVISION THREE Ninfield stretched their advantage at the top of Division Three to six points by virtue of a 2-0 victory at home to The JC Tackleway II. Jonathan Byatt and Danny Austin got the goals for Ninfield, who have played more matches than their closest two pursuers. Fourth-placed Icklesham Casuals moved level on points with the teams in second and third thanks to a 7-0 success away to Bexhill AAC II. George Stoodley Randall (2), Mason Maddox, Joe Maylam, Jamie O'Mahoney and Leon Pettit were among the scorers as Icklesham made it back-to-back league wins. DIVISION FOUR There are new leaders in Division Four after the top two experienced contrasting fortunes at the weekend. Hastings Comets moved a point clear of Sovereign Saints II following their 5-4 win in a nine-goal thriller at home to Orington. A Brandon Smith hat-trick and two from Ryan Penny just about got the job done for the Comets, despite Spencer Sharkey (2), Ashley Jamieson and Tom Benford notching for Orington. After starting the season with six consecutive league wins, Saints have now suffered back-to-back 2-1 losses. The latest came at home to third-placed Ticehurst, who are now level on points with them. Toby Tapp was among the scorers for Ticehurst, while Travis Anderson grabbed Saints' goal. Sedlescombe Rangers development bounced back from conceding 19 goals in their previous two matches with a very good 1-0 success at home to fourth-placed Parkfield. Rangers moved up a position to fifth as a result. The scheduled tussle of the bottom two between Battle Town III and South Coast Athletico II was postponed. DIVISION FIVE Jake Barker plundered a remarkable seven-goal salvo as Hampden Park rose to second in Division Five with a 12-0 win at home to Hastings Comets II. Tyler Barker (2), Jake Lewis, Jacob Cleveland and Ashley Griffiths also found the net for Park, who are six points behind leaders Westfield III with two games in hand. Herstmonceux II went third in light of a 7-1 victory away to Welcroft Park Rangers II. Mark Stillwell and Liam Oxley netted twice each, while Curtis Eyres, Toby Jones and Liam Johnson completed the scoring for Herstmonceux, who are level on points with Hampden Park but have played twice more. Alex Underdown helped himself to four goals as Burwash climbed a spot to sixth via a 7-3 success at home to D&S Hastings Youth. Ben Reader (2) and Ole Reader also got in on the act as Burwash won for the second time this season. SUSSEX INTERMEDIATE CHALLENGE CUP Away from the league, Premier Division side Bexhill Town received a walkover at home to Stedham United in round one of the Sussex Intermediate Challenge Cup. A tasty-looking local derby away to Sidley United awaits Bexhill in round two next month. SUSSEX BLUEFIN JUNIOR CHALLENGE CUP A host of East Sussex League clubs were in Sussex Bluefin Junior Challenge Cup second-round action and most of them progressed to the last 32. The most emphatic winners were Division One high-flyers Bexhill AAC, who ran out 10-2 victors away to Preston Park. Fellow second-tier sides Rye Town and The JC Tackleway chalked up 4-0 successes away to Holbrook and Hangleton respectively. Sam Henham, Sammy Foulkes, Rob Levett and Georges Gouet scored for 10-man Rye, while a Toby Payne hat-trick and one from Andrew Olorenshaw did the damage for 2019 finalists Tackleway. Bexhill Rovers prevailed 5-4 after extra-time in an entertaining affair at home to Boys Brigade Old Boys and Division Two rivals Victoria Baptists triumphed 2-0 at home to St Marys. Samuel Astle and Michael Smith were the Baptists' scorers. Division Three high-flyers Welcroft Park Rangers won 7-4 away to Division Five promotion hopefuls Crowhurst II in one of two all-East Sussex League ties. The goals of Bill Coles (3), Jamie Bundy (2), James Martin and Cameron Offord for Welcroft Park overcame those of Anton Neil (2), Dale Matthews and Ben Thorpe for Crowhurst. In the other all-East Sussex League affair, Division One team SC Pass+Move Arrows were 2-0 victors away to Division Two side Herstmonceux despite finishing with 10 men. Jack Booth and Frazer Discala found the back of the net. Ninfield and South Coast Athletico both received walkovers, at home to Horsham Trinity II and Ferring Saturday II respectively. Battle Town II were edged out 5-4 after extra-time away to Crawley Rangers, while fellow Division One side Sidley United II lost 5-0 at Yapton. Division Three teams AFC Hollington and Mountfield United went down 4-1 away to Uckfield Rangers and 9-1 at home to Ifield Sports respectively. All of the East Sussex League clubs who went through have been kept apart in the third-round draw, apart from Rye and Bexhill Rovers, who will meet at Rye Rugby Club next month. Another mix of league and cup action is on the agenda for this coming Saturday. Standings (played-points) - Premier Division: Crowhurst 7-19 (+16 goal difference), Battle Town 7-16 (+18), St Leonards Social 6-16 (+14), Bexhill Town 8-14 (+7), Punnetts Town 7-11 (+6), Northiam 75 7-10 (-10), Hawkhurst United 8-7 (-6), Wadhurst United 8-5 (-10), Rock-a-Nore 7-4 (-7), Robertsbridge United 7-0 (-28). Division 1: Rye Town 6-18 (+15), Bexhill AAC 7-16 (+24), Sidley United II 7-13 (+6), SC Pass+Move Arrows 6-12 (+8), South Coast Athletico 6-10 (+1), The JC Tackleway 6-7 (-1), Peche Hill Select 5-6 (0), Battle Town II 8-3 (-22), Sedlescombe Rangers II 7-0 (-31). Division 2: Northiam 75 II 8-18 (+11), Little Common II 8-15 (+15), Westfield II* 7-12 (+10), Catsfield 9-11 (-12), Herstmonceux 6-9 (-1), Hooe* 7-9 (-13), Sandhurst 6-7 (+1), Victoria Baptists 7-7 (-6), Bexhill Rovers 6-6 (-5). * = points adjusted. Division 3: Ninfield 7-18 (+9), Welcroft Park Rangers 6-12 (+21), AFC Hollington 5-12 (+21), Icklesham Casuals 7-12 (-2), Mountfield United 6-7 (-6), The JC Tackleway II 7-7 (-8), Bexhill AAC II 8-0 (-35). Peche Hill Select II withdrawn. Division 4: Hastings Comets 8-19 (+13), Sovereign Saints II 8-18 (+22), Ticehurst 8-18 (+12), Parkfield 8-12 (+2), Sedlescombe Rangers development 8-9 (-15), Orington 6-7 (+3), South Coast Athletico II 7-3 (-9), Battle Town III 7-3 (-28). Division 5: Westfield III 7-19 (+34), Hampden Park 5-13 (+32), Herstmonceux II 7-13 (+11), Crowhurst II 4-10 (+23), Welcroft Park Rangers II 6-9 (-1), Burwash 8-7 (-12), Hastings Comets II 9-7 (-31), D&S Hastings Youth 8-0 (-56). Sedlescombe Rangers IV withdrawn. Saturday November 13 fixtures - Premier Division (2pm): Hawkhurst United v St Leonards Social, Punnetts Town v Northiam 75, Rock-a-Nore v Battle Town. Division 1 (2pm unless stated): South Coast Athletico v Sedlescombe Rangers II (1.30pm), The JC Tackleway v Rye Town. Division 2 (2pm): Bexhill Rovers v Herstmonceux. Division 3 (2pm): Bexhill AAC II v The JC Tackleway II, Mountfield United v Welcroft Park Rangers. Division 4 (2pm): Battle Town III v Parkfield, South Coast Athletico II v Orington (4pm), Ticehurst v Hastings Comets. Division 5 (2pm): Burwash v Hastings Comets II, D&S Hastings Youth v Westfield III, Welcroft Park Rangers II v Hampden Park. ESFL Division Four and Five Challenge Cup, 1st round (1.30pm): Crowhurst II v Sovereign Saints II. Sussex Intermediate Challenge Cup, 1st round (1.30pm): Ringmer AFC v Robertsbridge United, Wadhurst United v Eastbourne Rangers, Willingdon Athletic v Crowhurst. Hastings & District FA Junior Cup, 1st round (1.30pm): Hooe v Battle Town II, Northiam 75 II v Icklesham Casuals, Peche Hill Select v AFC Hollington, SC Pass+Move Arrows v Ninfield, Sandhurst v Sidley United II, Westfield II v Bexhill AAC. Eastbourne FA Vice Presidents Cup, 1st round (1.30pm): Victoria Baptists v Herstmonceux II.