Billy Smith got one over his old mate at Nyewood Lane last night as his Crawley side set up an intriguing North Sussex cup derby.

Reds played some super stuff to go 3-0 up by the break and were never really in danger of being taken to extra time in this Sussex Senior Cup second round tie, despite an improved second half show from Bognor.

Smith and Rocks manager Jack Pearce go back a long way and the Crawley boss admitted: "He always wanted to beat me so it's never easy coming here.

"I've got to be happy at how we did in the first half but we got sloppy in the second and played the game without trying to make tackles."

Smith's men now face a trip to Horsham, managed by former Reds chief John Maggs, and will hope to improve their disappointing record in the County's premier knockout competition.

Warren Bagnall, who hit the winner in the final for Lewes two seasons ago, was among the scorers last night and Smith rated his progress towards full fitness as one of the pluses of the evening.

Bagnall admitted: "That's only my second 90 minutes this season. I felt quite sharp in the first half but I've been struggling with a back injury and that caught up with me a bit."

Bagnall had every right to enjoy the first half.

The Dr Martens League side passed the ball more incisively than their hosts, were a yard quicker and, despite the potential distractions of their ongoing FA Cup tie with Tiverton, looked just as hungry.

Smith made three changes from Saturday's draw in the West Country but Bognor were even further below full strength and it showed in a one-sided first half.

Crawley were 2-0 up after 16 minutes and could have been out of sight.

Both goals came from tremendous crosses whipped in from the right hand side.

The first, on just three minutes was a Neil Le Bihan corner which Ernie Cooksey volleyed in at the far post, and the second was created by Mo Harkin and headed home by Bagnall.

Between the goals John Tucker somehow cleared off the line from Bagnall and Mike Brawley, who made some great stops on his Bognor debut, twice thwarted Danny Hockton from close range.

Bognor should have been back in the game on 27 minutes when topscorer Matt Russell miskicked in front of an open goal.

Russell later had a crisp right-foot drive well saved by the diving Andy Little but by then the Reds were 3-0 up as Barry Moore rounded Brawley on the half hour to score his first goal for the club.

Brawley made super saves from Ben Judge and Moore either side of half time but Russell pulled a goal back on 63 minutes, robbing defender Marc Pullan and coolly sliding a shot past Little.

The keeper blocked Russell's next effort and Richard Hudson shot horribly wide after weaving his way through the defence as Bognor rectified most of their first half failings.

Guy Rutherford's 62nd minute introduction was certainly a factor in their improvement and they played some nice stuff at times, though most of it bounced off the defensive duo of Ellis Hooper and Pullan as Reds went through without too many alarms.

Pearce admitted: "I've got no complaints. They deserved to go through but I was so disappointed we started that poorly.

"They are a decent side but nowhere near as good as we were making them look."

Bognor: Brawley; Hall, Rowland, Leigh (G. Rutherford 62), Tucker, Murphy, Russell, L. Stevens, Hudson, Howell, D. Birmingham. Subs not used: M. Rutherford, Wyatt, Broadbent, Jones.

Crawley: Little; Judge, Cooksey, Hooper, Pullan, Moore (Hemsley, 86), Holmes, Harkin, Hockton, Bagnall, Le Bihan. Subs not used: Fear, Payne, D. Stevens, McDonnell.

Referee: Colin Rolfe (Eastbourne).

Attendance: 269.

Men-of-the-match: Bagnall (Crawley), Russell (Bognor).