Player-manager Ian Chapman has come up with a winning formula for his youthful Whitehawk side. He has dropped himself.

Chapman also left ex-pro and assistant boss Glenn Burvill out of the side for the midweek league clash with Horsham YMCA.

The two of them watched in delight from the dugout as Hawks ended a run of six straight defeats by blitzing YMCA 4-1 with some high quality finishing.

Hawks were just about worth a 2-1 interval lead given to them by Matt Pachent's spot of goalmouth poaching and a carefully guided header from Jason Allen.

They wrapped up the points with thumping strikes from Ollie Rowland and Josh Christison and should have scored a couple more.

Chapman enjoyed the display. He said: "We have had a bad run but of those games only Burgess Hill and Tilbury really outplayed us."

He joked: "Now I've dropped myself I think I've found the winning formula.

"The boys did ever so well on Tuesday and the goals were terrific."

Chapman, 31, is also missing another ex-Albion star in John Byrne, who suffered a groin strain playing for Eire in a six-a-side event, but he thinks the older players are ready for a rest.

He said: "I had not played regularly for three or four years but then I had 12 games in a short space of time at the start of this season.

"Glenn is 38 and he only plays every now and then.

"We do need experience but maybe someone around the 27 or 28 mark who has been around this league.

"Seven or eight of this side are under 23 and they lack experience for when the going gets hard."

Rowland has earned rave reviews already this season but Chapman believes Christison, an Australian he spotted training with Albion, is another gem.

Those two plus new right back Dean Venton, formerly with Burgess Hill, are expected to be the main targets for other clubs.

But Chapman added: "That is part of the game. Hopefully we can set them on the right track.

"Everyone wants to better themselves and I have got no problem with that but they have got to make sure it's another step up.

"They don't want to go to another County League club."

Shoreham striker Andy Agutter will be out until January after it was discovered he had suffered a cracked femur. Agutter had originally thought it was knee ligament damage.