A half-time roasting by manager Stuart Hobbs did the trick as Crawley Down turned around a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 at Mile Oak, with Nick Sullivan bagging a hat-trick.

Hobbs said: "If I had been able to make seven substitutions at half-time I would have done.

"We were just not at the races in the first half and after our last game the players seemed to think all they had to do was turn up and we would win.

"We were awful and got our just deserts but I gave them a rollicking at the break and they went out, showed their resilience and proved their worth."

Doug Cashman and John Ducker were introduced at the break and they combined to set up Sullivan for his first goal on 53 minutes.

Sullivan added a second on 70 minutes and a superb finish with two minutes to go capped the comeback. Jamie Harman's brace had earlier put Mile Oak 2-0 ahead.

Shinewater were barely able to scrape a side together for their trip to Bosham on Saturday but returned triumphant following a 4-1 victory, courtesy of goals from Darren Thompson, Ben Hutchinson, Brian Holman and Jason Cullinane.

Secretary Brian Dowling said: "We struggled to get 11 players down there due to holidays, injuries and suspensions. We had two drop out on the morning and we were without eight regular first team players.

"However, the players gave 150 per cent, worked their socks off and the goals came."

Shinewater signed Warren Fuller on the morning of the match and he made his debut, while the injured Darren Clifton, who had agreed to be physio for the day, ended up playing the full match. Nassor got Bosham's consolation.

Wealden joint-manager Neil Thornicroft admitted their first points in a 2-1 victory over Worthing United had been very welcome.

Thornicroft said: "It is a relief as when you have lost the first five games you do tend to get twitchy. There have been extenuating circumstances as we have suffered a long list of injuries.

"This victory was fully deserved and it has also been coming. Over the Bank Holiday we should have held on for a point against Eastbourne Town and we threw away the points against East Grinstead after we had dominated the match.

"Progress was being made and the signs were there that the side is beginning to click, and with players coming back, hopefully we can now build from this win."

Lee Sale, on 24 minutes, and Craig Brown with a 66th-minute penalty got Wealden's goals while Ian Brown was on target for United on 29 minutes.

Second-placed Shoreham inflicted a first defeat on Oakwood as Warren Levy's double and a further goal by Stuart Townsend steered them to a 3-0 victory.

Westfield crushed Oving 6-0 as Kevin Rose, with a hat-trick, Lee Wood, Steve Ringwood and Tony Harris all found the net away from home.

James Hylton scored his third goal in two games as East Grinstead came from behind to draw 1-1 with Broadbridge Heath. Wasps' boss Bob Smith said: "We didn't start too well, but we are unbeaten in the last three games and we are starting to get some important players back as well."

Withdean 2000 were victorious as captain Daren Newman got the only goal in their Combined Counties match at Viking Greenford after 36 minutes.

General manager Mark Stevens said: "What we are finding is that every team we come up against plays good football. They all tend to have one or two players who have been there, done it at a higher level and knock the ball around well."