Ben Payne scored twice as promoted East Grinstead beat Bowdon 4-3 to make it two wins from two in National League premier two.

Player-coach Kwan Browne has targeted a second successive promotion to get Grinstead back among hockey's elite and Payne believes it is a realisticgoal.

Payne said: "This league is a step up. We played in this division three years ago and got relegated. We have brought in a few players since then plus Kwan as player-coach and he has been a superb asset to the club.

"We are looking to win it or at least come in the top two and get to the premier next year and I think we are totally capable of doing that."

Payne, 24, is the youngest of three brothers involved with Grinstead's first team squad. The spirit within the squad is akin to a family atmosphere and Payne insists that will help them in the months ahead.

He said: "The new players we bring in we always keep. We have kept Kwan. He should be playing premier league hockey but he came to this club for one year and liked it so much he is committed to another two years. It just shows the atmosphere we have got at the club.

"We created so many chances today but unfortunately they weren't going in. We still got four goals but we must have created 20 good chances.

"Obviously you can't convert all of those but you should be looking at a 50 per cent conversion rate. Hopefully next week we can put that right."

Grinstead were without outstanding teenager Ashley Jackson, who was having regional trials, but still had far too much for a Bowdon side who were flattered by the scoreline.

Payne's stickwork bamboozled the visitors' defence, Browne ran the midfield and the defence showed a doggedness sometimes missing last season.

Grinstead were a goal down after six minutes when Will Musgrave scored with a reverse stick strike after goalkeeper Giles Dakin had saved from David Egerton.

Mark Justice, a summer signing from Lewes, marked a lively performance with the equaliser on 14 minutes, his fierce strike being deflected into the net by a defender.

Three minutes later Dillet Gilkes delivered a fantastic ball into the D, Payne initially lost the ball but regained it superbly before slotting home with a measured finish.

Payne's second on 22 minutes put Grinstead 3-1 ahead but they were pegged back before half time when Matt Freeman scored from Bowdon's third short corner, which was well switched.

The second half was played in driving rain but Grinstead regained their two-goal advantage 12 minutes from time when Payne fed Justice who steered the ball goalwards and John Fitzpatrick got the feintest of touches to make it 4-2.

The visitors from Manchester pulled another back in the closing stages through Oliver Cooper to set up a tense finale but Grinstead deservedly held on.

Browne said: "We were three or four goals better than them. It is just a case of putting the chances away.

"It was the same last week when we won 4-3 at Stourport. If you compare the number of chances other teams are getting, the scorelines shouldn't be this close.

"We are at our best when we pass the ball along the back and midfield and then release the forward players. When a team starts breaking that up with hard tackles we start being a bit edgy and lose our flow.

"That is something we must work on. We just need to make sure we play our game and keep our quality.

"I couldn't have asked for a better start. This is exactly what we wanted. We just need to keep the wheels rolling."