Lewes are on the brink of a second title in three seasons after a stunning first half at arch rivals Worthing.

Rooks did all their scoring in the first 26 minutes against one of their challengers for the division one south crown on the way to a potentially decisive 3-0 win at Woodside Road.

The result leaves them needing four points from their last two games, both against sides in the bottom third of the table, to secure top spot.

One win might even be enough given their advantage over second placed Windsor and Eton in the goal difference column.

Providing they finish the job, Lewes and their fans, who celebrated exuberantly last night, will look back at this result as pivotal.

Warren Haughton (2) and Jay Lovett got the goals but their success was built on the same sort of defensive steel which underpinned their division two championship two years ago.

As a spectacle for the neutral, it was something of an anti-climax, but that was of no concern to the visitors, who did a thoroughly professional job.

Their manager Steven King said: "We were magificent. If it had been five or six it would not have been an injustice.

"We defended like warriors. They were relying on long balls into the box and set pieces. They didn't get behind us.

"We've done brilliantly to get into this position but its not over yet. We've got a big game on Saturday at Croydon and we don't want it to be a case of after the Lord Mayor's show."

Lewes did not do anything particularly clever to forge their commanding lead. They just did the simple things well, certainly better than their shell-shocked hosts.

They survived a series of early Worthing forays and gave home goalkeeper Will Packham all sorts of problems with their set-piece deliveries.

Lovett headed the opener on ten minutes as Packham came for a corner he was never going to reach.

The keeper was also at fault for the third goal, on 26 minutes, failing to deal with Ochea Ipka's long free kick, allowing Haughton to scramble home from close range.

Packham did make a couple of decent saves, firstly blocking from Lee Newman just a minute after Lovett's opener.

He also got down sharply to Newman's cross shot on 23 minutes, only to see Haughton put away the rebound and send Lewes into a 2-0 lead.

Heavy rain in the final minutes was a reminder of how this fixture was originally abandoned due to a waterlogged pitch at Christmas with Worthing 2-0 up.

Their manager Alan Pook reflected on that and a missed penalty in the derby draw on Easter Monday as turning points of the season, then added: "This was the first time we have been favourites being at home on the back of a 16-game unbeaten run and some of our players thought they just had to turn up to win."

Bognor may not have got the win their performance deserved but a goalles draw with premier division leaders Canvey Island achieved the point required to ensure their participation in the newly formed Conference South for next season.