Lewes 0, St Albans 2.

Lewes were knocked off top spot in Blue Square south after going down 2-0 at home to relegation battlers St Albans.

Goals from Lee Clarke and Paul Hakim condemned the injury-hit Rooks to a second successive defeat.

With only eight matches to go, Lewes have fallen a point behind Eastbourne Borough who also have a game in hand.

Steven King's men looked anything but title contenders and they now face a huge task to stop their East Sussex rivals running away with things.

King said: "I am very disappointed because we looked flat. They were better than us - no qualms about that.

"Anxiety set in as the game wore on. We were going longer and longer and that is taking it away from the way we play. We have gone from a passing team to one that hits it long."

Paul Kennett was a surprise name in midfield for Lewes a month after announcing he had retired from football.

King was forced to call up Kennett late on Friday night after his injury problems got worse.

Tom Davis suffered a twisted knee in training on Thursday which will rule him out for up to six weeks, leaving the Rooks with Gary Holloway as their only available central midfielder.

With Hamid Barr dropping out through illness, Lewes really were stretched to the limit.

Jamie Cade made his first start since early January after being recalled from a loan spell at Tonbridge Angels while Matt Groves was the only fully fit outfield player on the bench.

The heavens opened as the game kicked off just to add to the gloomy picture at the Dripping Pan.

Andy Drury, whose participation was in doubt up to ten minutes before kick-off due to illness, chipped a ball into the six-yard box for Paul Booth to fire into the side-netting after just five minutes.

The visitors, who have been enjoying a revival, should have taken the lead on 21 minutes when Akanni-Sunday Wasiu got in behind the defence but goalkeeper Steve Williams made an excellent stop before the danger was cleared.

Two minutes later, Hakim got away down the right and fired across goal beyond Williams but wide of the far post.

After twice going close, St Albans went ahead on 30 minutes with a cracking shot by Clarke after making space for himself 20 yards out.

It could have got worse for Lewes but Paul Bruce fired a shot against the outside of the near post three minutes later when well-placed.

Lewes could have no complaints with the half-time score. It was perhaps not surprising, given their problems but they looked disjointed and short of ideas.

Drury failed to reappear after the interval as Jean-Michel Sigere came on in attack with Charlie Ide pushing out to the right wing.

Lewes went into their normal pre-match huddle just before the start of the second half. It was certainly time to re-group but they could have been 2-0 down within three minutes as Hakim ran through only to be denied by a good save from Williams.

Booth went close to an equaliser on 61 minutes. The Rooks' top scorer linked well with Ide before being denied by a superb save from Paul Bastock at the expense of a corner.

The visitors were playing for time but there was no need as they were creating the better chances and Wasiu almost added a second on 69 minutes.

Lewes went for broke in the last ten minutes throwing on Groves and Leon Legge to form a four-pronged attack but the game was up with four minutes remaining.

Williams spilled Wasiu's shot following a cross from the left by Bruce and Hakim tapped home from close range.

Lewes: Williams, Conroy, Barness, Kennett, Robinson, Simpemba, Drury, Holloway, Ide, Booth, Cade. Subs: France, Legge, Groves, Sigere, Hamilton.

St Albans: Bastock, Fisher, Cousins, Thurlbourne, Ben Martin, Frater, Sulaiman, Clarke, Sunday, Hakim, Bruce. Subs: McKie, Hasim Deen, Hunt, Twomey, Simon Martin.

Referee: S Knapp (Pucklechurch).