Lewes fly out of Isthmian League blocks with two wins in week

A first-half goal from Chris Whelpdale meant the Rooks began the season with an impressive 1-0 win over Cray Wanderers at the Dripping Pan on Saturday.

It was their first opening day victory since 2017 – and their perfect opening week continued on Wednesday night courtesy of a 3-1 win away to Kingstonian.

Whelpdale – the club’s star summer signing from Eastbourne Borough – made it two goals in two games and Ryan Gondoh and Kalvin Lumbombo-Kalala also scored.

It’s a superb start for Tony Russell’s side as they begin life without Joe Taylor – top scorer in each of the past two seasons – but with a number of new faces in the team.

They will aim to continue their 100 per cent start on Saturday when they go to Potters Bar.

In the season opener versus Cray, Russell handed debuts to a number of new signings, with only Gondoh left in the starting XI from last season.

New arrivals included goalkeeper Nathan Harvey, who joined the Rooks this week off the back off an impressive loan spell at Chatham Town last season following his release from Charlton Athletic earlier this summer.

Lumbombo-Kalala was involved in all their best chances during an impressive first-half display and had the first half-chance of the game as he saw a strike from the edge of the area deflected just wide.

Lewes took the lead on the half-hour mark when a Kieran Murtagh through-ball picked out Tommy Wood, and he lifted the ball over the onrushing Shaun Rowley for Whelpdale to volley home from inside the six-yard box.

Cray had their moments while for the Rooks, the dangerous Lumbombo-Kalala drew a smart save from Rowley.

Whelpdale might have doubled the lead after the break when he got on the end of a Jake Elliott cross, and a Harvey Hughes free-kick also caused problems for the visitors.

Hughes, 19, is another new recruit- having been released by Blackpool, where he moved after spells with Portsmouth and on loan at Bognor.

The Rooks comfortably saw out the closing stages.