Lewes face make-or-break Easter double in Isthmian play-off bid

The Rooks have been a little way off the clamour for a top-five finish for much of the season with inconsistent form holding them back.

Last Satuday’s 2-1 win at home to Concord Rangers – clinched by goals from Chris Whelpdale and Ola Ogunwamide – revived hopes of a late bid for glory.

But Tony Russell and his troops – now 11th and nine points off the top five – need a good run of victories between now and the end of the season to put them in the picture.

Two Easter games against sides in the bottom half of the table offer an opportunity to build momentum but won’t be easy, especially with one of them an East Sussex derby at home to Whitehawk. That comes on Monday, two days after the Rooks visit Folkestone.

Last Saturday, the Rooks had to come from behind to ground Concord.

Russell made several changes to the side that had played in Oslo in the Fenix Trophy on Wednesday, with Ogunwamide returning in place of new signing Walter Figueira and Bradley Pritchard captaining the team in the absence of Ronnie Vint.

Lewes saw plenty of the ball early on but it was the visitors who had the first attempt, Frederick Agyemang stinging the palms of Nathan Harvey from the edge of the area.

Concord took the lead after Harrison Day ran in behind Sam Oguntayo before being fouled by the left-back in the area. Day took the spot-kick himself, calmly slotting in to put the visitors 1-0 up.

Ayo Olukoga went close for Lewes, guiding a strike from the edge of the area just wide after patient build-up play. Lewes scored the equaliser their pressure had been threatening on 35 minutes, Oguntayo delivering another superb cross from the left which Whelpdale headed back across Mason Terry and in.

Lewes took a deserved lead on 58 minutes as Kalvin Lumbombo-Kalala broke free down the left, despite appeals that an attempted clearance had struck his arm, and saw his effort saved by Terry, only for Ogunwamide to roll the rebound into the empty net.

The Rooks nearly added a third but Marcus Sablier’s long-range half-volley flew just wide.