Goals from Max Howell, Leon Constantine, Ian Draycott and Christian Nanetti helped Lewes to a comfortable victory and saw them progress into the 3rd round of the Sussex Senior Cup at The Dripping Pan.

Steve King made seven changes to the side which had beaten Cray Wanderers 2-1 in their previous game, with new loan signing from Notts County Fabian Speiss, Dominic Sterling, Max Howell, Bayan Fenwick, Jamie Cade, Ian Draycott and Leon Constantine replacing Liam Mitchell, Lewis Hamilton, Max Noble, Matt Somner, Christian Nanetti, Michael Malcolm and Paul Booth in the starting line-up.

The Rooks saw a lot of the ball in the opening stages, with Ian Draycott going close on a couple of occasions and Max Howell sending an effort from inside the penalty area just wide after some excellent control.

Lewes nearly took the lead around the half-hour mark, when a low cross from Bayan Fenwick was diverted onto the bar from point-blank range by Leon Constantine, with Dominic Sterling dragging the rebound wide.

The deadlock was finally broken in first-half injury-time when the impressive Howell cut inside two defenders and sent a low shot from the edge of the penalty area past Andy McCartney in the Wick goal to give the Rooks a deserved lead.

Lewes extended their lead inside the first 30 seconds of the second half, as Draycott latched onto an excellent through-ball from Max Hustwick and pulled the ball back for Leon Constantine to finish from close range.

The Rooks nearly added another goal soon after, when Fenwick, who had swapped wings with Howell at half-time meaning that he was now playing on the left, cut inside and sent a curling effort from 25 yards just wide.

The introduction of Christian Nanetti after 68 minutes immediately saw Lewes become even more of a threat going forward, and it was from a Nanetti run and cross that Draycott extended the Rooks’ lead with a close-range finish after 82 minutes.

Nanetti added a fourth goal for the Rooks with two minutes remaining from the penalty spot, after the impressive winger had been fouled by McCartney as he attempted to take the ball round him following yet another slaloming run.

There was still time for Draycott to hit the bar with an perfectly-weighted lob during injury time as Lewes finished the game with a flourish.

Despite making seven changes for this game, the result was never in doubt once Howell had put the Rooks ahead. Debutant Speiss was rarely troubled in goal by a hard-working Wick side, who only really started to tire in the last ten minutes or so.

Impressive performances came from under-18s Howell and Fenwick, as well as Nanetti after his second-half introduction.

Lewes:

Speiss, Hustwick, Robinson, Sterling, Ciardini (Noble 57), Fenwick (Nanetti 68), Nicholas, Cade, Howell, Draycott, Constantine (Somner 61).
Unused Subs: Booth, Malcolm.
Booked: None.

Wick:

McCartney, Houston (Lester 57), Fordon, Jones, Speller, Asre, Towers (D. Twumasi 68), Cutler, C. Twumasi (Cox 71), Playe-Howard, Ford.
Unused Subs: Miller, Jordan.
Booked: Cutler.

Ref: F Meilack

Tom Harper