Club news
Written by: Stuart
Three Bridges started brightly and saw Kieron Pamment go close twice early on, just missing the target from the edge of the area after the ball had been won high up the pitch, and then sending a close-range shot on the turn wide with only Lewis Carey to beat.
It took Lewes until midway through the half to fashion a chance of note, with Joe Taylor just failing to connect with a Deon Moore cut-back in front of goal and Rhys Murrell-Williamson then seeing his powerful effort on the rebound superbly blocked by Callum Donaghey.
Despite this, the hosts were looking more threatening as the half progressed, with Carey having to be alert to deny Kevin Rivera.
Bridges were getting a lot of joy from their high press, and saw Pamment just fail to get on the end of a cross from the left at the far post after they had won possession back deep inside the Lewes half.
The hosts finally took the lead their first-half performance had deserved eight minutes before the break through Camron Lawson, who was left unmarked at the far post to convert a Rivera cross from the right.
The second half started in the same way the first had finished, with Bridges on top and looking like adding to their lead.
They should have done so within minutes of the restart, Brannon O’Neill missing the target with a free header from a Curtis Gayler free-kick.
The hosts weren’t to be denied for long though, doubling their lead on 53 minutes through Lawson, who ran onto a ball in behind the Lewes defence before squeezing the ball past Carey at his near post.
Bridges were first to every ball, biting into challenges all over the pitch and causing the Rooks all kinds of problems with their tireless running up front.
They scored a third goal on the hour, as Lewes lost the ball in their own penalty area and Pamment was teed up for an easy finish past Carey from close range.
A bad evening for the large contingent of travelling fans got even worse six minutes later as Rivera made it 4-0, running onto a perfectly-weighted through-ball before finishing across Carey and into the far corner.
The rest of the game passed by with very little incident, with the hosts continuing to show the same level of desire that had put them into such a commanding position.
Bridges goalkeeper Leo Anderson was forced into his first meaningful action of the tie late on, saving well to deny Ronan Silva after some rare uncertainty in the Bridges backline.
The final whistle was greeted with jubilant celebrations from the hosts, whose exceptional performance has set up a mouthwatering tie with National League North side Hereford in the next round.
Lewes will hope to put this result behind them on Saturday when they return to league action with a trip to Billericay Town, kick-off at 3pm.
Three Bridges: Anderson, Ashley, Villavicencio, Gayler, O’Neill, Pamment, Stone, Rivera, Donaghey, Lawson, Irving.
Unused Subs: M. Bromage, Wilson, T. Bromage, Barbary, Difika, Collcutt, Woollard.
Booked: None.
Lewes: Carey, Olukoga, Nelson (Phipp 46), Salmon, Carlse, Young, Skinner, Silva, Murrell-Williamson, Moore, Taylor (Middleton-Tozer 72).
Unused Subs: De-Graft, Pritchard, Yao, Jenkins.
Booked: Taylor.
Referee: Stephen Hawkes
Attendance: 374 (approx 100 Rooks fans)