A Rhys Bartlett double helped Crowborough Athletic to a derby day win against Rusthall at The Jockey Farm Stadium.
Bartlett converted an early penalty and curled home from distance to give the Crows a deserved first SCEFL Premier Division win of the season.
The visitors flew out the blocks and should have gone ahead inside a minute when Bartlett released Ed Sharman who shot wide, injuring himself in the process, before Jacob Lambert and Dom Welsh were both denied by ex-Crow Ryan Burbridge, the Rusthall goalkeeper.
Soon after Bartlett smashed against the crossbar before the Rustics Stephen Ikpeme fouled the aforementioned striker who calmly slotted home in front of a crowd of 337.
The Crows continued to pile on the pressure with Bartlett and the impressive Lambert, on loan from Tonbridge Angels, seeing shots blocked as Rusthall struggled to cope with their opponents.
The second period saw more of the same and on 49 minutes Bartlett cut inside and from the edge of the box doubled Athletic’s lead.
Rusthall kept going and almost gave themselves a lifeline when Stephen Ita found himself free in the box but he blazed his volley sky high from all of eight yards.
In stoppage time Ali Mouajal nearly scored a spectacular third for the away side but his long-range effort flew just over Burbridge’s bar.
The result sees Crowborough climb into 12th leapfrogging Rusthall who drop to 17th.
Man of the Match: Rhys Bartlett
Rusthall: Ryan Burbridge; Louis Anderson, James White (Yellow 12) , Ryan Styles (Yellow 25), Callum Flynn (Daniel Kummo 70); Jack Smith, Stephen Ikpeme; Stephen Ita (Charlie Clover 75), Reuel Powell-Downey, Lorenzo Cuozzo (Ross Obazee 66); Luke Adams (Yellow 20).
Crowborough Athletic: Cameron Hall; Harry Osborne, Tom Boddy, Joe Tyrie: Jack Funnell; Harrison Mayhew, Ali Mouajal (Yellow 30): Ed Sharman (Dan Powell 2), Jacob Lambert (Ryan Waterman 80), Dom Welsh (Yellow 28); Rhys Bartlett (Tom Pearson 77)
Attendance: 337