Pagham manager Richie Reynolds believes he will struggle to keep his young table-topping side together.

His superkids served up a seven-goal treat with an excellent exhibition of football on a heavy Nyetimber Lane pitch against shell-shocked Whitehawk.

Pagham, the surprise package in Division One this season, have an average age of under 20.

He said: "A lot of these lads will not be here for long. They are all young boys and many of them are capable of playing at a much higher level.

"Most of them will go on to bigger and better things after Pagham.

"We proved far too fit for Whitehawk. Our lads will run all day and when you create chances like we did it is inevitable that some are going to go in."

Hat-trick hero Lee Stevens is one of the veterans in the team at the age of 23.

He was a constant thorn in Whitehawk's side and, as they tired from keeping tabs on him, Stevens moved in for the kill by firing his three goals in the last 29 minutes.

Stevens said: "We are serious title contenders.

"We have got an excellent spirit here. The boys are buzzing. Our defeat of Whitehawk showed that on our day we can put quite a few away. We created many more chances than the seven we scored."

Amazingly, it was 2-2 at the interval despite Pagham dominating the opening 45 minutes. In fact, the hosts had to twice fight back from behind to claim their ninth win of the season.

Hawks' Gareth Hughes managed to find the net when his mishit shot from 12 yards trickled past Wesley Hallett after five minutes.

John Oliver's cross-cum-shot drew the teams level, but Wesley Cain pounced on a poor back pass from Mark Patey to restore Whitehawk's lead.

Steve Poulton drove Pagham back into it and Stevens and Paul Morby struck both posts in the space of a minute.

But two goals from Tony Stephens and Stevens' hat-trick saw Pagham win at a canter.

Alan Head, running Whitehawk with Paul Hubbard absent, said: "Pagham are the best team we have played this season. They and Sidley have been a cut above the rest.

"They are an extremely talented young team and it is difficult to bet against them winning the title."

But promotion to the Dr Martens League is not an option if Pagham succeed and that is bound to frustrate the ambitious youngsters.

Reynolds said: "We've simply not got the money. We are doing extremely well to be where we are now, because the club doesn't pay the players. They get a small win bonus and that is it.

"Unless there is some investment, there is no likelihood of us taking that step forward."