Craig Carolan produced another devastating display of finishing as Brighton maintained their challenge for a second successive promotion.

Carolan cracked seven goals as Brighton brushed aside London Wayfarers 9-1 to go third in South Premier division one.

The experienced forward has now bagged 22 goals in six league games for Brighton this season and his tally makes up more than two thirds of the goals his side have scored.

While skipper Carlo Missirian is quick to stress the team are working together to create chances for their top scorer, it is significant that Carolan missed their only defeat of the season away to Gore Court.

Missirian said: "He is just a goal machine, a superb finisher. I wouldn't say any of his seven goals were outstanding individual goals like some centre forwards score but he just doesn't miss.

"The good thing is we are creating the chances for him and we could have had 15.

"Craig is the sort of guy who fades in and out of games but when he is presented with the ball near the goal it ends up in the back of the net.

"It gives us a lot of confidence that he is there. It doesn't matter how good your team is, if you have someone like that in the D you are going to score goals."

Four of Carolan's seven goals came from open play. Pietro Attala chipped in with a penalty flick and Mike Botha showed his hot form with a sizzling strike.

Missirian added: "Losing to Gore Court really focused us. Since then we have won two and drawn with Ashford.

"We are training hard and playing hard. There is a great strength of belief in the team and we have just got to carry it on.

"We have played Ashford who are supposed to be the best team in the league and we drew with them. We believe we can get promotion.

"We will definitely be in the mixer. We have just got to take our chances. After Christmas we have to play the top three and that could be significant."

In division one, Chichester were unable to build on their first win of the season as they went down 5-1 away to Oxford University. Richard Blakesley hit the lone consolation.

Fran Malam scored twice for Horsham ladies as they beat Hounslow and Ealing 2-1 in the third round of the HA Women's Cup. This followed a 2-0 defeat at Reading in Women's South division one the previous day.