Lewes boss Steve Ibbitson was proud of his young side as they secured a 1-1 Senior Cup draw at home to Hastings, despite being reduced to ten men.

The Rooks were up against it after Dan Royce was sent off 17 minutes from the end of normal time for an alleged head butt.

But Ryman premier Hastings were unable to make the extra man count despite 30 minutes of extra time and the sides will meet again at the Pilot Field for the right to host Shoreham in the quarter-finals.

Ibbitson said: “We had a lot of kids in there. We have a few injuries, maybe we could have played a couple of them, but unfortunately Saturday is more important for us. We need to make sure we do well in the league.

“The kids who came in did really well so it has been a good night. It wasn't a great game but it was a good battling performance.

“After we went down to ten men e didn’t look in any trouble at all. I’m pleased we have come out of it reasonably strongly."

Although Hastings arrived as underdogs, they are only four places below Lewes in football’s pyramid and were clearly not going to make it easy.

With an important league game at home to Braintree on Saturday, the Rooks decided not to risk David Wheeler, Williams Peauroux, Ross Sutton or Joe Keehan, who are all carrying knocks, although the latter was on the bench.

Jean-Michel Sigere was also rested and Jack Walder injured so Ibbitson handed a debut to 16-year-old George Jones while fellow teenager Jamie Crellin earned his first start.

Hastings were without top scorer Ade Olorunda, Michael Phillips and Russell Eldridge but included former Lewes players Steve Williams, Josh Jirbandey and Steve Elliott in their squad while Dolby named himself on the bench.

Lewes made a fast start and earned the breakthrough in the second minute from a corner won when Williams turned Scott Chamberlain’s low shot from outside the area around his right-hand post.

The impressive Jones slung over the flag-kick at the second attempt, Hastings made a hash of clearing it and Kane Louis lashed home his first goal for the Rooks.

The visitors reacted well and drew themselves level on 19 minutes when Lee Carey delivered a lovely cross from the right for Adrian Stone to beat Rikki Banks with a free header.

Hastings started the second half well with Carey fizzing a free-kick through a crowd of players and just wide, then new signing Tyrone Sterling burst through the defence but elected to centre with no team-mates in support.

Lewes responded with the diving Louis Pople just failing to connect with a Jones corner which rolled along the crossbar after Williams missed it.

Then came the game’s flashpoint. Royce, frustrated at not winning a free-kick, jumped into a tackle and then went head to head with a Hastings opponent.

Referee Gary Croft had blown up for the tackle but brandished a red card for the melee that followed.

Hastings had two chances in the first period of extra time, Sean Ray running half the length of the pitch before seeing his shot blocked and then Sam Adams having a low shot saved by Banks.

Meanwhile, Lewes have confirmed the signing of their former defender Lewis Hamilton. The one-time Derby and QPR full-back, who was part of the Rooks’ 2008 title-winning squad, was not involved last night after becoming a dad on Tuesday.

Lewes: Banks; Timms, Pearson, Breach, Barness; Jones (sub Hopkinson 63), Crellin (sub Lang 100), Chamberlain, Royce; Pople (sub Keehan 78), Louis. Subs not used: Manning, Banasco-Zaragoza.

Hastings: Williams; Elford, Russell, Ray, Sterling; Carey, T.Olorunda, Pell; Adams (sub Elliott 111), Stone (sub Newman 94), Upton (sub Jirbandey 46). Subs not used: Dolby.

Referee: Gary Croft.

Attendance: 161.