Crawley Down’s hotshot strikers are inspiring each other to greater heights.

Nick Sullivan bagged a headed hat-trick for the leaders in a 3-0 win at Sidley United just five days after fellow forward Tom Lyons hit three in a 5-1 thumping of Arundel.

Boss Darren Guirey believes the competition between his front men to be top dog is healthy for everyone involved.

Sullivan now has 13 for the season and Lyons is still on nine after having two cleared off the line at Sidley.

Guirey said: “The competition is great, they are spurring each other on and it creates a great atmosphere. The competition all round is really good.

“Nick did really well to score with three headers. It wasn’t the best performance by us but it was the result we wanted and it was comfortable.”

Three Bridges are two points behind with two games in hand after extending their 100% record to eight matches with a 2-0 defeat of Peacehaven.

Andy Ducille, with a peach of a goal, and Marlon Maxwell were the scorers as Bridges won despite missing four key players including Lee Carney and skipper Dean Carden.

Former Crawley midfielder Mark Hawthorne, 35, came on for his debut in the closing stages after joining in the week following a spell at Horsham.

Manager Paul Faili said: “We had four key players out and the boys who came in have given me a massive headache for next week.”

East Grinstead made it a good day for north Sussex with a 1-0 win at home to Wick which lifted them back up to fifth in the table.

Liam Baitup headed a 22nd-minute winner from Dave Gellatly’s cross but it was not a good performance from the Wasps. Boss Tony Becking-ham said: “It was poor. There was no spark and nothing we did seemed to come off. It wasn’t very good but we came out of it with a win.”

Another club from up the A23, Redhill, were also winners as they came back from 2-1 down at half-time to win 6-2 at Hailsham with Andy Dalhouse and Lee Radford getting two apiece as Marcus Elliott and Neil John got the other goals. Caolon O’Reilly and Gwayne Archibald (penalty) had put Stringers in front.

Redhill boss Marcus Alcidor said: “We didn’t change anything and it wasn’t always going to be that sort of result even though we were 2-1 down at half-time.”

Co-boss Mark Burt insists there is still room for improvement after Shoreham put a sloppy first 20 minutes behind them to win 5-2 in an eventful game at Lingfield.

The Musselmen led twice and then went 3-2 ahead before Lingfield keeper Jamie Butcher was sent off for bringing down Liam O’Brien. Midfielder Danny Oakins took over the gloves but was beaten from the spot by Rob Boddy.

The drama was not over though as Bradley Drake picked up an injury and, with all the substitutes used, was shoved in goal with Oakins returning to outfield duties.

Boddy (two), Dean Smith, O’Brien and Nick Fogden got Shoreham’s goals while Scott Elgar and Drake replied.

Pagham climbed to third after Daren Pearce and Scott Murfin scored in a comfortable 2-0 win at home to Crowborough. The match was delayed by 45 minutes due to traffic problems.

Hassocks boss Micky Jewell admitted he was happy to get their trip to Eastbourne United out of the way as they enjoyed a 2-0 win with goals from Phil Gault and Spencer Slaughter.

Jewell said: “It was a bumpy pitch and a strong wind but it was a comfortable win.”

Ringmer cruised into the second round of the Sussex RUR Cup after Adam Mitchell scored two and made two in a 6-0 win at Steyning.

Boss Bob Munnery said: “We played 4-3-3, got the ball forward very early and it enabled us to move it from side to side. The only thing we need to do now is do the same thing (in the league) on Saturday which will be a much tougher test.”