Eastbourne Borough 4 St Albans 0.

Eastbourne Borough manager Garry Wilson watched his side plunder their 22nd goal in the last six matches and then admitted: "We're not playing very well."

Those words are likely to send shivers throughout the Blue Square south as Borough kept up the pressure on leaders Lewes with four goals in the second half against ten-man St Albans.

Borough have been in rampant form since losing at home to the Rooks on New Year's Day, a result which prompted many to write off their title hopes.

They have won six of their last seven games and a draw at home to Eastleigh tomorrow night would be enough for them to return to the top of the table for the first time since November.

Wilson said: "We haven't been playing especially well for a long time but we are doing well enough to keep winning games at the moment.

"I think we can play a lot better than this and people who watched us earlier in the season would probably agree because we were really flying then.

"We have still got to hit top gear but the season is 42 games long and you cannot be brilliant all the time. The important thing is to try to be consistent and pick up points when you are perhaps not at your best.

"You've got to accept it is not going to happen every game but when things aren't going well we are not getting frustrated and are scoring goals at crucial times.

"I think that is the difference this season. We've always been strong defensively over the years but now we are racking up the goals as well."

Wilson has a habit of playing things down Borough's prospects but you could not argue with his assessment on the evidence of the opening 45 minutes.

Borough looked anything but potential champions in the first half against a St Albans side which had only won once in their last ten games.

Andy Atkin and Neil Jenkins wasted good opportunities in the early stages but after that they barely threatened a defence which had the second worst record in the division.

The complexion of the game completely changed, though, following a moment of madness from James Cracknell in first-half injury time when he needlessly floored Marc Pullan with a flying elbow and was shown a straight red card.

After that it was almost a case of not if Borough would win but by how many.

Paul Armstrong thought he had broken the deadlock four minutes after the interval, only to be adjudged offside, but it proved a temporary reprieve for the visitors as the Borough skipper bundled home the opener from Scott Ramsay's cut-back in the 55th minute.

Ramsay made it 2-0 with a diving header from Matt Crabb's low cross five minutes later and it looked like the floodgates would open, only for Borough to go off the boil again.

The fourth-highest home crowd of the season had to wait until the 83rd minute for substitute Nathan Crabb to poke home the third and Armstrong completed the scoring from the penalty spot with two minutes to go after Matt Crabb had been tripped in the box.

That strike also meant Borough's goal difference is now better than Lewes' but Wilson insists the Rooks remain favourites for the title.

He added: "Lewes will still be favourites even if we go top tomorrow and that is not me playing things down. If you asked a lot of the other managers in the division they would agree as Lewes have probably got the squad to do it."

Borough: Hook, Baker, Jenkins, Pullan, Lovett, Budd (Kember, 78), Armstrong, M Crabb, Harding, Ramsay (N Crabb, 73), Atkin (Wilde, 84). Subs: Douglas, Lightwood.

St Albans: Eyre, Fisher, Cousins, Thurlbourne, Ben Martin, Frater, Hakim, Quilter, Simon Martin, Clarke, Bruce. Subs: Hasim, Sulaiman, Cracknell, James Archer, McKie.

Referee: I Crouch.

Attendance: 804.

Man-of-the-match: Scott Ramsay.

Who is favourite for the title now?