Craig Carolan insists there is no reason why Brighton cannot be challenging for a place in the National League.

A 2-0 win over Richmond and Hounslow on Saturday left Brighton just three points off top spot in South Premier division one with almost half the season played.

Consolation was the buzz word in the summer as Brighton approached their first ever season at this level.

Player-coach Carolan, who has played at the highest level, was hoping for more than that but the players have exceeded even his high expectations.

Two of their three defeats came in the first three games of the season and their only loss in the last seven matches was a harsh 3-2 reverse away to local rivals Lewes.

Saturday's victory made it 16 points out of their last 21, with just Oxford University to play before the winter break.

Carolan said: "I was hoping to be in the top four at Christmas so positionwise we are where I hoped but I didn't expect us to be only three points off top spot.

"If you look back at the start of our season, when we were still adapting to this level of hockey, there were games we lost when we could have drawn and games we drew which we could have won. I think we dropped five points. Imagine adding that to our total now."

Brighton went into the campaign with an established side but many of them had not played at this level.

People like Luke Williams, Gareth Lendrum and Kevin Browne have been core to Brighton's success in recent years but this was still a learning curve for them.

Carolan said: "Apart from me there is only really Stewart Dunbar and Charl van der Merwe who have played at this level but the players you would call inexperienced have done superbly.

"It took them three or four weeks to get used to this level but they have stepped up to the plate and done the business for us.

"The thing about this division is that everybody is beating everybody else.

"If I were one of the other sides I would be worried about us because we have shown we have the players who can produce consistent results and that is the secret in this league.

"It is no good going out and beating sides 8-0, then losing the next week. If you look at the top side (Bromley and Beckenham), they have dropped ten points."

Carolan made it nine goals in the last four games with the opener at home to Richmond and Hounslow.

A sound defensive display meant goalkeeper Neil Burlinson, who has been in excellent form since returning from a broken collarbone, had just one save to deal with throughout.

Victory was wrapped up in the closing stages when Sam Rose scored off a rebound from a short corner.

Carolan said: "During the Christmas break I will have to sit down and think about our game plan for the second half of the season.

"We are very close to be challenging for a place in the National League.

"It is automatic promotion this year. Next year it goes back to play-offs so maybe there is a golden opportunity for us to try to get into the National League.

"If we can keep doing what we are doing, I am confident we will be there or thereabouts going into the last couple of weekends."

Lewes lost top spot in South Premier division one after they were held to a 3-3 draw at Sevenoaks.

Will Champness (2) and Kyle Black were on target and player-coach Luke Hurle was happy enough with the outcome.

He said:"They are not as bad a side as their league position reflects so it was a decent point."

In division two, Chichester drew 2-2 at Fareham in the battle of the top two after coming from 2-0 down to draw level with goals from Phil Ball and Will Blockley.

Skipper Ben Barnes said: "We'll take that, it was a game that could have gone either way. We've got Slough, who are third, at home on Saturday and that's one we have to win."

East Grinstead were brought back down to earth in the National League at third-placed Reading.

Ben Rogers equalised Simon Mantell's early opener, but Grinstead ended up losing 5-1 after picking up ten points in their four previous games.

Andy Todd, Austin Smith, Andy Watts and Rob Todd were Reading's other goalscorers. Grinstead stay fifth after only Guildford, of the teams below them, won on Sunday.