Lewes 1, Thurrock 0.

Jean-Michel Sigere scored the only goal as Lewes left it late for the third match in succession.

The former France under-21 international struck in the sixth minute of stoppage time to help move the Rooks four points clear at the top of Blue Square south.

Paul Booth hit an 86th-minute winner in their last home game against Bishop's Stortford, then two late goals helped them to a 3-1 win at Newport County last weekend.

It looked like they would have to settle for a frustrating stalemate with Thurrock until substitute Sigere netted with seconds remaining.

Manager Steven King said: "It was a bit of a flat performance but we stuck at it.

"I tell them to go to the final whistle. We can't always play the silky football but we kept at it and in the end the reward came."

Lewes suffered a blow before kick-off when winger Andy Drury failed a fitness test.

Drury bruised a foot in last Sunday's win at Newport so Tom Davis returned to the starting line-up with Simon Wormull switching to the right flank.

Captain Steve Robinson was also missing due to a one-match ban so Leon Legge came in but birthday boy Jay Conroy had to be content with a place on the bench after returning from suspension.

Thurrock went into the game with seven wins from their previous nine league matches but they also had one of the worst away records in the division with only two victories on their travels this season.

Lewes lacked a little fluency in the opening exchanges and the visitors forced a couple of corners before carving out the first chance of the contest on 13 minutes, a header by Che Stadhart from Greg Lincoln's free kick which cleared the crossbar.

The response from the visitors was positive with two chances in as many minutes midway through the half, Wormull seeing a shot blocked on the line and then Davis firing over the crossbar.

Stadhart had another chance on 25 minutes as he flashed a shot wide after linking well with Matt Bodkin.

The visitors were proving stubborn opponents and frustration grew among the home crowd as a succession of decisions went against them.

Two penalty appeals failed to convince the referee and then nothing was given when Hamid Barr appeared to be blocked as he tried to latch on to Paul Booth's flick-on.

It got worse six minutes before the break when Barr was sent sprawling in the penalty area by Matt Paine. It looked a sure-fire penalty but referee Nigel Lugg awarded the visitors a free-kick and booked the Lewes player for diving.

It was a bad decision and home players protested to the referee again as he blew time on a half to forget.

Within a minute of the restart, Lewes were indebted to goalkeeper Steve Williams for a finger-tip save to keep out David Bryant's prodded effort.

With little sign of a breakthrough, Lewes threw on Sigere for Barr which seemed to lift the crowd and the big striker almost scored straightaway as he diverted a Dale Binns' cross on to the crossbar.

A minute later Ian Simpemba was booked for protesting after Bai Mas Lettejallow appeared to handle in the penalty area.

Top scorer Booth produced a snapshot 14 minutes from time which was well held by David Blackmore, then moments later Davis unleashed a 20-yard effort just past the angle of the woodwork.

It seemed the goal would not come but eventually it did in the sixth minute of stoppage time as Thurrock failed to deal with a Wormull free-kick and Sigere fired into the roof of the net from close range.

Lewes: Williams, Hamilton, Barness, Wormull, Legge, Simpemba, Davis, Holloway, Barr, Booth, Binns. Subs: Sigere, Groves, Hearn, Conroy.

Thurrock: Blackmore, Flynn, Clark, Cole, Paine, Leittle-Jalloh, Orilonishe, Lincoln, Stadhart, Bryant, Bodkin. Subs: Anderson, Hughes, Read, Tenkorang, Saunders.

Referee: Nigel Lugg