Jonté Smith, the Lewes striker, netted his eleventh goal of the season in his team’s 5-0 rout of lowly Bostik League Premier Division rivals Brightlingsea Regent at the Dripping Pan yesterday.

The Bermuda player headed in the home side’s fifth goal from close range on the stroke of half-time.

“It was a great win, we performed really well,” Smith told The Royal Gazette. “It was a very good team performance.”

Lewes’s dominant display catapulted them to the top of the table for the first time in more than a decade on goal-difference over Dorking Wanderers.

“We knew that a good result might take us to the top of the table, and thankfully we performed on the day,” Smith added.

“It’s been a good season so far for us but we know the hard work is not done. We need to keep our form going, and hopefully we can keep pushing for promotion this year.”

Luke Blewden opened the scoring for Lewes in the fourteenth minute with Dayshonne Golding adding a second a minute later.

The game was effectively over as a contest when Luke Blewden made it 3-0 in the 23rd minute before Stacey Freeman and Smith scored within three minutes of each other to heap more misery on the visiting side, who are fourth from bottom.

Smith and his team-mates are at home to Margate on Saturday.