Eastbourne Borough Under 18s fell to a second defeat in a row in their first match of 2024, with three late goals giving Burgess Hill Town an emphatic win.
Alex Brewer scored four times for the Hillians as they won 6-1 at Priory Lane.
Jake Prodger had given Mostyn Price’s side hope of a comeback when he halved the deficit just before half-time to make it 2-1.
However, they were unable to break down the visitors, who through Josh Hebert went 3-1 up on the hour mark before they pressed home their advantage with three goals beyond the 87 minute mark.
The young Sports will be looking to bounce back when they host Bognor Regis Town next Tuesday (30th January) at Priory Lane.