Two first half goals from Stef Vukoje and Will Harley saw Eastbourne Borough progress to the Quarter Finals of the Sussex Transport Senior Cup at the expense of local rivals Lewes.

It was almost a game of two halves at the Dripping Pan, with Borough dominant in the first half before the hosts came back into it.

But the Sports held firm to secure their place in the last eight of the competition and make it back-to-back wins in cup competitions.

Adam Murray rang the changes for the tie against Isthmian Premier opposition, including starts for Finn Ballard McBride, Delwin Duah, Michael Klass and Will Harley.

The Sports nearly got off to the perfect start in amazing fashion. Ballard McBride had a shot on goal straight from kick off which caught out everyone, but the ball came back off the bar and Toby Bull gathered.

Borough went on to deliver a dominant first half display, and almost went ahead inside ten minutes when a clearance fell to Klass on the edge of the area, but his first time effort went just over the top corner.

Kai Innocent, making his first start since rejoining the club, when whipped in a great ball from the left to pick out Alfie Pavey, but his header back across goal came back off the post.

And the Sports broke the deadlock on 17 minutes. Innocent was the provider, with his cross eventually dropping to Vukoje at the far post who found the bottom corner from close range.

The hosts, though, looked to get back on level terms and went close moments later when Tolu Ladapo cut in from the left, but curled his effort wide of the top corner.

Borough continued to press and went close midway through the first half when Pavey latched onto a ball through down the left and found Vukoje inside the area, but his effort was parried away at the near post by Bull.

The Sports then went two goals in front on the half hour mark. Pavey played through a perfectly weighted ball into the path of Harley, and one on one with Bull showed great composure to slot past the keeper.

Vukoje had a shot turned away just before half time after good work from Innocent, before Pavey went tried his luck from almost the halfway line early in the second half but was just off target.

However, Lewes halved the deficit just after the hour mark, however. Calvin Ekpiteta did well to intercept a ball from deep and from the edge of the area, his low shot found the bottom corner.

Substitute Danny Bassett then wormed his way through the Sports defence and forced Max Metcalfe into a smart save at his near post – the rebound falling to Nabeel Ghannam ten yards out but he sliced the bouncing ball over the top.

Murray then made a triple change with David Sesay, Dan Quick and Jayden Davis coming on, and the move seemed to steady the ship as Borough enjoyed more time on the ball in the latter stages.

Davis himself almost added a third with 73 minutes gone, but was denied by the legs of Bull at the near post, before Siya Ligendza helped a ball forwards into the path of the substitute, but his left footed drive flashed just wide of the bottom corner.

Lewes, though, almost forced penalties with virtually the last kick of the game. Substitute Marcus Sablier drifted inside from the left and forced Metcalfe into a save at his near post. The ball then dropped to Bassett, whose low drive beat the Borough keeper but Pierce Bird was in the right place to clear off the line.

Two cup games, two wins for the Sports, who will look to take that form into their return to National Leeague South action this weekend.