Goals: Chalaye 8′, 20′, 35′; Astle 37′; Bolton 58′; Watson 65′.

Guernsey had an afternoon to forget as they suffered their worst defeat at Step 5 at runaway league leaders Haywards Heath Town on Saturday afternoon.

The Green Lions struggled with the wind, the sun in their eyes and their unforgiving hosts in the first half. Clearly, Haywards Heath have ambition for promotion and have put their money where their mouth is, showing their quality to race into a 4-0 lead but Tony Vance admitted his side made it too easy for them.

GFC improved after the break and showed they could match their opponents for large periods, but the hosts still managed a couple more, with Fin Patterson’s first goal of the season in his 40th appearance for the club providing slight consolation in the latter stages. The Heath have now won all 14 league games and have already scored 49 goals.

Haywards Heath took the lead inside nine minutes as Tom Chalaye latched onto a wayward headed clearance and beat Josh Addison, just moments after he had made a fantastic save. Chalaye got his second on 21 minutes, rifling home inside the box.

Addison delayed Chalaye’s hat-trick with a great save to his left on 26 minutes, shortly before Kyle Sim’s enormous long throw dropped in the net without touching another player on the way and so it was ruled out.

GFC were undone on the break for the third, with Heath attackers outnumbering the away defence, with Chalaye pouncing on a loose ball to complete his treble on 35 minutes. Matt Astle then tapped home three minutes later from Chalaye’s cross to put the result beyond doubt.

Vance’s side got their act together for the start of the second half and came close through Ross Allen then had a penalty shout waved away.

But they were undone twice more as Flynn Bolton picked out the bottom corner from outside the box just before the hour and Watson tapped in a sixth after Jack Barnes had headed Sim’s throw onto the crossbar.

The substitutes combined for Guernsey’s consolation as Callum Le Lacheur sent in a cross and Patterson arrived at the far post to head home his third goal for the club.

GFC drop to eighth in the Southern Combination Premier Division. Saturday’s other results were as follows: Forest Row 3-5 Steyning Town, Horsham YM 1-0 Eastbourne United, Lancing 1-3 Newhaven, Lingfield 2-1 Bexhill United, Little Common 2-0 Crawley Down Gatwick, Seaford Town 5-1 Roffey, Shoreham 0-6 Pagham, AFC Varndeanians 1-4 Peacehaven & Telscombe.

HAYWARDS HEATH TOWN: 1 Nathan STROOMBERG-CLARKE; 2 Billy FULLER; 3 Harry SHOOMAN; 4 Jack BARNES; 5 Henry WATSON; 6 Kyle SIM; 7 Charlie MEEHAN (14 Nathan DA COSTA, 72′); 8 Charlie TOWNING (15 Jonathan SANCHEZ, 54′); 9 Tom CHALAYE; 10 Mark GOLDSON (16 Callum BARLOW, 42′); 11 Matt ASTLE (12 Flynn BOLTON, 54′). Not used: 13 Lucas SZENDELA-GOETKA.

Booked: Sim.