Cray came home empty-handed from Lewes after the home side scored the only goal of the game from a disputed penalty in the 36th minute.

A bright start from Cray saw them go close in the very first minute when Tommy Whitnell got a foot to Sam Long's low cross from the right, but the ball flashed inches the wrong side of the post.

Attacking-wise that was as good as it got for Cray in the whole ninety minutes. Whitnell worked hard but looked isolated up front, and Cray's next effort at goal saw Chris Saunders shoot over the bar on 23 minutes.

By then, the Rooks' eventual matchwinner Christian Nanetti had served notice of intent, cutting inside to demand a great save by Andy Walker from his stinging drive in the 7th minute.

Tyrone Sterling cleared the danger for Cray when Nanetti was put in by Michael Malcolm a minute later, and Walker got down to stop Malcolm's shot in the 16th minute.

Nanetti's pace on the right was a thorn in the Cray defence, but there was fury in the visiting camp when the assistant referee flagged for a penalty-kick when Nanetti went to ground under challenge from Mark Willy.

Despite the protests from Cray, referee Mr Taylor pointed to the spot and Paul Booth speared the ball past Walker.

Sam Long's solo runs from the right seemed to be Cray's main threat on goal, but his best effort saw him finish with a shot that Liam Mitchell held easily.

Malcolm wasted two good chances for Lewes just before and after the interval, after getting clear of the Cray defence.

Cray raised their game after the break but for all their good approach work they couldn't break down a solid Rooks' rearguard.

From a quick free-kick on 67 minutes, Luke Coleman crossed from the right for Whitnell to touch on cleverly to Danny Phillips, but the home defence crowded him out at close range.

A triple substitution saw Cray switch to a more attacking formation in the last fifteen minutes, but apart from one goalmouth scramble and a Tony Dolby free-kick that skidded away off the defensive wall, the Wands couldn't conjure up an equaliser to preserve their six-game unbeaten run in the Ryman Premier.

Cray: Walker, Long, Bentley, Day, Willy (McLeod 79), Sterling, Whitnell, Saunders, Coleman (Humphries 79), Phillips, Clark (Dolby 75).

Attendance: 721 Cray are away to Tooting on Wednesday night (7.45pm), and home to Erith Town in the FA Cup 2QR next Sunday at Hayes Lane (3pm).