Molesey earned their first away points of the season with a thoroughly convincing 4-1 victory at Chipstead.
Stafford Palmer’s first goal of the season from Tyrone Pink’s horrendously misplaced backpass opened the scoring, before Pink made amends with a looping header beyond Liam Allen.
James McShane restored Molesey’s lead on the hour with a sublime free kick, before setting up goals for Ollie Robinson and Palmer to put the game beyond the hosts.
It was a scoreline that did not flatter the Moles, as once again they came up against a keeper in Kieran Campbell in inspired form. The ex Epsom man kept the Moles out time and again in the opening half and might have kept the score down in the second had he not been carrying an injury.
The Moles front three of Palmer, Reis Stanisluas and McShane bristled with menace all evening, and all three were thwarted by Campbell in the opening exchanges, and he also kept out a close range effort from Ross Chalke.
When Robinson forced Pink towards his own goal midway through the half his backpass was cut out by Palmer, who finished clinically into the top corner.
The lead was short-lived, as in what was virtually Chipstead’s first attack they drew level when Pink headed beyond Allen.
Things nearly got worse for the Mole two minutes later when a rare slip from Robinson gave Robert Webbe a free run on goal, but Allen saved with his legs.
Campbell produced a breathtaking save to deny Palmer once more, and the willing and energetic Stanislaus saw efforts go wide from decent positions.
The opening exchanges of the second half were scrappy, but it took a moment of inspiration from McShane to restore the Moles’ lead.
McShane was a joy to watch all evening with his quick feet and incisive passing, and looks set to terrorise Ryman League defences in the same way he did Combined Counties Leagues defences over the past few seasons.
Palmer had smashed a first half free kick into the Chipstead wall, so McShane pulled rank when Stanislaus was hauled down just outside the box. His curling free kick went in via the far post.
The game was made safe when McShane’s cross from Craig Lewington’s short corner was nodded home from close range by Robinson, who at this early stage is joint second with Palmer and Stanislaus a the Moles’ top scorer.
McShane’s lofted pass then played in Palmer for his second. His first touch was clumsy which made the angle against him, but he was able to slot the ball beyond Campbell into the far corner.
In stoppage time the referee – who otherwise had a decent game – made what was quite possibly the worst decision in the history of refereeing when he stopped substitute Ashby Charles when one on one with Campbell because of a minor injury to a Chipstead player in the Molesey penalty box.
It mattered little with the game already safe, although had the scores been closer no one in the Molesey camp would have been quite so magnanimous.
There was still enough time for Stanislaus to nearly get the goal his performance deserved, but as had been the case all evening his finish was wayward.
Next up for the Moles is a second encounter in a fortnight against East Grinstead in the FA Cup on Saturday.