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Whyteleafe's highly successful recent run came to a halt in the second half on the picturesque Whitehawk ground well-hidden in the folds of the South Downs.
The first half was even but uneventful, the highlights being a fine save by Leafe keeper Michael Lidbury and a fierce free kick by Dean Gunner, which was fumbled by Hawks' keeper, Lloyd Anderson.
The second half was always going to be harder for Leafe with the heavily sloped pitch now against them. From the start a fine run from ex-Leafe forward Jamie Brotherton found Wes Tate's head but the ball went narrowly wide.
A free kick, following a foul by Alec Brown on Anderson led to a long period of indecision in the Leafe defence with panic short-passing in the penalty area, despite no Hawks player applying pressure.
Ryan Thomas robbed Mark Pullan and good movement between him, Fabian Batchelor and Bentley Graham led to a shot from the latter that went narrowly wide.
There were some neat touches between the 17 year old Thomas and Batchelor but Leafe were finding the undulating ground difficult to deal with.
On 58 minutes Tate was fouled on the edge of the penalty area and Richard Carpenter shot directly into the top corner of the net for the first goal. Lidbury appeared to be unsighted by his own wall, as neither he nor they moved.
The goal changed the course of the game as Leafe, who had been matching their highly-placed opponents, wilted badly.
Two further free kicks on the edge of the area gave Carpenter further chances but he shot both of them narrowly wide.
As Leafe became increasingly ragged Stephane Gnamore replaced a disgruntled Chris O'Flaherty giving Leafe more power but less width.
On 73 minutes, a well directed shot by Paul Armstrong was tipped over the bar, but Leafe's respite was brief as, one minute later, the same player shot through a crowded goal area for Hawks' second goal.
The Leafe defence conceded a succession of needless free kicks and one by Fred Fleming on Karley Akehurst, in the 81st minute led to the third goal.
Hawks' debutant substitute Ben Godfrey comfortably beat Dan Aldous. From the resulting centre, Leafe's own young debutant, Dom Huell headed into his own net.
The home side were now rampant and Akehurst found time for a prolonged ball juggle before firing just over the bar.
In the 85th minute, a shot from Godfrey was fumbled by Lidbury and Sam Gargan accepted the resulting tap-in for the fourth goal.
Fabian Batchelor was booked for a despairing foul, born more of frustration than malice.
The nap hand was completed in the last minute when Gargan headed in an Armstrong corner.
Leafe had matched third - placed Whitehawk for the first hour, but then collapsed disastrously. Clearly there are fitness and resilience issues if they are to maintain their recent improvement.
Whyteleafe: Lidbury, Huell, Gunner, Fleming, Aldous, Brown, Stripp, Graham, Thomas, Batchelor, O'Flaherty (Gnamore 71)..Not used: Borrett, Laud-Anderson.