With the first signs of autumn beginning to arrive, 131 supporters were in attendance for an evening that produced three goals, a penalty, some committed challenges and a finish that remained in the balance until the final moments.
Peacehaven struck first through Callum Edwards, but Steyning refused to let the game get away from them. Jesse Sentamu's penalty brought the Barrowmen level before half-time before substitute Alex Brewer completed the turnaround after the break.
Even then, Steyning's work was not finished, with Lewis Beebee striking the crossbar late on as Peacehaven came agonisingly close to rescuing a point.
Edwards gives Peacehaven the perfect start
Steyning created the first opening of the evening.
Conrad Honore found space to deliver an excellent ball towards Jesse Sentamu, but the striker was unable to keep his header down and sent it over the crossbar.
Peacehaven soon began to cause problems of their own.
Captain Connor Tighe stood over a free-kick in a dangerous position and sent a threatening delivery into the Steyning penalty area. The visitors initially dealt with it, heading behind for a corner, but they were unable to completely clear the danger.
The ball eventually found its way to Callum Edwards, who produced a superb individual moment.
Edwards beat two Steyning players before drilling a low effort into the bottom corner to give Peacehaven a 1–0 lead after nine minutes.
It was an excellent finish and gave the hosts something to protect.
Steyning respond
Going behind did little to discourage Steyning.
Honore was again involved as the visitors looked for a route back into the contest, producing another dangerous cross towards Sentamu. This time the striker got his effort away but scuffed it narrowly past the post.
As the half developed, so did the physical side of the contest.
Challenges began to fly in as both teams battled for control, with neither side being given much time on the ball.
A foul on Bright Kuntu-Blankson presented Steyning with another opportunity from a free-kick in a threatening area, although the resulting attack came to nothing after the assistant referee spotted a foul inside the box.
Peacehaven continued to protect their one-goal advantage, but Steyning were asking more questions as half-time approached.
Eventually, the pressure told.
Sentamu levels from the spot
Steyning were awarded a penalty after Eman Osei-Asomah brought his man down inside the area, with the Peacehaven player also shown a yellow card.
Jesse Sentamu took responsibility from the spot.
The Steyning striker fired his penalty straight down the middle to make it 1–1 shortly before half-time.
After falling behind early on, the visitors had worked their way back into the contest.
There was little to separate the sides at the interval.
Peacehaven had enjoyed the perfect start through Edwards, while Steyning had responded strongly and eventually got their reward through Sentamu's penalty.
Everything remained to play for under the lights.
Brewer completes the comeback
Steyning came out brightly after the restart.
Sentamu was involved in their first major opening of the second period, although his effort was blocked behind for a corner.
The visitors threatened again through Finn Daniels-Yeomans, whose effort forced Peacehaven goalkeeper James Broadbent into an excellent save.
Broadbent's intervention kept the scores level, but the reprieve would not last for long.
Max Blencowe produced an excellent delivery into the Peacehaven penalty area and substitute Alex Brewer, introduced at half-time, was there to meet it.
Brewer made no mistake, firing his finish into the bottom-left corner to put Steyning 2–1 ahead.
Having trailed earlier in the evening, the Barrowmen had turned the game around.
Peacehaven push for a way back
The hosts were far from finished.
Edwards remained a threat and delivered a dangerous free-kick into the Steyning area as Peacehaven searched for an equaliser.
A succession of corners followed, forcing Steyning to defend their advantage as the game moved towards its closing stages.
The visitors continued to clear their lines, but Peacehaven kept coming.
Then came the moment that almost changed the result.
A dangerous cross was sent into the Steyning penalty area and substitute Lewis Beebee climbed to meet it.
His header beat Steyning goalkeeper Alfie Mansell.
It didn't beat the crossbar.
The ball crashed against the woodwork, denying Peacehaven a dramatic late equaliser and leaving Steyning with their advantage intact.
It was a narrow escape for the visitors.
Soon afterwards, the final whistle confirmed all three points would be heading back with the Barrowmen.
A proper night under the lights
It had been the sort of evening that shows the appeal of non-league football under the floodlights.
There were committed challenges, opportunities at both ends and a game that was still capable of changing deep into its closing stages.
Peacehaven will look back at Beebee's late header against the crossbar as the moment they came closest to taking something from the night. They had started strongly, with Edwards' excellent individual goal putting them ahead, and continued pushing for an equaliser after falling behind.
Steyning, though, showed plenty of character after conceding first.
Sentamu's penalty gave them a deserved route back into the contest before Brewer's second-half finish completed the turnaround.
The final stages were not comfortable for the visitors. Peacehaven pushed bodies forward, Steyning were forced to defend and the crossbar ultimately came to their rescue.
But when the final whistle sounded under the floodlights, the scoreboard still read:
Peacehaven & Telscombe 1–2 Steyning Town.
A competitive Sussex non-league encounter, decided by fine margins, and a hard-earned three points on the road for the Barrowmen.