We suffered our third successive league loss yesterday afternoon after Temi Babalola’s first-half strike was enough to seal the points for Worthing at Woodside Road.
It was another familiar loss for our players this season, our tenth loss by a one-goal deficit this campaign, one more example of the fine margins needed to succeed in this league.
While we once again showed fight with a depleted but competitive side, it was not enough to take us higher than 15 points and the foot of the National League South table.
But despite another setback, Warren Feeney remains keen to stay calm, as he spoke of our “good performance against a top, top team.”
We were able to contain seventh-place Worthing, now eight league games unbeaten, up until the first half had just succeeded the midway point, when Babalola tucked into the bottom corner.
Ultimately the 23-year-old forward’s strike made the difference, as our later chances, many of which could have seen a different scoreline towards the end of the match, were not enough to give us any points in West Sussex.
DEFLATION IN WORTHING
This game – admittedly – was always going to be tough given “The Rebels’” form and our pile-up of injuries, the most recent of which was handed to Charlie Rowan in the previous game.
Still, we had an eager squad lined up at the weekend, which included our chosen “Man Of The Match” against Dorking Wanderers, Ben Greenwood, and newcomer Ibrahim Meite.
As Warren stated after the final whilst, our “game plan” initially worked, as were compact in defense, a tactic which limited in-form forwards Danny Cashman and Muhammadu Faal to fire high and wide within the opening 10 minutes.
Whilst the first quarter of the match saw little, if any, attacking menace from our players, we were a force at the back, Brooklyn Genesini, Corey Jordan and Jake McCarthy flicking away crosses from Worthing’s two star strikers and keeping the ball at a distance from Will Buse’s goal during this period.
But, as it took some “quality” to beat us against Dorking, we were on the receiving end of something similar at the weekend.
It was skipper Joel Colbran who played through Babalola down the right-hand side with an accurate looping ball towards the ex-Boreham Wood hitman, who beat a rushing Busey to slide the ball under his legs and into the bottom-right corner.
In perhaps familiar fashion for us this season, we found ourselves 1-0 down in the 24th minute after all our hard work.
Worthing had another chance just five minutes later, captain Colbran being the provider once again as found himself in space near the right byline and slid the ball into Faal’s path, who was just a few yards from goal.
Thankfully, ever-dependable Calvin Brooks flung himself in front of the striker and deflected the ball safely into Busey’s path.
Given Worthing’s firepower in attack, plus their chances, it was perhaps unsurprising that the game continued with our strengths being seen in defence.
Until Ibrahim’s opportunity near the end of the half.
The newcomer rushed to anticipate a misplaced header from Sam Beard and sprinted towards goal, then looking to twist round the oncoming Joe Partington, only for the centre-back and goalkeeper Chris Haigh to intercept at the same time.
Then, if our missed opportunity wasn’t agonising enough, it then looked as if the hosts had doubled their lead one minute into added time.
Faal this time looked dangerous with a pass, as he sent in a quick ball to Babalola, only for Corey Jordan to hook the ball away.
However, our defender could only clear back into Faal’s path, whose strike was deflected into Busey’s midriff.
But play wasn’t done there, as Busey spilled the ball back into Faal, who tapped into an empty net.
However, a raised flag from the officials disallowed a second goal for Worthing, and handed us a mini-lifeline before the break.
Though it took us over 40 minutes for our first notable chance in the first half, it took us just three to register one in the second, after Haigh kept out Mal Linton’s header.
But from that point we would be resigned to making sure the hosts didn’t score again, as they struck a number of shots at Busey’s goals.
Perhaps the closest calls at our expense came when left-winger Nick Wheeler fired a low strike towards the far post which forced Busey to stick out a right hand, followed by Cashman thumping the ball into the left side-netting, but our opportunities would soon occur.
We have seen the end-to-end nature of this league many times this season, and Saturday was no exception as Busey saved from Worthing newcomer Reuben Carvalho, before going long to Euan Pollock, who kept the ball alive and found Mal in space six minutes before stoppage time.
But this passage of play was not enough to see an equaliser as Mal’s strike, eventually saved, was ruled out for offside.
Soon enough, five additional minutes were awarded, our time to find an equaliser running thin.
Though when Euan ran through on goal, leaving West Sussex with a point seems possible.
Until Beard ran approx. 40 yards to win the ball.
But his challenge led to a crucial corner, which was sent to the far post, and into the feet of Jordon Thompson, who wrestled the defence off his shoulder before getting a shot underway.
The ball began to fly towards the top-left corner, but was prevented from bouncing off the net thanks to the crossbar.
Though JT’s close call still left us a goal behind, there was still time for one more goalmouth scramble.
Tom Bearwish, back from injury, thumped the ball towards goal, but was bravely blocked by a sliding Worthing defence, as our hopes to get something from the game ran out.
