Worthing told after first-day defeat: We were second best and must do better

Adam Hinshelwood reflected on Worthing’s opening-day Isthmian premier defeat and admitted: We got what we deserved.
Worthing players celebrate taking the lead at Folkestone / Picture: Mike Gunn for Worthing FCWorthing players celebrate taking the lead at Folkestone / Picture: Mike Gunn for Worthing FC
Worthing players celebrate taking the lead at Folkestone / Picture: Mike Gunn for Worthing FC

The Mackerel Men took a second-half lead through Ollie Pearce on their visit to Folkestone Invicta – but they then let in three goals in 15 minutes to end day one pointless.

Hinshelwood and his players are certainly not panicking one game into a 42-match league season but they will be seeking a marked improvement when Woodside Road hosts its first league game for 17 months on Saturday, when Bowers and Pitsea visit.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Hinshelwood felt Worthing were fortunate the game was goalless at the break and said he was disappointed in the performance and a level of desire that left them second best.

He told the Herald: “It was definitely a fair result. We were second best. Tactically they’d obviously watched us and had a game plan to counter us, but we had too many below-par on the day.

“I don’t know why it was. We had a sort of nervous energy about us and there’d been a lot of hype leading up to the first league game for ten months, but our performance was the sort we’d not seen in pre-season.”

Hinshelwood said no-one would panic over one defeat and the squad were being worked hard at training this week while analysing aspects of their play that were not good enough at Folkestone. “It was all over the pitch,” he said. “I’d say they won eight out of the 11 battles.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The manager was upset the poor showing came in front of a good turnout of Worthing fans.

“It hurts even more to have a result like that when so many had made the trip. We’ll aim to be better all round when we play our first home game this weekend, when hopefully there will be a big crowd in,” Hinshelwood said.

There were competitive debuts at Folkestone for keeper Harrison Male, defender Will Seager and playmaker Dean Cox and Hinshelwood reiterated his view that he is happy with the options in his squad.

He said he did see positive signs in the loss he hoped they could build on – passages of play when they got the ball down and passed it – but wanted to see much more of such spells in the games to come.

Latest: worthingherald.co.uk

Related topics: