Worthing's bid for league and cup double glory firmly on track

Football may have been shown not to be the most important thing in the world at Worthing this week – but the team have still done the business on the pitch.
Reece Meekums nets for Worthing v Leatherhead / Picture: Marcus HoareReece Meekums nets for Worthing v Leatherhead / Picture: Marcus Hoare
Reece Meekums nets for Worthing v Leatherhead / Picture: Marcus Hoare

As manager Adam Hinshelwood comes to terms with the death of his father, former Crystal Palace star Paul (see story on the right) his team have notched two more wins to keep them on track for glory in the Isthmian League and Sussex Senior Cup.

On Saturday they beat Leatherhead 4-0 at Woodside Road to go seven points clear at the top of the Isthmian premier – a lead cut by one point with Enfield’s midweek win over Bowers.

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Reece Meekums and Ollie Pearce both scored in a two-minute spell midway through the first half before the prolific Pearce made it three before the break. Danny Barker added a fourth just after the hour.

Ollie Pearce celebrates one of his two goals / Picture: Marcus HoareOllie Pearce celebrates one of his two goals / Picture: Marcus Hoare
Ollie Pearce celebrates one of his two goals / Picture: Marcus Hoare

On Tuesday night Worthing notched their second win in 22 days away to arch rivals Bognor, this time in the quarter-finals of the county cup. Strikes from Will Seager and Jasper Pattenden put Hinshelwood’s men into the last four.

The manager said: “It’s been a very good week on the pitch. You can’t really ask for more than two more wins and two more clean sheets.

“Saturday was top versus bottom and on those occasions you’re expected to win comfortably but sometimes that can be tricky.

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“Leatherhead have a new manager and some new players but I thought our first-half performance was one of our best of the season.

“We had chances before we scored and also had the better of them in the second half. We dominated possession and I thought we carried that on at Bognor on Tuesday.” It was a goal in each half that clinched the cup victory at Nyewood Lane and Hinshelwood added: “In the first half we played some really good stuff. We hit the bar and should have taken chances other than the goal.

“In the second half we probably edged the chances too, even though Bognor changed the way they played. I know our fans will be delighted to have won there twice – it’s a tough place to go.”

Now come two further home tests in the league for Worthing: they host seventh-placed Hornchurch on Saturday and Folkestone, who are sixth, next Tuesday.