Rebels rue Douglas slip

A MISTAKE by Dominic Douglas 14 minutes from time cost Worthing the goal with which relegation mix rivals Folkestone Invicta beaten them 2-1 on Saturday, reports Richard Amey.

The on-loan defender from Eastbourne Borough in the Conference was suddenly too casual about his care of the ball and striker Elly Remy seized possession and beat Rikki Banks from an acute angle as the recovering Worthing defence forced him away from goal.

Banks would have been disappointed to have been beaten but he had done enough already in the first half, with two full-stretch saves, to prevent Worthing going behind in a opening 45 minutes where they were shown by their opponents how to spread the ball around a softening pitch.

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The goal by which Rebels did eventually go behind, eight minutes after the interval, following a fresh shower of rain, was also untidy. James Everitt went up to support his attack and appeared unmarked, which threw also the team-mate he moved in to assist, but the ball rolled unconvincingly into the net because Banks had been wrongfooted on the newly slippery surface.

Six minutes later, Everitt was back and clearing off his own goalline from Ben Andrews when Mark Knee, from the corner flag, once again pinpointed the big forward for another set-piece thumping header.

But Worthing were calling the shots and on 72 minutes, Danny Davis, who was about to be replaced by Jamie Brotherton, sent in a diagonal free kick. The ball was sent back across goal, bounced awkwardly in front of keeper Chris May and, of two players from each side closing in, Jamie Lawrence knocked in the equaliser.

Parity lasted only four minutes, however, when Douglas, 35 yards from his own goal, slackly offered Remy too much of a sight of the ball.

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All the closing excitement to come was around the Folkestone goalmouth but Invicta should have buried Rebels twice on the break. In stoppage time, Man Of The Match, Sonny Cobbs, fired over the bar from 30 yards and Davis, much closer, saw his drive dip too late over the near angle.

WORTHING: Banks; J. Keehan, Douglas, Alexander, Cobbs; Davis, Day., Lawrence, Knee; Andrews, Lawley. Subs: Morris (Lawley 56), Brotherton (Day 78), Rogers, Axten, K.Keehan. Att: 456.

Rebels slipped one place to fourth-bottom, now below Ashford Town (Middx) who drew with Carshalton.

Premier Division, Saturday: AFC Wimbledon 3, Bromley 2; Ashford Town (Middx) 2, Carshalton 2; Boreham Wood 1, Ramsgate 2; Leyton 2, Harrow 1; Worthing 1, Folkestone 2.

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Postponed: East Thurrrock v Chelmsford; Hampton & Richmond v Horsham; Hendon v Staines; Heybridge v Billericay; Margate v Tonbridge Angels; Walton v Slough.

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