Goals galore as Worthing progress

As the season edges towards the winter months, the midweek game offerings become a bit thinner. Without cup progress for most, it’s pretty much down to playing Saturday’s only.

With a few other things going on at weekends currently my watching is restricted to Tuesday nights for a few weeks and with it this week Worthing vs Seaford Town in the Sussex Senior Cup.

It was a few weeks earlier this time last year that the Rebels played Three Bridges in the same competition and turned out that 2-1 defeat was the final competitive game they played last season.

For Seaford it was the chance to look for another scalp having knocked out Southern Combination Premier Division side Loxwood in the first round a few weeks ago.

Worthing boss Adam Hinshelwood went for a youthful look to his side and bench, surrounded by one or two older heads who needed minutes and with Saturday’s FA Trophy tie against National League South Dorking Wanderers in mind.

Seaford were happy to let Worthing push the ball around the pitch but pressed hard not to make it easy for them in the opening quarter and looked very pacey when breaking on the counter attack.

Indeed it was from the visitors pressing that Will Seager scored an own goal to give Seaford the lead on 26 minutes. The lead however was very short-lived as the Mackerel Men were level just two minutes later, a corner from the right landed nicely at the feet of Tom Chalaye and he slammed it past Seaford keeper Mike Platt for the equaliser.

There were a couple of half chances for the home side but Seaford kept them at bay and the sides went into the interval level as possession wasn’t converted into goals for the Mackerel Men.

The second half was an expectation of more of the same, but it was Seaford who had the best chance after the re-start but sent the ball wide of Harrison Male’s far post.

With that scare of almost going behind Worthing stepped it up a notch and ten minutes into the half were awarded a penalty after Platt upended Dean Cox, Chalaye making no mistake from the spot with a thumping drive past the keeper to put the Mackerel Men in front.

Two minutes later and the net was bulging again, good work from Kyle O’Brien down the left found Marvin Armstrong in the box who finished for the home side’s third goal and second in three minutes.

Mo Diallo then got in on the act on the hour mark sliding the ball under Platt from Darren Budd’s pass to seemingly put the game out of reach with half an hour still to play.

Seaford though had other ideas and reduced the deficit three minutes later through Piper to bring it back to 4-2 and cast just a little shadow of doubt in the Worthing minds despite the flurry of goals just before.

Diallo removed any doubt four minutes later with his second and the home side’s fifth, slotting home calmly and adding to the second half goal fest. As the visitors understandably tired, Worthing won another penalty two minutes from time as Luca Cocoraccio was brought down in the box.

Cox looked set to take the spot kick originally despite both strikers being on a hat-trick but handed the ball to Diallo who promptly smashed it against the bar and seemingly missing out on the match ball.

But the striker did bag his third a minute later, clean through once again to add a sixth goal for the home side and in the end a comprehensive victory and a place in the next round for the Mackerel Men.

Some competitive minutes for the likes of Budd, Cox, Armstrong and Pat Webber and a chance for the younger members of the squad to catch the eye and make a claim for the first team spot.

Well taken goals for all six of the home side’s efforts, Seaford played their part too only tiring towards the end and then the three division gap started to show a little, it’s certainly not easy to get the ball off this Worthing team once they get into full flow.

Another cup game awaits this weekend and a different test coming up, as previously mentioned above Dorking Wanderers visit Woodside Road with the home side this time looking to cause a cup upset and a place in the next round of the FA Trophy.