Rebels brush aside unfortunate K's

We’re still at the time of year when the weather likes to have a say if matches can be played or not, although we’ve been quite lucky since the latter part of last year not losing too many games to the wind and rain.

Tunbridge Wells was my original destination for the first time this season, a pitch though that doesn’t hold up to the weather very well and given the rain that came down across most of the South East during the day it was no surprises to see it called off by 4.30.

Luckily, there was a back up plan in the shape of Worthing vs Kingstonian which wasn’t a bad second choice to have, the artificial surface at the Crucial Environmental Stadium allowing play in all kinds of weather. It also meant a much quicker journey home from the game so that’s never a bad thing!

The Rebels are once again leading the way in the Pitching In Isthmian League Premier Division and despite there being more in the way of challengers this time around they are well placed to finally make it to the National League South.

Kingstonian were sure to provide a stern test on Tuesday evening with play-off aspirations themselves and on a cold, rainy night the scene was set for what was hopefully going to be a pulsating clash.

The visitors were quite content for Worthing to have possession in and around their own half whilst utilising the pace of Daniel Ajakaiye and Walter Figueira to mount any counter attacks, Worthing looking to play cross-field balls from right to left into the path of Davide Rodari and James Beresford.

At times in the first half the K’s struggled to get out of their own half as Worthing probed and pressed for a way through, and despite a flurry of attacking play they couldn’t find a breakthrough, Ollie Pearce coming the closest to finding the net but couldn’t divert his effort goal wards.

As can sometimes happen one side has all the attacking play and then all of a sudden find themselves a goal behind and chasing the game. That almost happened five minutes before half time as Kingstonian broke clear beyond the Worthing back line and were indebted to debut making keeper Tommy Reid who saved well with his legs to keep the scores level.

That scoreline stayed level for only a few seconds more as Jasper Pattenden drove into the heart of the K’s defence and while his shot was saved by Serine Sanneh, Callum Kealy was on hand to put away the rebound and give the Rebels the lead.

The marksman was at it again two minutes into stoppage time, rifling a fierce shot past Sanneh after the ball dropped to him in the box from a corner and the Rebels going from almost being 1-0 behind to 2-0 up.

It almost got worse for the visitors a minute later as a barnstorming run from Pattenden ended up with the ball slamming against the post much to the relief of the K’s players and supporters and a chance for everyone to catch their breath as the half time whistle sounded.

The pattern of the second half opening moments saw the home side seemingly sucked into the visitors play, a ten minute spell of pressure but a lack of efforts on Reid’s goal kept the scoreline at a blank for the K’s.

The game turned a little bit niggly for a short while, Kealy picking up a yellow card after tangling with former Rebel Alfie Young in which the latter appeared to kick out at the Worthing frontman but escaped further punishment after an earlier yellow card. Skirmishes broke out twice as the referee looked to lose a little control instead of dealing with the situation slightly better and issued a yellow card also to Pattenden.

The rush of yellow cards also claimed Aaron Racine and the visitors Jerry Puemo in quick succession before Pattenden settled the game on 68 minutes. A superb ball from Beresford set Kealy away down the left flank and he crossed for the winger to finish from inside the six yard box.

Puemo then gave the referee a decision to make with a foul 15 minutes from time and ended up back in the changing room giving Worthing some time to make a man advantage count.

And they almost did three minutes later but substitute Dajon Golding couldn’t latch onto a rebound and hit the target. However, fellow substitute Reece Meekums had no such trouble six minutes from time running at the K’s forlorn defence and arrowing the ball past Sanneh for the home side’s fourth of the night.

Two minutes from time Sanneh was equal to another Golding effort as the Rebels walked off with four goals and a six point lead at the top of the table with a game in hand ahead of a trip to second placed Bishops Stortford at the weekend.

A comfortable win in the end for the hosts but at times the K’s made them work for the points, the sheer power and changes from the bench the difference. And from that point when you look at the players who couldn’t make the sixteen, Pat Webber, Luke Robinson, Darren Budd and a couple more, add in Dean Cox not even coming off the bench as well, the strength in depth available to Adam Hinshelwood is exactly what will be needed over the next two and a half months and hopefully propels them finally into the National League South.

Saturday is surely a ‘not lose’ game and then carry on picking up the wins, if the game in hand yields three points the gap is nine, that’s a nice cushion but one I know Hinsh will insist they maintain.