Worthing take derby honours

Just last week I made my first trip to Worthing's Woodside Road ground to watch the Rebels maintain their place in the top two.  On Boxing day weather inflicted, Woodside Road was where I ended up once again.

My first choice was Tonbridge Angels vs Maidstone Utd, a victim to the football killer known as rain early in the morning , Longmead as I well know has always succumbed when the rain calls. My second choice was The Hive and Barnet, but rain lashing down in Wick meant I wasn't wanting to tempt fate with an ill-fated journey for a postponed game.

So the 3G won again and I stayed at home, 2nd vs 3rd and Sussex neighbours in the Isthmian Bet Victor Premier promised a good old local derby in spite of the weather which showed little sign of stopping on the drive to the ground.

Horsham, who are enjoying a great season so far after promotion last season, started quite brightly and should have been ahead very early on something you thought might come back to haunt them later in the game.

At the other end Worthing could say the same as Reece Myles-Meekums also put the ball just past the far post. Horsham however finished the half with 10 men as ex Mackerel Man Harvey Sparks picked up a second yellow card as he clipped Alex Parsons chasing down a long through ball, the half itself was full of niggly fouls and very little time taken by the referee to calm things down, a pattern that continued during the second half.

Going in at half time 0-0 and with very few chances you felt Worthing had to make the most of the second half with the superior advantage. And within four second half minutes Parsons had put the Rebels in front after his shot seemed to go straight through the keeper.

Horsham though remained dangerous despite being the man short and it all really came alive in the final 10 minutes, firstly Dyett seeing red for pulling down Ollie Pearce as the last man and then Pearce scoring with the deftness of chips over the keeper for 2--0 five minutes from time.

But, it wasn't done there as Pearce notched his second after an outrageous Ricky Aguiar backheel was crossed into the box for the striker to finish to keep Worthing level with Folkestone Invicta at the top of the table as 2019 and the decade ends.

A 12 match unbeaten run is taken to Bognor Regis on New Years Day, another local derby and against another side themselves in good form, this one promises to be just as fiery as Boxing Day and I'll be there but in a different guise...……...