Hinshelwood: Worthing FC getting stronger in time for National South kick-off

A series of home friendly defeats to Bognor, Hashtag United and Gosport sparked a few concerns about how ready the Reds were for the new season.

But those matches involved trialists and some experimental line-ups – and when Hinshelwood put out a stronger line-up at Horsham on Saturday, Worthing won 3-0 thanks to goals by Greg Luer, Ollie Pearce and Joel Colbran.

And there was a further sign of the strength in depth at the manager’s disposal when a younger side won 2-1 at Littlehampton Town on Monday night – when they finished with seven 15-year-olds on the pitch.

After last night’s Sussex Community Shield clash with Broadbridge Heath at Lancing – which they won on penalties after a 3-3 draw secured by a Finlay Chadwick wondergoal – it’s down to the serious business of the league opener, which brings Tonbridge Angels to town on Saturday.

Hinshelwood said: “The squad has been settling down in the past week or so. There are players who you have to look at in the earlier games but having said that we were disappointed with the performances in the home friendlies we lost.

"Our fans aren’t used to us losing three home games like that.

"But the players have been excellent in how they’ve trained and shown belief in what we’re trying to do.

"Horsham are a good side who have recruited well and we did well to win there, then it was a different team and different challenge at Littlehampton.

"We’re ready for the league games to start now, There comes a stage of pre-season where you feel you’ve done enough and want to get on with it.”

Hinshelwood is delighted to have tempted midfielder Ricky Aguiar back to Worthing on a season-long loan from Swindon. “It looked he was not going to get too much playing time this season and suited all parties for him to come to us.”

The manager expects the league to be stronger than last term, when Worthing reached the play-offs in their first step two season.