'Patient' Worthing battle to beat Bowers & Pitsea

Reece Meekums hit the bar in a close first half but a masterstroke from manager Hinshelwood saw two of his second half substitutes get the crucial, game-winning goals.

Tom Chalaye followed up Ollie Pearce’s spilled drive to break the deadlock before Pearce added a second, lobbing the ‘keeper from a tight angle.

Bowers pulled one back from the penalty spot deep into stoppage time but Worthing hung on to move up to fifth in the BetVictor Isthmian Premier Division.

Hinshelwood said: "The players really made it work last night and it was a really good performance.

"It was just one of them where we had to be patient and keep believing in what we were doing because the goals didn't come until quite late.

"I've been harping on about the calibre of the squad that we've got and I'm always saying that our subs bench could win us games so I'm glad it panned out that way.

"We seemed to play with the kind of confidence that I'd expect from the team and the quality of players we've got at our disposal."

Worthing had an early chance in the third minute when a great passing move led to Marvin Armstrong picking up the ball and striking from 25-yards.

Despite taking a deflection, it was comfortably caught by Callum Chafer.

The hosts went close nine minutes later when Brad Warner’s shot deflected wide with the resulting corner from Jamie Dicks hacked off the line.

Meekums almost opened the scoring in the 17th minute when a quick Worthing break allowed Alex Parsons to deliver a ball to Meekums at the back post but the forward’s header bounced off the bar.

Jesse Starkey curled a free-kick narrowly wide and there were a couple more half-chances for Bowers from Dicks and Ben Sartain, but the sides went in all square at the break.

A close range effort from Parsons forced Chafer into making a vital save one-on-one before the hosts’ Sartain bent a free-kick round the post after half-time.

Substitute Dan Trendall then squared the ball on for Warner who narrowly failed to connect in front of goal.

But the Mackerel Men eventually found the breakthrough in the 80th minute when a Pearce drive stung the hands of Chafer and Chalaye tucked in the rebound.

Pearce nearly doubled the lead after he curled a fantastic strike to the bottom right corner, but the keeper dived to tip it round the post.

Worthing extended their advantage in the final minute when Pearce lobbed the approaching Chafer from an extremely tight angle.

The home side were awarded a late penalty after Trendall was tripped in the box and, though Warner converted the spot kick, there was not enough time to mount an audacious comeback.

Worthing host bottom side Corinthian Casuals this Saturday (November 23).

Worthing: Rees, Colbran, Tutt, Young, Armstrong (Chalaye 74’), Jelley, Parsons, Aguiar, Kealy (Ayoola 87’), Meekums (Pearce 65’), Starkey. Unused: Doughty, Stevens.