Worthing FC head to Oxford City for one of biggest games in history with pledge from boss Hinshelwood

This has been the Rebels’ first season at step two of the non-league game but if they win at Oxford on Sunday (3.30pm kick-off) they will be just one game from promotion to step one and the National premier.

42 photos from a memorable night at Worthing as Braintree are beaten in the play-offs.

In the minds of both sides, perhaps, will be a below-par performance Worthing turned in when losing 3-0 at City in the league a couple of months ago. Not that Hinshelwood thinks that result should have any bearing on who gets through to face Dartford or St Albans in the play-off final the following weekend.

Worthing finished fourth to earn a home tie with Braintree in the first stage of the play-offs and beat the Essex side 2-1 on Wednesday night in front of a remarkable crowd of 2,678 at a buzzing Woodside Road, a game Hinshelwood said was tight but in which his team were deserved victors.

And he hopes the lift that occasion gave his team can give them a bit extra to take into the clash at Oxford, who have not played since the end of the regular season a week ago, having gone straight into the semi-finals because they finished third.

Hinshelwood told us: “It will be a hard game – any game in the National League South play-offs is going to be. They finished third because they’re a very good side.

"We lost 3-0 and were nowhere near our best. It was a time when we were without Aarran Racine at the back and it just didn’t happen for us that day. We were a shadow of what we can be and gifted them goals. And our first aim this time will be to show that we’re a much better side than we were that day.”

A happier memory is the 1-0 win Worthing earned against Oxford City last November, one of the games this season when Hinshelwood’s side showed they could more than hold their own at this level.

And the manager feels his players – who have won seven of their past eight games – are ready for this next challenge.

"We will give it our best,” he said. “We are in a positive mindset and have momentum. Although there’s only three clear days between the Braintree and Oxford games we’re hoping that having played in a game like that in front of an amazing crowd will inspire us further. It’s fresh in the players’ minds and we must look to carry it on.”

Worthing have suffered an injury blow in the run-up to the game. Midfielder Jack Paxman was forced off against Braintree with what turned out to be a broken metatarsal, so he is firmly ruled out. But otherwside Hinshelwood is without only longer-term absentees.

"I wouldn’t expect to make wholesale changes from the other night but we have a good-sized squad that gives me options,” he said.

The Worthing fans will of course be there in good numbers and good voice. They sold their allocation of tickets quickly and could probably have sold a lot more.

We’ll have news of the play-off semi on this website and our @sport_sussex website on Sunday afternoon and full coverage in the Worthing Herald next week.