The game was only two minutes old when the opening opportunity was crafted by the hosts. Ella Newman played in Tibble on the left and her final ball to Sophie Humphrey forced visiting netminder Elleah Fenner to push the striker’s subsequent strike over the top.
It didn’t take long though for the home team to break the deadlock, thanks to a bit of role-reversal between Newman and Humphrey. This time it was the former’s byline delivery that Worsfold met first time to calmly, yet clinically clip above the head of Fenner to open the scoring.
Despite the intense heat, the following sixty seconds or so saw both Becs Bell and Tibble come close, with Bell firing into the side netting and Tibble being denied by the increasingly busy Fenner.
However, the respite was all too brief for the visitors, as Newman’s corner was only cleared as far as Worsfold who returned it with interest to double her and her team’s tally.
Worthing’s number ten almost had her hat-trick straight afterwards but swept her shot narrowly over the target, just outside the area.
The woodwork came to Seaward’s rescue when a Katie Cooper interception led to Tibble hitting the crossbar from distance but she made no mistake approaching the half-hour mark.
Picking up a quickly-taken free-kick on the left, the Summer signing from Hastings United tricked her way towards the eighteen yard box before breaching it’s security and chipping a classy finish over the unfortunate Fenner, who got hands to the ball but couldn’t quite prevent it dropping into the net behind her.
Newman then took it upon herself to also test the strength of the apparatus, only for it to get in the way again and keep the wing-wonder off the scoresheet.
Although no-one could stop Bell ten minutes before the break when, following stern work and a great piece of skill to leave her marker floundering near the right-hand corner of the pitch, she provided the assist for Worsfold to sweep tantalisingly out of the reach of Fenner and complete a well-deserved treble.
There was no let up after the interval, in either the weather or the wave after wave of Reds’ attacks.
A mere five minutes had elapsed prior to Worsfold playing Newman’s flag-kick back to her, to pick out an unmarked Katie Young on the far side of the penalty area. Young flashing a venomous volley across the face of goal.
That simply acted as a precursor to Emily Linscer instantly adding another name to the scoreboard by driving into the bottom corner from the edge of the box, in spite of only entering the fray at half-time.
The battle for the match ball then intensified when Tibble moved to within one of a treble of her own by reacting ahead of the Seaward defence to get on the end of Worsfold’s precise pass into the danger zone, applying a neat close-range finish to bag her brace.
Further hesitation in the Blues’ rearguard was punished in an equally efficient manner by Bell -just seconds after being reintroduced for Cooper – who immediately sensed the uncertainty, wriggling free once more, drawing the ‘keeper and serving up a seventh.
Fans were left wondering what the woodwork had done to the homesters, following Worsfold joining a growing list of Red shirts to leave their mark on it.
Into the last twenty and Humphrey made ground along the right wing then sent in a low cross that one Londonder missed but Linscer certainly didn’t; Fenner producing a fine save to frustrate.
Shots continued to rain down on the guests’ goal, with Humphrey the latest to induce Fenner into action via an effort from the ‘d’ which missed the custodian’s near upright by a matter of inches.
The destination of the match ball sparked debate amongst the home faithful, thanks to Tibble escaping the clutches of the Blues’ backline once more to guide a low right flank delivery home, before nearly claiming it for herself moments later. Switching the ball onto her left foot and only able to watch as a flying Fenner put a stop to that in fine style.
More neat and incisive approach play resulted in Worthing feeling nine when Linscer & Bell teamed together to supply substitute Becky Simmons, who prodded past Fenner ten minutes after taking the place of hat-trick hero number one Worsfold. Leaving Worthing in fine fettle going into next Sunday’s maiden league encounter of 2022/23 at Dartford.