Worthing made the midweek trip on the back of their comfortable 3-0 win against Weston-super-Mare at the weekend and they were targeting their tenth league win on their visit to Wiltshire. They were coming up against a Salisbury side who also had won their most recent encounter in convincing style as they completed a 5-0 demolition of Hemel Hempstead Town. They were, however, winless in their previous seven league matches.

Chris Agutter was forced into making one change to the side that arguably put together their best performance of the season last time out. Joe Cook’s suspension meant that there was a place in the eleven for Sam Packham. Glen Rea, a returnee from suspension, was named on the bench alongside youngster Freddie Chester who made the squad in the league for the first time.

There was a late change to the line up before kick-off, as Harrison Smith replaced Mo Faal up top.

The Rebels almost made the perfect start, with Sam Beard causing problems down the left flank in the first minute. He delivered a low cross to Temi Babalola who spun and shot at goal without connecting cleanly. It was nearly a perfectly scuffed shot as the ball rolled into the path of Joel Colbran’s darting run, but Whites keeper Dan Lincoln came out to make the save.

Beard’s crosses continued to cause problems for the Whites and for Lincoln in particular. Less than ten minutes into the contest, he stood one up and Lincoln could only palm it onto his own crossbar. The rebound fell to Colbran who would have had a better chance if he shot first time, but his touch meant that Joshua Sommerton could recover to make the block.

It was all Worthing in a stop-start first half an hour and they were threatening again 15 minutes in. Jack Spong spotted Colbran’s advancing run into the area and slipped him in. The Worthing skipper picked his head up and looked to pick out Smith, but the ball just evaded the striker despite his best efforts to get there by sliding forward.

The Rebels were to get the reward for their bright start on 25 minutes. From a corner, Spong lined up an acrobatic effort that was almost immediately blocked by the raised arms of George Franklin and referee Tom Ellsmore wasted no time in pointing to the spot. Cashman stepped up to take the spot kick and took his time with his run-up before placing it nicely into the bottom left corner to give his side the lead.

The hosts had a quick flurry of chances soon after the opener as Ronan Sliva rounded Chris Haigh as he advanced into the box on the left. The Rebels got back quickly to make the angle almost impossible and they followed that by making a succession of blocks before eventually clearing the danger.

Kane Wills slipped in Babalola just after the half hour mark, but after the forward looked to be bearing down on goal, he couldn’t get the ball out of his feet as it bounced behind him and the danger was cleared.

After earlier stoppages, there were six minutes of added time played at the end of the first period and Cameron Coxe had the best opportunity in that period as he swung in a shot from the right side of the area with his left foot, but Haigh saved comfortably and the Rebels kept their lead heading into the break.

Chris Agutter’s side made the perfect start to the second half as they doubled their advantage through Smith. It was Babalola’s tireless work that made the goal, he never gave up on the ball down the right flank and forced Salisbury keeper, Lincoln into an error as he gave the ball away to the Worthing forward. He then picked up his head and spotted Smith inside him before laying him on a plate to double the advantage.

Smith could have and probably should have doubled his tally on the hour mark. Nicky Wheeler floated in a cross from the left to the striker, but the forward couldn’t keep his header down and it sailed over from close range.

The home side remained a threat and struck the woodwork from a free-kick with 20 minutes to go. Jaden Perez stepped over the dead ball from around 25 yards and he had beaten Chris Haigh in the Worthing goal, but it struck the bar and bounced over.

Smith was substituted on 71 minutes and was replaced by Rea who returned after missing four matches through suspension.

Babalola was presented with a great chance to make it three on 74 minutes after Wills burst down the left flank. He picked out Babalola with a first time ball, but the forward got his shot all wrong when one-on-one and it went well wide.

Moments later, he was in again and rounded the keeper on the left side of the area but his shot from a tight angle went inches wide of the far post.

Colbran was next to come close as Wills provided him with a fantastic opportunity with a low cross from the left, but the captain couldn’t keep his shot down and his shot from inside the six-yard box as it rebounded off the crossbar.

Agutter’s final subs were made before the full time whistle as Ollie Starkey and Jack Bates came on to replace Temi Babalola and Nicky Wheeler, but the points were secured and they were headed back to West Sussex.

Now, attention turns back to the Isuzu FA Trophy as the Rebels welcome Gosport Borough to the Sussex Transport Community Stadium on Saturday.