There was just one change to the team that were taken all the way to penalties by Aylesford in the FA Cup last Sunday, with Tierney Scott returning from suspension in place of the unavailable Katie Young. Leah Hume was also back on the bench alongside new signing, former Brentford and MK Dons defender Lily Dalton.
Finally kicking-off in Woodside Road rather than Bristol or Bournemouth for a change, a mere six minutes were on the clock when Becs Bell played in Scott inside the area, only for Macey-Nikiah Walters to steal the ball off her toes.
Less than 120 seconds further on, Dan Rowe had a shot blocked by Katie Akerman before firing a follow-up effort wide of the target, as the hosts maintained their fast start.
Although all that hard work nearly went to waste courtesy of Mia Parker slipping in Izzy Stockton but, thankfully, goalkeeper Lauren Dolbear was in the right place at the right time to deny the forward with her feet.
Midway through the opening forty-five, Bell set-up Holly Talbut-Smith who pulled-off a neat turn and attempt that saw the guest’s netminder gather comfortably.
Moments later, Scott’s left-sided cross made contact with the hand of Ashlee Withers in the eighteen yard box and the referee pointed to the spot. Katie Cooper stepped up and confidently sent the ‘keeper the wrong way to open the scoring.
Shortly before the break Cooper might have doubled both her and the Reds tally via a long-ranger that, initially, appeared to have taken a touch of a striped shirt as a corner-kick was given, until the woman in the middle changed her mind and a goal-kick was the final outcome instead. Emily Linscer’s lay-off at the end of some fine approach play going unrewarded too.
However, that missed opportunity soon paled into insignificance, thanks to Sophie Humphrey capitalising on some indecision amongst the visiting rearguard, who kindly presented the hardworking striker with a gaping goal she simply couldn’t refuse.
Once again, the same player nearly bagged a brace shortly afterwards, concluding an excellent build-up that got underway due to Linscer’s superb reading of the game to nab the ball back around the halfway line and duly release Chloe Winchester, providing Humphrey with a sight of goal that she came agonisingly close to finding, only for the ball miss the far post by a whisker.
The embryonic stages of the second period saw little change; Worthing taking the game to Maidenhead and Bell being the lucky recipient of a misplaced pass to pick out the ever-dangerous Humphrey who forced a top-draw stop out of Amy Whale.
United’s number one’s parry over the crossbar procured a flag-kick which resulted in Bell swapping places with ‘Soph’ but unable to keep her shot down.
Only the width of the crossbar kept out Cooper when Jess Richardson rounded off more good work via a pull-back that ‘Coops’ dropped onto the apparatus, a long way out.
Eventually, ten minutes into the second-half, Talbut-Smith did well to dig out a delivery into the danger zone which led to Rowe’s first attempt being blocked but the Captain subsequently curled a beauty, off the outside of her right boot, looping it into the top corner to put a strong marker down for goal of the month.
Three points in the bag ? Not quite ! A rapid counter-attack was sealed courtesy of a powerful, low strike by Walters that fizzed across an outstretched Dollbear to nestle nicely inside the far upright.
Undeterred, the Rebels retaliated by way of Cooper’s latest corner heading goalwards off the dome of Dan (Rowe) and Humphrey suffering frustration yet again, thanks to Emily Norfolk clearing off the line.
Rowe then took centre stage; her free-kick from the inside-left channel was met by Cooper’s perfectly-timed run but a nod fractionally over the back stick from a starting position close to the front one.
Lincser had the last word, after her deflected effort fell ideally to Bell who skewed off target although victory had, it transpired, been confirmed; pushing Worthing up to exactly half-way in the table, having played a game less than the majority of those around them.
