Midway through the second half on a chilly, boisterous, increasingly wild night at Woodside Road, this Sussex Senior Cup Quarter Final simply fell apart.

Following that five-star showing on Saturday Chris Agutter scrambled his teamsheet a touch. Four changes were made but the attacking triangle remained. Agutter was aware of the threat that Horsham would pose. He knew they’d be direct, fast and relentless. In the end, they were just too much.

Horsham are a good team. They play with an energy, a purpose and are well-drilled and well-coached under manager Dominic Di Paola. They arrived on the back of five-straight wins and were right up for it tonight; they smelled blood from the start.

Lucas Rodrigues, in particular, was a real handful. He’d dribble beyond three red shirts, slam a one-on-one wide, and constantly look to get in behind. Throw in Daniel Ajakaiye and the Horsham frontline is all gas, no brakes. Worthing’s high-line was a bold move, but a wise move for the most part. By the break the pair were caught offside more times than they had touches in the Worthing box.

Then the Reds turned the ignition key and moved into gear. Bates had earned his start and almost made it count with a fizzing drive that flashed just wide. Then Danny Cashman forced a save from Lewis Carey before Joel Colbran’s cross dropped into netting.

Horsham had raised the early alarm bells but Agutter’s side had started to settle. Then the tempo rose again as the temperature fell.

Mo Faal had scored one of finest and fastest hat-tricks in a Worthing shirt three days prior, and he wasn’t short of confidence here as he came within a few of Carey’s fingers of converting a fine back-heel. At the other end Chris Haigh kept the scores level with a fabulous double-save.

And despite Colbran’s auspicious opener, the myriad offsides and fox legging it across the turf, perhaps the most entertaining moment of the half arrived just minutes before its end when Ola Ogunwamide, having worked so hard to burst into the box, cranked a shot that somehow angled behind the forward. A feat worthy of commendation.

After the pause Horsham returned with a similar intensity. Haigh, who has been brilliant since his fault in Farnborough, produced another outstanding double-save. The Reds’ backline had been generally fairly resolute, but was showing the occasional sign of splinter.

As the night grew older and Horsham pressed harder, Agutter pulled Bates and Bailey Smith in a double switch that welcomed Jack Spong and Cam Tutt onto the pitch. Their impact would not be immediate, for Horsham were level two minutes later. Rodrigues, who had missed a few already, would make little mistake from a matter of yards out as he headed home a pinpoint cross from the left.

Game on. Charlie Hester-Cook made a real impact in the centre of that Horsham heart since coming on. Providing further fibrillation. In the far corner a pocket of visiting Hornets were in fine voice, sensing a second. For large swathes of the second half there was only one team in it. Worthing were scrambling to even escape their own half.

As the fourth official signalled for three additional minutes, the visitors had the chance of preventing a penalty shootout. Ogunwamide steamed through, looked up to see the black shirt of Haigh, but was whistled for offside. He should have just left it to his teammate.

So, penalties. These didn’t go too well last time. The crowd shifted like ants towards the back of the goal. James Hammond converted the first, coolly, before Cashman followed suit.

The spot-kicks were perfect until Jack Spong smacked the post with the score at 2-2. Carey placed his sweetly, Faal responded but Ogunwamide sealed the victory. Haigh just couldn’t get enough on it.

And, in truth, it was deserved. Horsham had harried and pressed Worthing for the duration. They were as good off the ball as they were on it.

For Agutter and his side, the AMEX return will have to wait. And the impetus returns to the league on Saturday in Hornchurch.