Three points, again. As the darkness rolled over Longmead Stadium and debutant Liam Nash sent the visiting fans into ecstasy, the grin of Chris Agutter’s face was a picture. On an afternoon that proved challenging right until the final whistle sounded, Worthing continued to rise higher up the division with yet another imperious performance.

Beneath the grey Kent skies this one began. Those that journeyed from the neighbouring county filling up the rather agricultural Rob Steele Stand, in fine noise behind the goal Tonbridge goal. It was little over a year ago that a lone Ollie Pearce goal was the difference the last time the Reds took to this field on a taut, tetchy afternoon. Today wasn’t much different.

At 2pm the line-ups were announced to the world. A new name in a Worthing XI that just seems to have grown in strength as the season has stretched out. Nash, who has impressed and scored goals at every club he has played for, was now wearing the red of Worthing. He’d partner Mo Faal at the peak of Chris Agutter’s formation. He was irrepressible here.

It was a quiet, yet positive opening. The first 10 minutes demonstrated Worthing’s potential. The next 10 minutes displayed Worthing’s capabilities. Danny Cashman has been an absentee on the scoresheet for perhaps longer than he’d wish, but he deserved a goal for this sheer brilliance with the ball at his feet. Dancing through the blue shirts but finding the feet of goalkeeper Matt Rowley. Corner. The ball dropped to Jack Spong on the edge of the box, and Rowley was there again to tip over his crossbar.

Rowley is an exciting young goalkeeper who was comfortably the busier of the two guards of the goal in the opening half. Positionally superb, his save to deny Faal with 29 minutes played was exceptional. The Reds broke at pace, Ruben Carvalho capitalising on a defensive slip to burst into the box. Within seconds the ball is with the sliding feet of Faal, but is denied by the tango frame of Rowley.

This was the best chance of a half ultimately commandeered by Worthing. Tonbridge grew into those first 45 minutes, but never really troubled Chris Haigh. Testament to the tenacity and resoluteness of Joe Partington and Joe Cook — a centre-half pairing that has just kept going up in levels — Haigh only had a smattering of crosses to deal with.

Faal had another moment in front of goal, this coming after another promising move. When counter-attacking the Reds are ruthless. They just couldn’t force it over the line. Half-time arrived as the darkness descended over the thin, leafless trees. With the restart, Worthing moved up a gear. It was simply a matter of time.

Nash had shown his qualities: that pace to get in behind, the deft movement. He’d had a sniff at goal but never really broke through the lines. His first genuine moment in front of goal saw him race onto a perfect defence-splitting pass, and line up for a strike in the box. Rowley, the seemingly perennial thorn in Worthing’s attack, parried it over. Nash couldn’t have done much more.

Time progressed, minutes passed. Brody Peart was the third change the hosts had made, and he was the most effective on the right-hand side of the pitch. But then, just as Tonbridge were showing signs of promise, Worthing went ahead. With 68 minutes played Tommy Willard was brought on, slapping the palms of Faal as he shimmied onto the turf. With 69 minutes played, Willard had found the top corner from 25 yards out.

A substitution as good as the goal itself. It was postage stamp sort of stuff, and the stand behind the goal filled with red scarves erupted. Then Tonbridge equalised. It had taken Worthing well over an hour to get ahead and, just as they got it, it was gone again in an instant. Jack Wood, finding the corner with similar grace, had brought  the hosts level with a snap of the fingers. Suddenly it all opened up. The noise whipped around Longmead Stadium. There was a genuine game on now. And it was Nash who ended it.

The pressure that Worthing had piled on for the duration persisted after the setback, and Nash was in the right place to pick his spot, and seal the three points. The finish was clinical, and it’s just what Nash brings to a Worthing side already teeming with quality. He adds another dimension, and these two extra points were his doing.

Full-time arrived, eventually. By the end Worthing were three points richer, 11 league games unbeaten and 2nd in the table. The superlatives are running out now, so it’s best to put this prosaically: Worthing are going to be in the hunt right until the very last kick of the season.