There was just one change to the side that won a hard-earned victory at Southampton last time out, with newbie Meg Curran dropping back down to the bench as Emily Linscer returned at centre-half. Jess Richardson completed a competent collection of substitutes which also featured Libby Kingshott, Sophie Humphrey and Holly Talbut-Smith among those waiting to make an impact.
Bathed in glorious sunshine, following the cold and wet of seven days ago, it was the Rebels who were quickest out of the blocks, courtesy of Dan Rowe’s right-sided free-kick being met on the run by Dani Lane; only for her header to fall the wrong side of the back stick.
Rowe was at it again shortly afterwards but this time from the opposite flank. Picking out Becs Bell in space inside the penalty area, Bell was able to lay the ball off to Lauren Amerena, though her shot lacked the power to trouble Alex Madden in the visitor’s goal.
It came as somewhat of a surprise therefore when Bridgwater edged in front on the quarter-hour mark. Connie Pengelly caught Linscer in possession and duly lobbed a cruelly exposed Lauren Dolbear from almost twenty-five yards out.
However, in typical Worthing fashion they immediately went in search of an equaliser. Izzy Franklin delivered a peach of a right wing cross that Georgia Tibble, on the run, nodded narrowly over the angle of crossbar and post.
Captain Dan (Rowe) tried her luck from distance, with her attempt dipping a fraction too late as it brushed the top of the net but home fans didn’t have to wait much longer for parity to be restored.
Tibble teased and troubled the guest’s rearguard in equal measure, by way of a corner struck right at the very heart of the danger zone that Linscer fittingly applied the finishing touch to.
In fact, Linscer might have had another soon after, thanks to Tibble almost finding her feet once more, although Madden made sure she got to the ball a split-second beforehand.
A Franklin flag-kick then saw Lane hit the upright, leaving the number ten to curse her luck and, moments later, the same player went long to set Tierney Scott free on the right; ‘T’ dumping Libby Gimson on the floor as she powered her way through to drilling a powerful low effort into the side-netting.
Going into the break level-pegging, United showed first after the turnaround when Matilda Franchi slipped in goalscorer Pengelly. Getting the better of Franklin but with Lane coming across to close down the space quickly, Pengelly’s hand was forced somewhat and her early effort sailed comfortably wide.
That proved to be Pengelly’s last action of the afternoon, with Grace Phillips soon taking her place. However, it would be the introduction of home replacement Curran which would have the greater, immediate impact.
Although, not in the way the all-action midfielder planned, for she unwittingly blocked Lane’s latest goalbound strike, around the midway point of the second-half.
That chance arrived not long after Tibble’s brilliant through ball to another sub, in the form of Humphrey, had the newly-introduced striker bearing down on goal; until equally brilliant defending ensured that the opening went begging.
Looking for a black cat that appeared to have been run over derived from the luckless Lane glancing one set-piece wide at the far post, then smacking said apparatus with another not much later.
Several stoppages throughout proceedings resulted in a huge amount of extra minutes being added on to the normal ninety.
Though not before Tibble had grazed the top of the net via a long-range free-kick with just two to go.
Having previously suffered frustration at the end of a similar link-up, Lane matched Tibble when she saw a light grey shirt block her latest attempt at snatching the points, at the end of a driving, diagonal run across the area.
Continuing to threaten, Tibble then received a short corner from Rowe and broke into the eighteen yard box but pulled her shot factionally past the front stick.
Fifteen further minutes were met by the above, alongside Tibble’s burst forward before that, which created room for an effort that netminder Madden dealt with easily and Humphrey was also kept out, at close quarters by a final fling of fine defending.