Nash replaced Temi Babalola on 66 minutes with his side trailing to Noah Coppin’s first half goal and after Joe Cook had headed the Reds level with thirteen minutes remaining, Nash struck twice in three minutes to secure the points despite a late goal from Callum Watts.

Manager Chris Agutter made a big call with his team selection, leaving out the previously ever-present Chris Haigh and selecting the returning Lucas Covolan in goal. The Brazilian stopper making his first appearance for the Rebels since the final day of the 2018/19 season.

The hosts started brightly with Mo Faal and Temi Babalola reunited in attack, the former broke clear inside 3 minutes but his effort was blocked and the attack fizzled out.

Babalola was causing problems again shortly after, with ten minutes on the clock the frontman was hauled down but with the home crowd appealing for a penalty the ref deemed the offence had taken place outside the area. Jack Spong struck the resulting free-kick low just past Rhys Byrne’s post.

Despite all the attacking intent from the home side it was the visitors who broke the deadlock. Coppin headed home at the near post following a corner with twenty minutes played.

Moments later captain Joel Colbran fell heavily and received treatment for a few minutes before returning to the pitch.

After that break in play the Reds really turned up the pressure for the remainder of the first period.

First, Sam Packham fired over from the edge of the box, before Nicky Wheeler came even closer just a minute later. Slipped in by Faal on the left hand side of the six yard box his low effort beat Byrne but rebounded back off the post before being cleared to safety.

The ball inexplicably stayed out of the visitors net shortly after the half hour mark when Joe Cook’s close range headed came back off Byrne and ricocheted off Glen Rea’s knee before the ‘keeper gathered gratefully on the goaline.

Rea was in the thick of it for next ten minutes coming close twice more with two headed attempts, the first of which flashed centimetres wide.

Danny Cashman and Faal both had half chances in the closing stages of the first half but the Rebels went in frustrated and a goal behind at the break.

Into the second period and the Reds flooded forward in search of an equaliser from the get-go but they struggled to break down a packed and stubborn Salisbury defence.

Looking for something different Agutter introduced Tommy Willard for Cashman on the hour and five minutes later Jack Spong stung the palms of Rhys Byrne who did well to shovel the ball behind for a corner.

Nash then entered the fray but before the comeback began the Rebels survived a huge scare as they left space in behind the visitors countered, Ronan Silva broke clear and squared for fellow substitute Dan Fitchett but Covolan produced the biggest moment of his comeback producing an excellent stop to keep it at 1-0.

The Whites resistance eventually broke in the 77th minute when Spong sent in a good cross from the left and Cook rose highest to plant a header into the bottom corner despite protests from the visitors that a foul had been committed.

It took just four minutes to complete the turnaround, Nash was released down the left, he drove into the box and unleashed an unstoppable shot in to the roof of the net to send Woodside into raptures.

Nash broke the offside trap of a now weary visiting defence again three minutes later, staying calm under the pressure of recovering defenders to bring the ball down and calmly stroke home a third goal in a devastating eight minute spell.

Heading into six minutes of injury time a lapse in concentration allowed Salisbury to reduce the deficit when Callum Watts scored with a neat finish but the Reds survived the remaining few minutes to secure a vital three points on a day when the two teams above them in the Vanarama National League South table – Eastbourne Borough and Dorking Wanderers – both dropped points.

Highlights: Worthing 3 Salisbury 2

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Agutter’s side will be hoping to follow it up with another positive result when they host Farnborough at the Sussex Transports Community Stadium on Tuesday, 7:45pm kick-off.