Down to the bare bones, numbers wise, the Reds were only able to name one substitute, in new signing Grace Bates. Despite that, however Lily Dalton coming back in for Chloe Winchester was the only change to the starting eleven that completed the double over Keynsham Town a fortnight ago.

Looking to overturn September’s home loss at a sun-drenched County Ground, it was the visitors who made the faster start thanks to Holly Talbut-Smith’s low cross whizzing past the far post just before Meg Curran could get there to meet it, after six minutes.

A mere eight showed on the clock at the moment Swindon made their intentions known, by way of Annie Colston forcing a fine one-handed save out of Lauren Dolbear from more than twenty yards out.

An unusually nervous-looking Worthing failed to heed the early warning though, as Captain Colston – who bagged a brace the last time these two teams locked horns – pounced on a loose ball to put her side ahead less than sixty seconds later.

The Rebels were well and truly under the cosh in the early stages and the hosts took advantage courtesy of Helena Diaz-Butcher’s right-sided delivery deceiving Dolbear at her front stick and sneaking in to double the deficit, despite Worthing’s custodian getting a firm hand on it.

We were still less than a quarter-of-an-hour in at the moment a clean through Colston was presented with a chance to complete a quickfire hat-trick but her lob lacked the height to catch out ‘Loz’ a second time.

Matchball number one appeared to be winging its way to chez Colston midway through the opening period, only for the offside flag to deny the Skipper after she’d put away Diaz-Butcher’s parried effort.

Within a matter of minutes Diaz-Butcher was involved again, due to her interception and lay-off to Lacy Liggett but once more Dolbear came to the fore, coming out smartly to block the attacker’s attempt.

Unfortunately, a rare error by the usually unflappable Dolbear saw her caught in possession and duly punished by the predatory Tori St Clair to give the Blue-clad Reds a mountain to climb.

However, Tierney Scott almost reduced that portion of the Earth’s crust to a molehill, via a long-range drive that required a one-handed tip round the upright by home ‘keeper Hannah Cox.

In spite of a small chink of light suddenly appearing at the end of the tunnel, it would be the relentless Robins who’d practically put the game to bed at the end of a flowing move down the right. Diaz-Butcher once again laid it on plate for St Clair to double her tally and leave the by now weary travellers facing an even longer trip home.

Not content to simply sit on their handsome half-time advantage, it took a brilliant block by Eleanor Keegan to prevent Izzy Cook from sampling the delights of a fifth strike in the opening minute of the second forty-five.

Dolbear then needed to have her wits about her to frustrate St Clair shortly afterwards.

Around the hour mark, a lightning-quick break by the home side concluded with Diaz-Butcher’s byline ball-in flashing dangerously across the face of goal, as St Clair lay in wait inside the penalty area.

Three-quarters of the way into the contest and all hopes of a comeback were reduced to nigh on impossible thanks to a goal-kick from Cox leading to a burst down the left flank by a sea of red. Eventually, the all-too familiar pairing of Diaz-Butcher and St Clair linked up for the latter to bury the former’s short pass and officially claim a personal treble.

Undeterred, Scott tried her luck with a cut in off the left and well-struck shot but Cox was safely behind it, as Worthing looked for some kind of consolation.

Although it might have been six of the best for the Wiltshire-based homesters, only for Dolbear to divert the danger off her outstretched leg in denying Colston another.

Sadly, an unrepentant Swindon did go one better than a nap hand, five minutes from a seemingly longer-than-normal afternoon.

A much-delayed free-kick, close to both the byline and corner flag on the right resulted in the recently introduced Libby Waylen drilling a daisy cutter that Billy Haynes got the final touch to and finally put an end to the misery endured on a particularly bad day at the office.