After a frustrating first half, Mo Faal made an instant impact off the bench, winning a 66th minute penalty that Danny Cashman fired home to ease the anxiety around the Sussex Transport Community Stadium following a host of missed first half chances.

That anxiety didn’t dissipate completely though as the Reds only held that slender lead heading into injury time but skipper Joel Colbran reacted quickest to Joe Cook’s knockdown to make the points safe.

Boss Chris Agutter made two changes to the side that lost narrowly at Hornchuch in midweek, bringing in Joe Partington and Nicky Wheeler in place of Sam Packham and Glen Rea.

The game took a while to get going, despite the Reds controlling the tempo of the game they were limited to a Nicky Wheeler long range effort in the opening exchanges – Merrick doing well to tip it behind for a corner on this occasion.

Liam Nash had a half chance with quarter of an hour played but couldn’t wrap his foot around Wheeler’s cross enough to steer the ball home.

The Rebels forced X corners in the first period and came close with two in quick succession later the half; Joel Colbran and Temi Babalola both failing to convert near post deliveries from Danny Cashman.

Cashman himself had the clearest opening minutes later when good plan down the right flank released Colbran who did brilliantly to pick out the number ten unmarked nine yards out but he skewed the finish just wide.

The Reds then carved out three extremely presentable opportunities in the final ten minutes of the half.

First Babalola blazed over the bar with his weaker left foot following a lay off from Nash, then just a minute later Odei went through one-on-one but his touch took him wide and he could only find the side netting from a tight angle.

Finally it was Nash’s turn to be wasteful, with time and space inside the penalty area he volleys a high dropping ball well over the bar and the Reds went in frustrated at the interval not to have found the breakthrough.

The home side failed to build on that momentum as the second half began in scrappy fashion.

It was in fact the visitors who were the first to come close to breaking the deadlock; Harry Gardner’s strike from range drew a good save from Lucas Covolan, who also tipped over the resulting corner from underneath his crossbar.

Agutter, who may have been starting to feel like it was going to be one of those days, turned to Faal, sending on the frontman just after the hour mark to instant dividends.

Faal was straight into the action a minute later, forcing a penalty following a tangle of legs.

Cashman stepped up and took no chances, smashing his spot kick high, straight down the middle.

The game turned scrappy once again, Gardner sparking handbags in the Worthing box following a late challenge on Covolan from a corner. The Hampton man was shown a yellow card along with Faal for his involvement in the resulting melee.

Hearts were in mouth of the home supporters when an in-swinging corner from the right evaded everyone and came back off Covolan’s far post.

That was as good as it got though for the visitors and Colbran sealed the points in injury time, showing predatory instincts to turn home inside the six yard box from Jack Spong’s corner via the head of Joe Cook.

The result leaves the Rebels three points clear of three of their closest challengers, Dorking Wanderers, Truro City and Torquay United.

It’s the Tinners up next for Agutter’s men, as they make the long trip to Sussex next Saturday in what promises to be a huge game.