The Rebels suffered their second defeat of pre-season as they fell to a 2-1 defeat on the road at Pitching In Southern League Premier South side Havant & Waterlooville at Westleigh Park.
Odei Martin Sorondo gave Chris Agutter’s side the lead inside a quarter of an hour, before Alfy Whittingham restored parity before the break. A largely uneventful second half culminated in the hosts finding a late winner through Harvey Bradbury.
The first chance for either side fell to the hosts with under three minutes played, as smart linkup play between Alfy Whittingham and Ryan Seager found the latter in space at the edge of the area, however his low effort was comfortably denied by Seb Stacey in the Worthing net.
Agutter was forced into an unwanted early change after nine minutes; an aerial collision involving Harry Ransom left the Reds centre-half needing treatment, with Sam Packham eventually called upon to take his place.
It did not take long for Packham to make an impression on the game, as the substitute would prove instrumental in Worthing taking the lead in the 13th minute.
Clever hold-up play from Babalola allowed Packham the chance to drive toward the Havant byline on the right side of the box. The defender’s initial delivery was met by Nathan Odokonyero, whose effort was spilled by Hawks’ ‘keeper, Trialist H into the path of Odei who stabbed home from close range.
Four minutes after the opener, Packham was at the centre of attention once again, this time after surrendering possession under strong pressure from Whittingham as the defender attempted to shield the ball out of play at his own byline. Despite shouts of a foul from the travelling contingent, the referee allowed Whittingham to continue into the box before seeing a near-post strike batted away by Stacey.
Havant would go on to find an equaliser in the 38th minute of play, with Whittingham powering past Stacey from just outside the six-yard box after a counter-attack left the Rebels stretched in numbers at the back. After Joel Colbran did well to block Whittingham’s first effort, the ball fell kindly for the forward who lashed home at the centre of the goal.
With the final action of note in the first half, Havant’s Leon Maloney fired an indirect free-kick towards goal from the left flank, clipping Stacey’s left hand upright before going out of play.
Seager came close to giving the home side the lead with the first attempt of the second 45, curling a shot just wide of the post after intelligent play by the former Dorking man to craft space for himself at the edge of the box.
Amongst a flurry of Worthing changes made just after the hour mark, Brad Dolaghan came up with the first attempt on goal for the new-look Reds, finding the side-netting with a fierce attempt on the angle from the right side of goal.
In a second half lacking in goalmouth action at both ends, regimental defensive shape from Shaun North’s hosts prevented Worthing from carving open any real openings through the final 45 minutes.
With just over five minutes to play at the end of the match, it would be Havant who took their first lead of the match through Bradbury’s close range finish.
A loose pass from Jack Spong allowed the home side to break forward against a retreating Worthing backline, with Nana Owusu beating his man before firing a low cross from the left side of the box into the path of an unchallenged Bradbury.
The Rebels’ pre-season continues this weekend with a trip to the Dripping Pan to face Lewes on Saturday afternoon (3pm KO, July 26th).
Worthing XI: Stacey, Colbran, Beard, Frimpong (Burgess 64’), Cook, Coleman De-Graft (Wheeler 64’), Odei (Spong 64’), Odokonyero (Dolaghan 64’), Ransom (Packham 10’, Byron 64’), Babalola (Smith 64’), Rea (Smith (80’)
Unused Subs: O’Brien, Trialist A
Goals: Odei (13’)
Match Report By Finn Honeywood
