Throughout recent history, Worthing versus Maidstone has conjured up some memorable clashes. And the latest encounter certainly didn’t disappoint.

The Rebels entered the weekend’s action looking for an offensive improvement after drawing a blank in three successive league matches. A tough test was in store for the hosts, as their opponents Maidstone had only conceded two goals in their opening five games, the best record in the National League South.

It was a nightmare start for Chris Agutter’s side, as they found themselves 2-0 down with just 22 minutes on the clock.

After dominating the opening exchanges and piling the pressure on Stones goalkeeper Nathan Harness, the visitors broke the deadlock against the run of play following a bizarre sequence of events. Sam Packham tried to clear his lines inside his penalty box, but his clearance ricocheted off Deon Moore and into the path of former Worthing forward Dajon Golding, who had the simple task of firing into an empty net with goalkeeper Seb Stacey stranded out of position.

Worthing searched for parity, with Joe Cook and Jack Spong coming mightily close to levelling proceedings  The former headed just wide of the post from a dangerous free-kick from Packham, while the latter performed a bicycle kick that flew just over the crossbar.

Our afternoon went from bad to worse midway through the first period, as skipper Joel Colbran tripped Jephte Tanga inside the area. Referee Jack Bloxham had a great view of the incident and pointed straight to the spot.

Maidstone’s TJ Bramble coolly dispatched from 12 yards to double the Stones’ advantage and leave the Rebels with a mountain to climb.

Similarly to the aftermath of the opener, the Reds went down the other end and almost instantly hit back. Nathan Odokonyero was sent through on goal after a poor defensive header from Leo Hamblin, but despite breezing past Harness, the striker couldn’t squeeze the ball past George Fowler on the line.

Shot-stopper Stacey then stood firm to ensure Maidstone’s lead didn’t turn into an unassailable one, as he produced a smart double save to deny Tanga on the half hour mark.

Crucially, in first-half stoppage time, the hosts managed to halve their opponents’ lead. Another inviting set-piece from Packham was kept alive by Joe Cook at the back post and Harry Ransom was perfectly placed inside the six-yard box to apply the finishing touch and open his account for the Club.

That momentum was carried through the interval and into the second half as we looked to cancel out Maidstone’s grasp on the game entirely.

George Elokobi’s men were still providing a threat on the counter-attack and Moore came close to restoring their two-goal cushion ten minutes after the break. An awkward bounce allowed the Guyana international to beat Stacey to possession of the ball, but he couldn’t direct his effort on target towards the untended net.

Worthing’s number seven Razzaq Coleman De-Graft was given the creative freedom by his manager to pick up pockets of space, which resulted in him causing several problems for the opposition backline. On multiple occasions, the 27-year-old produced neat footwork in a tight area to skip past a few defenders and sting the palms of Harness.

The persistent Odokonyero was doing a noble job of leading the line as a lone striker and was almost rewarded for his endeavours in the 62nd minute, but his strike was dragged wide of the post.

A plethora of substitutions and stoppages halted the Reds’ momentum and gave Maidstone a chance to reorganise their backline. That was until the latter stages of the contest, when Worthing’s pressure finally turned into a precious equaliser.

The electric Coleman De-Graft was again at the heart of the move, as he got to the by-line and flashed a delivery across the six-yard box. Enter stage left Nicky Wheeler, who latched onto the loose ball and swept in a tidy first-time finish to set-up a grandstand finish at the Sussex Transport Community Stadium.

From that moment on, there looked like there was only going to be one winner. The Woodside faithful bellowed on cries of encouragement as Temi Babalola was introduced.

Within four minutes of entering the fold, the imposing striker hit the woodwork on two separate occasions. With virtually his first touch of the ball, Babalola broke clear of Lexus Beeden and sent an effort crashing off the outside of the upright from an acute angle. Less than two minutes later, Wheeler whipped in a defence-splitting cross that was instinctively flicked onto the crossbar by the striker. A last-gasp winner was surely coming.

From out of nowhere, the visitors conducted a stark reminder that they were still in the contest, as substitute Josh Redfearn fortuitously breached Stacey’s net to seemingly steal the full complement of points.

Desperate last-ditch defending resulted in the ball deflecting off Beard and back onto the striker and through the palms of the helpless Stacey.

Wild scenes unfolded as the Amber shirts flooded towards the away end in celebration. Worthing players looked distraught. Surely, that was the last highlight of a thrilling match.

However, in true Worthing fashion, there was still one last moment of melodrama to occur.  With just seconds remaining on the referee’s clock, Coleman De-Graft curled a cross onto the head of Babalola, who deftly headed into the corner. The crowd erupted – it was least the Rebels deserved after such a dominant display.

As the referee’s final whistle was blown, an overwhelming feeling of positivity resonated around the ground. Yes, it was only a point, but it was a performance that deserved so much more.

Another home league clash is already on the horzion, as we welcome Salisbury to West Sussex during midweek.