Following on from Tuesday’s late, late show where Ascot United equalised deep into stoppages, the Rebels faced the unenviable task of a trip to Wiltshire to take on 100% table-toppers Swindon.

Their cause wasn’t helped by the pre-match withdrawal of Captain Holly Talbut-Smith due to injury, with Tilly Jones stepping back up off the bench. Jasmine Smith also returned in place of the unavailable Lucy Jellett, while latest signing Macey-Nikiah Walters arrived from Maidenhead United and went straight into the team. Fellow newbie Nicole Mackay began on the bench.

It didn’t take long for the hosts to stamp their authority on proceedings, indeed a mere two-and- a-half minutes were on the County Ground clock when Holly Beck-Esson was denied at close quarters by visiting custodian Ella Hunkin.  Skipper Annie Colston placed wide on the rebound from the edge of the area.

The crossbar came to the Purps’ rescue moments later, as Worthing sported their change strip of lilac for the first time. Libby Davies seeing her effort hit the underside of the apparatus before bouncing away to safety.

A neat turn and shot by Colston had Grace Jarrett stretching out a leg to divert the ball behind for a corner and Hunkin was forced to punch a cross from Sahara Osborne-Ricketts clear, with the home side continuing to set the early pace.

Unfortunately for the under-the-cosh guests, that pressure soon paid off and the top of the goalframe played its part again.

Number thirteen proved to be unlucky for some but not the lady in red wearing it; Lacy Liggett giving Hunkin no chance courtesy of a long-range screamer that, this time, struck the underside of the bar and went in, for her second goal in two games.

Shortly afterwards, Davies doubled the Robin’s advantage thanks to a burst of pace on the left wing from King (Sarah), who beat two defenders prior to squaring it for her teammate to apply the finish.

Almost right on the half-hour mark, the pacey Helena Diaz-Butcher was released on the right, only for the luckless Mia South to get the last, decisive touch on her byline ball in to leave the travelling team facing a three-goal deficit.

Walters had the first real opening for Worthing, after she’d done well initially to win a corner. Skye Bacon delivered the deadball though Macey couldn’t quite make her mark on debut.

Fine link-up play between Colston and Beck-Esson might have put the match beyond Rebels before half-time; cue the crossbar to get in the way of the latter’s mishit attempt and offer a glimmer of hope to the opposition.

Hope nearly sprung eternal a couple of minutes further on, when Lauren Amerena’s first-time through ball on the counter-attack fed Walters, whose embryonic touch took her slightly wide and Hannah Cox was able to preserve her clean sheet.

However, within seconds of the post-interval resumption, King sent Colston careering along the left flank, where a classy drop of the shoulder created the space to bend a beauty beyond a helpless Hunkin, for the division’s leading scorer to bring up number four.

The full-time homesters might have added a fifth once Laura Holden had dispossessed Laila Malcolm, bore down on goal but dragged off target from the edge of the penalty area.

A rare sight of the opposite end of the pitch resulted in Smith slipping in Amerena for an off-balance attempt that went behind, after the visitor’s injury jinx had already caused both Jones and South to depart the action at the break.

Debutant Mackay and Erin Sherwood were the replacements but it was last line of defence Hunkin who did well to hold on to Beck-Esson’s low shot on the hour.

The 15,728 all-seater capacity stadium may have rocked to the sound of a fifth for the home side, though Colston headed Diaz-Butcher’s high, hanging cross the wrong side of the back stick.

Five minutes from time and goal number five did register on the scoresheet, via substitute Elise Clayton drilling in from distance.

Fellow inductee Sherwood had the final say for a weary Worthing when she pulled Bacon’s flag- kick wide at the far upright, to leave their opponents five points clear at the top of the standings but only two separating the Reds from the other side of the dotted line at the bottom.