Looking to put recent results behind them, it was three in, three out at the Sussex Transport Community Stadium on Sunday; Laila Malcolm, Amber Hazlewood and full debutant Nicole Mackay coming in for Jasmine Smith, Megan Gates and Lucy Jellett. While Laura Huish returned amongst the substitutes

However, despite the pressing need for maximum points, it was the visitors who shook off the effects of a long journey from Bristol to open the scoring after just five minutes. Amelie Collins’ corner from the right wasn’t dealt with and Town’s top scorer Georgia Galley pounced from close range.

Within the space of a couple of minutes though, Worthing’s own top notcher Amerena made
headway down the right wing but Mackay couldn’t head her cross on target.

Shortly afterwards, the hosts’ Sophia Wickenden dinked the ball over a defender before drilling a shot into the side netting. This acted as a precursor to Amerena driving a low effort across the ‘keeper into the opposite bottom corner to level the score a matter of seconds later, following good work on the wing by Hazlewood to engineer the opportunity.

Brooke Stirrup had an effort deflected behind for a flag-kick off Ella Newman, as Town tried to find a way back through but it was via a Rebels set-piece of an identical nature up the other end that resulted in the balance being tipped in the Reds’ favour. Mackay turned on Skye Bacon’s throw-in, then provided the platform for Amerena to place perfectly into the far top corner from the edge of the area.

Midway through the opening period, Amerena forced a parry off the gloves of travelling custodian Chloe Jones, prior to Wickenden side-footing over the top, with the home side showing no signs of letting up.

The pressure paid off when Wickenden’s defence-splitting pass brilliantly dissected the Town rearguard and allowed Newman to break to the by-line, nutmeg Collins on it, cut inside Abi Todd and still pick-out Amerena to fire low, inside the near post from almost the same spot as her previous goal to complete an eighteen minute, first-half hat-trick.

‘Loz’ might have had a fourth, had the upright not got in the way, at the conclusion of some more fine approach play by Wickenden and Bacon.

Bacon’s low corner drew a low stop out of Jones, courtesy of Mackay’s effort from it before Malcolm demonstrated calmness under pressure at the opposite end, after captain Liz Fogarty’s high, up-and-under free-kick caused problems.

For the first half of the second forty-five minutes, both teams cancelled each other out until past the hour mark.

Amerena won possession and pulled the back from the by-line, only for it to go behind Hazlewood and then had Jones scrambling at her front stick to turn behind another low fizzer for a flag-kick.

Within seconds, a neat build-up by Bacon on the left saw her deliver into the danger zone, Fogarty miskick and Amerena frustrated by Jones once again.

The Skye was very much the limit when Bacon found her mark less than a minute further on; sending in a corner that Jodie Freeman-Woods, inside the six-yard box, brought down and hooked high into the net for her first goal in Worthing colours.

Playing with a gust at their backs, Keynsham were keen to test Ella Hunkin from distance and, on one occasion, Fogarty literally threw caution to the wind, causing our netminder to palm over the crossbar.

Buoyed by their beating of Bristol Rovers last week, the guests nearly gotthemselves back into the contest when Alaiya Beale nodded down and out at the back stick from Collins’ subsequent corner.

They looked certain to score until home Skipper Holly Talbut-Smith did wonderfully well to get across and clear the threat presented by Beale, after Bella Ellis had found her in a good position inside the penalty area.

She was at it again moments later, blocking Galley’s well-struck shot at close quarters although HTS was powerless to prevent the same player making no mistake second time around.

That came with just three minutes left on the clock and things could have been even tighter, had it not been for Newman showing tremendous awareness to drift over and snatch the ball virtually off the toes of Galley, denying the number nine a treble at the same time.

Three much needed points were finally secured at the end of several minutes of added time, to set up a mouth-watering clash at the STCS this coming Sunday, at home to the side Worthing have now replaced at the foot of the standings, Portishead Town.