A much more recognisable Worthing lined up against a Hawks side who, unsurprisingly, changed much of their starting eleven.

The action got underway as early as the fifth minute. Cam Tutt fed James Beresford down the left flank and he drifted inside to supply Cal Kealy who shot across goal, forcing a fine fingertip save out of Nathan Stroomberg-Clarke.

Shortly afterwards, a driving run inside the penalty area by Marvin Armstrong resulted in him crossing towards the back stick where Jake Robinson was waiting to pounce with a header, for his second strike of the Summer.

One of the unknown, #17 then tested the reflexes of Stroomberg-Clarke, with a long-range rocket that required a strong one-handed stop at full-stretch by the one time Worthing United loanee.

Hawks’ custodian pulled-off a similar save moments later to keep out another range finder, this time from the boot of Beresford.

Reds returned after the break with the same vigour and intensity of the opening period; Robinson coming within a whisker of putting the hosts back in front when he cut in off the left hand side of the eighteen yard box, to whip an effort dangerously close to the far post. Only missing it by a matter of millimetres.

Whitehawk continued to feel the heat when a perfectly-weighted through ball off the outside of Ollie Pearce’s left foot almost had Robbo in for his second, only for Stroomberg-Clarke to just get there first.

Worthing then had a close shave themselves, after Harrison Male managed to get a touch on Blues’ sixteen’s powerfully-struck drive, once Captain Charlie Harris had laid a freekick into his path. The ball finally being cleared to safety by a red shirt right in front of his own goal.

However, there was nothing even “H” could do about the next on target attempt from a now bullish visitors.

The lonely world of the trialist underlined by a player simply known as “Number Five” lobbing the stranded home netminder from at least forty yards out, for a quite astounding finish.

Reds responded the only way they know how, with that man Robinson right where it matters but unable to keep his header, on the end of substitute Cavan Gratwick’s cross, down.

Pearcey nearly made it two, only to see his free-kick clip the outside of the upright to leave the game tantalisingly poised.

Gratwick enhanced his growing reputation by firing inches over the bar, twenty yards out, at the end of a move that commenced with Kealy pulling the ball back from the byline for Armstrong to tee-up the teenager.

Less than sixty seconds later and the mysterious #seventeen, who will, for now at least, remain anonymous, converted a right wing delivery from the well-known Robinson, who helped to punish his former employers with the assist for the winner.