The Rebels would look to cap off their run of home games with a fourth consecutive win as they welcomed Chelmsford City to The Crucial Environmental Stadium.

Visitors Chelmsford came into the fixture just one place and two points above the Rebels in the league table in 4th but lost 2-0 away and Hampton & Richmond last time out.

Adam Hinshelwood would name an unchanged starting eleven from Tuesday night’s victory against Tonbridge Angels. Ollie Pearce returned to the bench for the Reds, swapping for Ibby Akanbi.

It took just six minutes for the first big chance, and it came the way of the visitors. The ball was squared to Simeone Jackson who failed to get anything on it, but the ball would roll to Kai Yearn where Kane Wills made a last-ditch sliding tackle to deny the young midfielder.

The Reds would break away themselves when Reece Meekums was played in behind. He crossed to James Beresford at the far post, but the full-back couldn’t keep his effort on target.

Ten minutes later, Worthing would threaten once more. On loan midfielder, Mo Dabre floated his cross into Lewis White whose header, almost in slow motion, struck the post.

In the 21st minute, the Clarets opened the scoring. Liam Trotter’s long ball was headed down into the path of Yearn by Eduino Vaz. In behind the Worthing defence, Yearn had only Harrison Male to beat and he would slot it home comfortably to give the visitors the lead.

Some five minutes later, Chelmsford doubled their lead and in explosive fashion. A deep free-kick would be hit long and found its way to Cameron James. The full-back used his chest to control it before firing a fierce strike into the top left corner.

It would take ten minutes for the Reds to reply. White latched onto a loose, bouncing ball that was played back towards the Chelmsford goal. Battling Ovie Ejeheri in the air, White headed it over the keeper and Callum Kealy would run onto it to ensure it found its way to the back of the net.

Worthing would continue to threaten until the interval. First, Meekums with dazzling footwork to cut onto his left foot. It looked for all the world that the winger had found the equaliser, but the effort went just wide of the upright.

Next, Dabre would float another ball into Joel Colbran who saw his header cleared off the line.

Colbran and Meekums would link up on the brink of half time as Meekums was fed through. He flicked the ball over the onrushing defender but his effort at goal was a weak one, and easily gathered by Ejeheri.

After the break, the Clarets came out very well organised and forced the home side into errors when trying to play from the back and managed a couple of half chances through Tom Blackwell and Vaz.

They would get their reward in the 59th minute as Jamie Yila would pinch the ball from Luca Cocoracchio. The forward squared it to Blackwell who restored the Clarets’ two-goal advantage.

The third goal sparked a reaction from Hinshelwood’s side with a confident ten-minute spell in possession.

First came a chance for Meekums, dancing past defenders before shooting from a tight angle where Ejeheri saved.

The Reds then threatened from a Wills corner, the captain Aarran Racine was there to meet the near post cross with a glancing header that went agonisingly wide.

It was another corner that brought the next chance. This time Wills crossed to the far post where Racine was there once more. The Rebels skipper worked the ball back inside to the head of Cocoracchio who was denied by a brilliant Ejeheri save.

In the 70th minute, Hinshelwood rang the changes. A triple change saw the front three of White, Kealy, and Meekums replaced by Moe Shubbar, Javaun Splatt, and Pearce.

The next big chance for the Reds came in the 77th minute when Chambers’ free kick found the head of substitute Splatt. Ejeheri was forced into action once more as he tipped over for another Rebels corner.

Worthing stuck to their principals as the final whistle neared, with Hinshelwood’s side looking to break down the resilient Chelmsford defence. Despite late chances for Cocoracchio and Splatt, the Clarets wouldn’t budge, and the referee signalled a first defeat in eight games for Worthing.

The Rebels will look to bounce back next week as they make the short trip to Havant & Waterlooville with the game kicking off at an earlier time of 12:30pm.