The Rebels returned to league action off the back of two cup matches last week and one was played just yesterday!

They started brightly and were knocking the ball around with relative ease in the first half, creating plenty of chances going forward, too. There were chances for Liam Hill, Dylan Walter, Cooper Renzulli and Archie Stairs all within ten minutes of each other but it took a wonderfully crafted move to break the deadlock on the half-hour mark. A move which started from the back ended with Ollie Vodden and Walter linking up down the right flank to be able to send the latter one-on-one. He made no mistake with the finish, tucking it into the bottom left corner to give his side the lead.

The Reds’ dominance continued for the remainder of the half and they would have been frustrated not to have had a greater advantage heading into the interval. Vodden volleyed over, Walter was denied while one-on-one and Renzulli was somehow kept out from close range before the interval.

It was much the same into the second half even after the heavens opened over Nyewood. Walter continued to cause problems in the pouring rain with his tireless running in behind. He was played in by Hill just before the hour mark, but his shot went just wide – his follow-through meant that he collided with the Rocks’ keeper who was subsequently forced off injured.

Ellis Collier found room on the left less than ten minutes later and his cross narrowly evaded Walter who could have got a well-deserved second goal. Instead, he turned provider for substitute Frankie Spiteri’s quickfire double. For the first, Walter bombed down the right flank at speed once again before floating a cross over the Rocks’ sub-keeper and straight to the feet of Spiteri who couldn’t miss from point-blank range. Two minutes later, he was gifted another by Walter who poked it through to him from the edge of the box to send Spiteri one-on-one who slotted it underneath the keeper for his second and Worthing’s third.

Frustratingly, the Rebels couldn’t hold onto for a clean sheet as the home side got a consolation goal with ten minutes to go. It came from a throw-in on their left flank and it was then worked across the box before the forward fired into the bottom left corner. Spiteri had a stab at netting his hattrick before the full-time whistle, but after being played in behind the defence, he was denied by the keeper.

All in all, a pleasing performance from the young Rebels and a well-deserved three points to make it back-to-back wins to start the league season.