Was it ever in doubt? Deep into stoppage time, deep into the night, substitute Harrison Smith provided the catharsis, the brilliance, the limbs. It had been such a cagey encounter, Worthing’s forwards feeling the breath of an opponent every time they touched the ball. But suddenly, with hope almost lost and time almost gone, Smith was there to seal all three points.

On the back of Saturday’s supreme performance over League Two Morecambe, expectations were understandably high. Well, the expectation was to win, no matter the scoreline. Three points are as valuable and brilliant no matter the match. If anything, these points felt all the more sweeter.

There was something rather poignant about this evening’s minute’s silence. Observed impeccably ahead of Remembrance Day, the distant dins and bangs from fireworks forking nearby gave this a particularly authentic representation. Bonfire Night, but the thousand-strong crowd would be made to wait before the game burst into life.

Aveley are a side struggling, slipping. But upbeat in the saloon of their sinking ship. They gave a fine account of themselves. Were they unfortunate to head home without any points? Quite possibly. Their performance in the second half, for a team battling at the bottom, was superb. They displayed spirit, mettle and quality. A recipe for avoiding relegation.

It took only four minutes for the groans of a missed opportunity to reverberate around Woodside Road. Moans of a scattered few visitors upon Josh Anifowose’s clipped effort that drifted wide. He might have done better had he been a little more composed in the box.

The recent intensity of the Reds’ calendar had prompted a minor shuffle to Chris Agutter’s side. Tommy Willard, who was impressive in his 15-minute cameo against the Shrimpers, came in for Jack Spong. Mo Faal was back, leading the line as he does so well at Glen Rea’s expense. Agutter had plenty at his disposal behind him.

Over in the Aveley box, Faal had his shirt pulled and Sam Beard took a tumble. Both were waved away by the man in yellow. It didn’t take long for the ball to be solely in the Aveley half. Manager Danny Scopes had set them up for a defensive rearguard, yet when they galloped forward with gusto and verve they displayed some confidence. Then Kane Wills would waltz in and just pluck the ball from his path. No sweat broke.

A quick word on Beard. Since his return to the starting fold he has been superb. It’s just the calmness, the aura. With the ball at his feet it’s so rarely lost, and when under pressure he just bursts through the battles. It was Beard’s briskness and nous that released Cashman down the left, but the spin took it away from Tommy Willard when he was poised to pounce.

As the night progressed forward, so did Worthing. Faal dragged a shot wide; Willard cranked one hard into the legs of Carey Bloedorn. Then he spanked a left footed effort wide of the post. And then he hit the post with a fizzing drive at the near post. It’s probably safe to say he was in the mood for a goal. It just didn’t quite come.

Wadham had a flurry of shots blocked by the bruised backline of the Essex opponents. But the pressure finally paid off and the loudest sound in Worthing was no longer a colourful explosive in the night sky.

Faal took a tumble in the box, the referee pointed to the spot. Cashman has been perfect from the 12-yards this season, and this one might just have been the most sumptuous of the lot. Lifting it high into the netting, the first-half lead had been unlocked. It took plenty of patience.

Which brings us to the second period. What had happened in the Aveley changing room? It was as if they had swapped controllers with an older brother at half-time. They were a side reborn. Razzaq Coleman De-Graft had barely touched the ball in the opening 45 minutes, but here he was, pirouetting through three red shirts before placing his effort to perfection. Alex Giles could only guide his head straight at Chris Haigh. The silence was deafening.

Wills was there in the centre, twirling his hands and shouting loudly. He knew it wasn’t good enough. Soon the patterns returned, but the flourish in the final third remained amiss. Faal had a real opening from inside the box, but it arrowed wide. David Kawa slammed one into the side netting at the other end. Agutter had seen enough now. He turned to his bench, and the reinforcements were ready.

It was Nicky Wheeler who made way for Spong. Now the attack was set, it just needed someone to connect the dots, make a brief set of calculations. No answer. Faal was off, slapping the palms of Harrison Smith. This would prove to be a shrewd decision from Agutter. But, my word, were those present made to wait. They had barely tested Bloedorn all half, but finally the moment arrived.

With time and hope both ticking away, Smith was swiftly in on goal, driving with pace and finishing with fury. He had a point to prove. And points to win. Woodside Road erupted. Worthing erupted. Two dropped points turned to three points gained. Nestled firmly in the play-offs now, Agutter will know this was a lucky escape. But realistically, he won’t care one bit.