Not this year, Wembley. At the end of this frustrating, testing, trying-but-not-really-clicking game of football,  Worthing’s FA Trophy run was ended by the best side to visit Woodside Road this season. 56 days after they had been knocked out of the same competition, on the exact same pitch.

Worthing had been dealt a reprieve from the competition after Gosport Borough were adjudged to have fielded an ineligible player following their famous victory in West Sussex. Now, a quarter final tie was at stake. Two games from the revered arch. They just didn’t quite have enough.

So, here we are: Saturday, 1st February. Grey clouds filled the sky, down below over 2,000 fill a fizzing, wondrous Woodside Road. With the hosts sitting atop National League South, 17 places are all that separated the two sides. Buoyed by brilliance in midweek, a result that saw the Reds skate to the summit, Worthing manager Chris Agutter didn’t change a great deal. Nicky Wheeler was in for Temi Babalola.

Kick-off arrived with the floodlights on, and the churning noise that filled these streets four days ago returned. Until it all went quiet with seven minutes played. Rochdale opened the scoring — as opponents so often do on this turf — in fairly avoidable circumstances. Yes, the delivery was superb. But the marking went amiss, and the strike slipped through Chris Haigh before it was poked in by Kairo Mitchell. The blue shirts were queuing up.

Rochdale had arrived in full steam. Deploying that high-line, high-press, Worthing’s defence were a little hesitant in those initial exchanges. It didn’t take much, but the pressure proved pivotal. And then it settled. Jack Spong was finding those pockets of space; attacks were carefully crafted. Both teams play with a similar style. It was high-line vs high-line. Before the 20th minute there had already been seven offsides. Unfortunately, from a Worthing perspective, it was also 2-0.

When a route through the red-shirted backline was revealed, Rochdale were rampant. Kyron Gordon was ruthless along the right, skipping beyond the helpless Sam Beard and driving into the box. Mitchell manoeuvred into space, and finished smartly beneath Haigh. Not since the opening day of the season have the Reds come back from a two-goal deficit or more to earn a result. Already the prospect of a penalty shootout seemed the best scenario.

It should have been 3-0, dream over before the 34th minute. Glen Rea playing it into the path of Connor McBride deep in his own half, the winger bursts into the box but buries his shot high into the netting behind the goal. Let-off. Mo Faal is suddenly bearing down on goal at the other end, but Sam Waller shows haste to smother the low strike.

For the former EFL stalwarts their success was all steaming down the same flank. Drowning in overloads, Beard was powerless to the pace and power of his opponents. Another sigh of relief as Leon Ayinde connects with the low cross, diverting it onto the underside of the crossbar and into the grateful arms of Haigh. Wheeler and Carvalho had swapped wings prior to this point, and neither had been able to provide support.

The whistle for half-time blew just after Harvey Gilmour had squandered another opening. 2-0, whilst undeniably deserved, was a scoreline that still shone a glimmer of hope into Agutter’s side. Changes were needed, and soon they were made. But not until the Lancashire visitors had another chance to increase their lead.

Faal made way for Tommy Willard, fresh from injury and fresh to impress. A recognisable striker was now nowhere to be seen. The red shirts piled the pitch, with Cashman the highest forward. Rochdale remained in control as the minutes ticked by. Joe Cook and then Beard blocking the ball on the line to keep the notion of penalties alive. Ian Henderson was on now — arguably The Dale’s greatest ever player — but rolled his shot straight at Haigh with the goal gaping.

Again Rochdale broke at pace, and again Mitchell was poised on the penalty spot, ready to pull the trigger. Still, his and his side’s elusive third slipped beneath his feet as the hope remained. It might be a cliché, but 2-0 is the most dangerous of scorelines. Besides Faal’s first half miss, Worthing had scarcely looked like a side capable of inflicting a comeback.

So, when Joe Partington lobbed Waller from inside his own half to halve the deficit, it seemed the most apt way for the Reds to find a route back into the tie. The sheer audacity of the finish – Waller’s positioning must be brought into question, yet the quality of the finish cannot be overlooked. The most unlikely player in the most implausible of circumstances, hope had filled the stands and re-ignited the noise.

It almost erupted. Cashman was driving forward now, Willard joined him. The shackles were off now. Willard embarking on one of his mazy run, twirling in the box but seeing his effort pushed wide. Corner. Spong spies Wheeler at the back post, chaos ensues, then the ball jumps up off Waller’s frame and onto the crossbar. That was the moment.

The darkness rolled in and the full-time whistle sounded. Worthing’s fate was sealed, again. Any ineligible players in your side, Mr McNulty? Assuming not, one sole focus remains for Agutter and Co. Worthing might have missed out on a day out at Wembley, but they’ve still got 17 cup finals to play. Beginning in Tonbridge next week.