The Rebels took to the field with a side similar to that which surrendered at home to Abingdon United in National League Division One South West a fortnight ago. Injury claimed centre-half Grace Jarrett while Mia South and Laila Malcolm dropped to a bench that was missing Taylor Chamberlain and Laura Huish, leading to starts for Megan Gates and Lucy Jellett.

Following last week’s postponement due a waterlogged pitch, a slightly chilly but gloriously sunny day greeted the teams with the carrot of a home match-up against WSL2 Ipswich Town in round three dangling tantalisingly in front of them.

Facing off on a competitive note, following July’s pre-season friendly at the Sussex Transport Community Stadium which saw today’s hosts emerge victorious from a 3-2 verdict, it was the visitors, employing the tactic of confusion through wearing an all-red kit versus a predominantly orange one who showed first to devastating effect.

Lauren Amerena released Jasmine Smith down the inside-left channel and, despite Portchester’s best efforts they were powerless to prevent Jellett guiding home her maiden goal for Worthing, as she converted Smith’s low centre.

The Arrancione soon hit back though and Layla Morgan came close to making more of a tempting right wing delivery as she fired narrowly wide of the target.

Then, seconds later former Rebel Becki Bath cracked an identical attempt wide from further out.

In fact, most of the attacking threat emanated from AFC, with travelling netminder Ella Hunkin being called into action to paw away another dangerous ball into the box, after Tilly Jones had become the first name in the referee’s notebook for a foul which led to the initial free-kick.

A brilliant recovery run and vital interception/block by Ella Newman denied Charmaine True, as she was about to pull the trigger and Hunkin’s services were required once more to prevent the same player levelling the tie soon afterwards.

Several minutes of added time provided a further stern test and resulted in Worthing’s slender advantage being wiped out in the fourth of those extra minutes at the end of the opening period.

One low, left flank cross wasn’t dealt with and Morgan quickly picked up the baton on the opposite side of the penalty area, side-stepped a defender then drove beyond Hunkin into the far side of the net.

Although Jasmine Smith had a good opportunity to regain the initiative almost immediately but
just couldn’t direct her shot on target.

Half-time saw wholesale changes for the Reds, with the visitors entire starting eleven returning
to the action…. in Portchester’s sky blue change strip, at the match official’s behest.

Personnel-wise, Gates was also replaced by Malcolm but it was the homesters who caught their guests as cold as the near December afternoon.

Marauding along the left, a sea of orange – definitely not red – shirts swarmed forward where Jones could consider herself a touch unlucky to see the ball hit her heal as she was tracking back and land ideally for True, who made no mistake by running on to slot home from marginally inside the eighteen-yard box.

Stunned by suddenly finding themselves trailing, Worthing had salt rubbed into ever-gaping wounds courtesy of ‘Portchy’ extending their lead to make it two goals in three minutes, when the trusty left-hand side proved profitable again.

Bath doing what she did on numerous occasions for us by getting goalside of Jones to meet an accurate delivery and send a 300-plus crowd into delirium.

Bridging the three-division gap with ease, Sarah Butterworth could only watch her header from a corner blocked by Jellett as Worthing stayed under the cosh, barely ten minutes following the change of ends (and kit).

An under-performing Rebels then conceded possession cheaply shortly afterwards, requiring the services of custodian Hunkin to keep them vaguely in the game as she stopped Captain Gemma Hillier drilling, even with around half-an-hour to go, what would’ve appeared to be the final nail in the coffin.

Not that a vociferous crowd had long to wait for said nail to go fully in; an unmarked Bath able to run onto a miscued/partially-cleared flag-kick to nod in her second of an increasingly debilitating day for the well-beaten guests.

Manager Jesus Cordon rapidly rang the changes, with forwards Nicole Mackay and Amber Hazlewood entering the fray and both having a say in what were rare sights of goal for the (West) Sussex side.

Firstly, Mackay concluded a spell of visiting pressure by laying the ball back for Jellett to not so much sting the palms of the underemployed Shannon Betteridge but more to ascertain if she was actually still awake.

Hazlewood shot early when latching onto a slide-rule pass and earned a corner off the finger- tips of a diving Betteridge, in the last minute of normal time.

Though not before some nifty footwork, that wouldn’t have looked out of place on Strictly Come Dancing, allowed Bath to tee-up the appropriately named substitute April Hill to blaze over.

One final chance resulted in Hunkin demonstrating admirable bravery when coming out to frustrate the earlier-introduced Millie Bradbury.

Skye Bacon also went too high in between Jellett and Hill’s attempts on an afternoon to forget for a squad that ended up feeling as blue as their loaned shirts.