Cambridge United and Haywards Heath beaten by Worthing Women - Wick and Goring nab wins

In an identical fashion to seven days previously, Georgia Tibble making her first start of the season, in place of the benched Emily Linscer was the only difference from the eleven that lined up against Old Actonians. While Izzy Glass-Oliver returned to the squad ahead of Ellie Russell.

Playing at the Sussex Transport Community Stadium for only the second time this calendar year, the sun made an equally rare but very welcome appearance, as the teams kicked off.

After recovering from the shock of seeing such an unusual weather phenomenon, it took seventeen minutes for a sight of goal to occur. Good hold-up play by Chloe Winchester allowed Tibble to clip a ball down the left wing for Shannon Albuery to latch onto, break into the penalty area and make room for a curling shot that grazed the far post.

Minutes later, Albuery rounded off a move that ‘Winch’ also started when she pounced on a loose ball before releasing her partner in crime once more. Showing admirable strength to hold off the close attentions of Rachel Kosky, it was Captain Abbie Jackson’s late intervention that eventually earned the hosts a corner.

The left flank continued to be a rich source for Worthing to exploit, with Tibble setting Albuery clear again just past the half-hour mark. ‘Shan’ got the better of Lauren Rouse then cut inside her prior to letting rip via her trusty right foot; watching her effort flash across the face of goal and agonisingly out of the reach of an incoming Becs Bell, at the back stick.

In response, Brooke Cheal-Ferris wasn’t far away either; whistling one a whisker past Lauren Dolbear’s right-hand upright, after Abbi Smith’s initial cross caused problems.

A misplaced midfield pass soon had Winchester stretching and Charlotte Gillies seizing on the loose ball, only to bend a tame effort into the grateful arms of Dolbear from slightly further out.

Stoppage time saw a switch to the right-hand side of the pitch, where Bell’s blocked delivery procured a corner. Tibble’s inswinger led to Winchester being denied not once but twice; firstly by ‘keeper Lauren Webb, then after a follow-up header drifted wide once Rachel Palmer had recycled and returned the ball to the danger zone.

Six additional minutes resulted in one final attempt of the half, thanks to Rowe setting Humphrey scampering through the middle who, in turn, slipped in Sammy Quayle. Webb was alert to the threat though, saving with her legs.

However, the opening exchanges of the second period saw Quayle receive Katie Young’s pass prior to neatly turning and shrugging off Kosky on the byline. SQ’s low cross finally found SH and Humphrey gleefully smashed home her first goal of the season, high into the net, from close range.

Home fans didn’t have to wait long for the lead to be doubled either, courtesy of Palmer playing it simple to Humphrey and the goalscorer laying the ball inside to Tibble. Advancing along the inside left channel, ‘G’ spotted Albuery’s perfectly timed run, then clinically dispatched her return pass from the corner of the six yard box.

Both sides made a double swap around the hour but it was Glass-Oliver who (almost) made the biggest impact; narrowly nodding Tibble’s delivery past the post, after the midfielder’s initial flag-kick had only been half cleared.

Looking to end a run of three successive draws, Tibble came mightily close to making it three for the afternoon. Frustrated by the outstretched leg of netminder Rouse brilliantly diverting behind, at the end of another excellent move that had seen Albuery backheel to Humphrey in the corner and the two goalscorers so nearly combine to deadly effect.

Humphrey had her head up again moments later, when she was the recipient of a quickly taken Palmer free-kick in the home half. Breaking clear to the byline, she pulled the ball back for fellow forward Winchester to side-foot a fraction over the top.

Subs were the order of the day as the clock ticked down, with Young sending the recently introduced Linscer on a charge towards the corner flag. A Cruyff-style reverse swivel by fellow inductee Gemma Worsfold gave Palmer the opportunity to fire in a first timer and an unfortunate handball by Gisela Otten, not on long herself, caught ‘Em’ by surprise. Leaving the striker unable to get a clean contact on a final finish and the chance to go begging.

Glass-Oliver’s quick throw-in afforded Dani Rowe an opening to play a slide-rule pass for Albuery, although Rouse wasn’t slow of thought either, coming out smartly to smother at her feet.

Two-nil is generally recognised as the most dangerous score in football; Glass-Oliver’s block in the box from Ruth Fox, sharply succeeded by a Cambridge corner cruising in one side and exiting out the other of the eighteen yard area proving a case in point.

Concerted pressure continued apace - four minutes past the allotted ninety - thanks to substitute Holly Plummer threading through the eye of a needle and Kosky’s instant shot causing a scrambling Dolbear to praise her (near) post. The ball subsequently squirming/back- spinning across an empty net but, luckily, there was no one in the vicinity to capitalise.

Worthing Women 3 Haywards Heath Women 1

A spectacular equaliser from Katie Cooper helped Worthing come from behind to earn a second victory and double in four days.

Izzy Glass-Oliver kept her place from Sunday’s win over Cambridge United as Emma Blakely rested a slight knock. Katie Cooper did likewise, starting ahead of Becs Bell who was joined on the subs’ bench by Caz Hodgson and ‘new’ signing Kate Oakley, who’d finally recovered from injury to make a matchday squad.

Having edged past Haywards Heath Town in early September, it was another night under the lights that got under way with Cooper laying the ball back for Katie Young. A threaded through pass resulted in Chloe Winchester touching on for Shannon Albuery to break into the penalty area. Only a great, late sliding tackle by Meg Curran saw the striker denied. Double frustration then ensued when the same player struck wide of the back stick via Georgia Tibble’s subsequent corner.

However, it was the side propping up the rest who shocked their hosts by making an even better beginning to the match. Anaisa Harney’s long ball from the halfway line required just the one bounce, one piece of control and one well-struck shot from the ‘d’ by Kaydence Kabadaki to open the scoring after twelve minutes.

Although the Reds responded immediately, thanks to Captain Rachel Palmer’s left wing delivery being headed clear by Bernie Vivas-Alonso straight to Albuery, who promptly struck the crossbar, just inside the eighteen yard box.

The frame of the goal was still quivering when Cooper robbed Harney in midfield and soon sent a stunning long-range effort sailing over Charlotte Greenwood in the Town net, from a position nearer to the centre circle than the danger zone. Connie Bagnall tried something similar up the other end but Lauren Dolbear was equal to it.

Greenwood was called back into action after Sammy Quayle was brought down almost on the corner of the eighteen yard line, Dani Rowe drawing a fine save with her free-kick on its way in. Both Tibble and Quayle fired over the top before the former came closer by pouncing on a misplaced pass and driving towards her intended target. Only for Greenwood to hold onto her well-struck low shot

A tremendous run by Winchester saw her get the better of Vivas-Alonso on a route that took her from her own half, culminating in a byline pullback that Albuery teed up Tibble with on the edge of the box to power millimetres the wrong side of the crossbar. The second period had the homesters further in front a mere five minutes into it. Curran’s crossfield pass to Vivas-Alonso resulted in Quayle stealing in and calmly slotting beyond Greenwood.

Palmer’s flag-kick was met by the dome of Glass-Oliver, in what would later prove to simply be a test by the defender to lull the ‘keeper into a false sense of security.

Although there was nothing she could do courtesy of Rowe’s own set piece precision midway through the half. Starting and so nearly finishing a move that emanated from Dani dispossessing Harney on the right, continued via Quayle’s brilliant turn and one-two with Albuery, then finally ended with Town’s tall ten bundling over Quayle marginally outside the penalty box. DR’s free-kick cannoning off the upright prior to the referee ultimately awarding a dead ball decision the other way. Leaving the recently introduced Hodgson to curse the original call after she’d carried on her run and had the ball in the net.

Possibly slightly perturbed, Rowe went in search of a goal again; moving effortlessly down the middle, until Vivas-Alonso put a stop to it. Club Skipper Gemma Worsfold picked up the pieces and landed an attempt on top of the net, to come within a whisker of marking her recent achievement of clocking up 150 appearances in a red shirt with a decisive third strike of the evening.

Everyone was enjoying a sub, it seemed and Harney was similarly happy to oblige by demonstrating strength and skill in equal measure; holding off the close attentions of Hodgson and skipping past Palmer to land a cross, indirectly, at the feet of replacement Gemma Staple. The substitute able to sort hers out before neatly sidestepping Rowe but lacking the power/accuracy to give Dolbear anything other than a (fairly) routine stop.

One minute into an additional four, Izzy beat Greenwood to another RP corner, guiding her header into the onion bag despite the best efforts of Georgia Young to keep it out.

Four minutes further on, one last opportunity fell to Harney, when she got a lucky break off Oakley to deposit a dipping half-volley not far wide of the target.

That would be that though and Worthing closed the gap on leaders AFC Wimbledon to six points while, at the same time, extending the one over third-placed Norwich City to four.

Oakwood 0 Wick 2

SCFL Division 1

Dave Crouch took his goal tally for the season to 21 as he unlocked the door to an away win at home for Wick.

The match was switched to Crabtree Park after Oakwood's Tinsley Lane ground was waterlogged and with the Crawley-based club already facing a fixture pileup.

Crouch scored twice in a couple of minutes before half-time, fizzing one sharp finish into the far corner after best play involving brothers Nathan and Jake Hawker before turning in a lovely pass from Sam Hack to seal victory.

"I scored the first goal with my right foot and the second with my left and was hoping to complete the perfect hat-trick with a header but it wasn't to be,” said Crouch, who has already scored two trebles this season.

“I'm really pleased to have broken through the 20-goal barrier and hopefully there are a few more goals to come before the end of the season.”

Crouch led the line with converted centre-half Jake Hawker putting in a strong shift beside him after leading scorer Josh Irish fell ill during the warm-up.

The Dragons were also without Sam Conolly, Jack Bingham and James Thurgar but still had too much for bottom club Oakwood.

In the SCFL premier, Shoreham suffered home defeats to Pagham (2-4) and Steyning.

Goring CC FC 6 East Preston Res 3

Chichester Charity Cup

A very competent performance from Goring ended in a comfortable last-eight victory.

Goring took control from the off and Conor Pomeroy opened the scoring after 11 minutes with a lovely strike after a defence-splitting pass from Jay Wealden.

Goring went further ahead in the 16th minute with a fine goal from Luke Tate after a headed assist from Pomeroy following a clearance from goalkeeper Harry Yates.

Pomeroy added a third from the penalty spot after 23 minutes following a foul on Jordon Jones.

They went further ahead in the 29th minute when Tate scored his second with a superb individual goal.

East Preston opened their account with a Chris Harding goal from a free kick but Goring went further ahead when Ben Cooper sent in a lovely deep cross for Hayden Briggs to volley home to make the score 5-1 at half time.

Goring scored a sixth and it was a hat-trick for Pomeroy in the 55th minute following a long throw from Kieron Gillard but East Preston hit back with two goals from Rob Schwas.