Five games in 15 days – and why four on road will suit Worthing and Hinshelwood
Worthing boss Adam Hinshelwood says four away games within a 15-day five-match run holds no fears for a team in good form on the road.
But he has reminded his players they need to show hard graft as well as their footballing qualities in each upcoming match – whether they’re playing National League big names or step five neighbours Wick in the Sussex Senior Cup.
The Rebels return to league action at Scunthorpe this Saturday after a blank weekend which the players were given off before getting back to training this week. They go to Wick in the county cup on Tuesday, host Harrogate on Saturday 21 and visit Woking on Tuesday 24 and Altrincham on Saturday 28.
Hinshelwood said: “It’s another intensive run of Saturday and Tuesday games and we’re looking forward to it.
“It is a lot of travelling but we’re getting used to that in this league and we’ve done okay on the road so far.
“But we’ve done that through showing we can compete and through hard running and earning the right to play – and that’s what we have to keep doing.”
The Rebels have already won at Carlisle, Hartlepool, Gateshead and Kidderminster in their debut National League season. And Hinshelwood agreed some of the awayday success could be down to his team taking established clubs by surprise when they knew little about the step one new boys.
Last time out in the league, Worthing lost 3-0 at home to Sutton and Hinshelwood said the players had shown a good attitude in training and were keen to put that behind them.
“We had some bumps and bruises after that game and a few who missed the National League Cup win over Fulham under-21s are back,” he said.
“Ashley Nathaniel-George is on international duty again and misses Scunthorpe and Wick and we’ve got the likes of Sam Packham, Harry Ransom and Dom Hutchinson out for a while yet.
“It’s a great run of games coming up and will test us. We want to do well in the league but we won’t be taking the Wick game lightly either.”
Lee Baldwin’s Dragons have switched Tuesday’s SSC game to their Crabtree Park home even though they are currently playing home matches at Bognor because of ground improvements (preview – page 70).
Hinshelwood said: “We want to go a long way in the Senior Cup – 100 per cent. We’re a bigger fish in Sussex now so we’re there to be shot at, but it’s a competition we’d love to win.”
The Reds are also weighing up whether to extend Matt Burgess and Ollie Godziemski’s loan spells at Chi City and Totton.