Hat’s the way to do it! Worthing Women head for a home win over Keynsham

Looking to put recent results behind them, it was three in, three out at the Sussex Transport Community Stadium as Laila Malcolm, Amber Hazlewood and full debutant Nicole Mackay came in for Jasmine Smith, Megan Gates and Lucy Jellett. Laura Huish returned among the substitutes.

It was the visitors who shook off the effects of a long journey from Bristol to open the scoring after just five minutes. Amelie Collins’ corner from the right wasn’t dealt with and Town’s top scorer Georgia Galley pounced from close range.

Within the space of a couple of minutes, Worthing’s top notcher Amerena made headway down the right wing but Mackay couldn't head her cross on target.

Shortly afterwards, the hosts’ Sophia Wickenden dinked the ball over a defender before drilling a shot into the side netting. That acted as a precursor to Amerena driving a low effort across the keeper into the opposite bottom corner to level the score seconds later, following good work on the wing by Hazlewood.

Brooke Stirrup had an effort deflected behind for a flag-kick off Ella Newman but it was via a Rebels set-piece of an identical nature up the other end that resulted in the balance being tipped in the Reds’ favour. Mackay turned on Skye Bacon’s throw-in, then provided the platform for Amerena to place perfectly into the far top corner from the edge of the area.

Midway through the opening period, Amerena forced a parry off the gloves of travelling custodian Chloe Jones, prior to Wickenden sidefooting over the top, with the home side showing no signs of letting up.

The pressure paid off when Wickenden’s defence-splitting pass brilliantly dissected the Town rearguard and allowed Newman to break to the byline, nutmeg Collins on it, cut inside Abi Todd and pick out Amerena to fire low, inside the near post from almost the same spot as her previous goal to complete an 18-minute hat-trick.

‘Loz’ might have had a fourth, had the upright not got in the way, after fine approach play by Wickenden and Bacon.

Bacon’s low corner drew a low stop out of Jones, courtesy of Mackay’s effort from it before Malcolm demonstrated calmness under pressure at the opposite end, after captain Liz Fogarty’s free-kick caused problems.

Both teams then cancelled each other out until past the hour mark.

Amerena won possession and pulled the back from the byline, only for it to go behind Hazlewood, then had Jones scrambling at her front stick to turn behind another low fizzer for a flag-kick.

Within seconds, a neat build-up by Bacon on the left saw her deliver into the danger zone, Fogarty miskick and Amerena frustrated by Jones.

The Skye was the limit when Bacon found her mark less than a minute further on; sending in a corner that Jodie Freeman-Woods, inside the six yard box, brought down and hooked high into the net for her first Worthing goal.

Playing with a gust at their backs, Keynsham were keen to test Ella Hunkin from distance and, on one occasion, Fogarty literally threw caution to the wind, causing the netminder to palm over the bar. The guests nearly got themselves back into the contest when Alaiya Beale nodded down and out at the back stick from Collins’ subsequent corner.

They looked certain to score until home skipper Holly Talbut-Smith did wonderfully well to clear the threat presented by Beale after Bella Ellis had found her in a good position inside the area.

She was at it again moments later, blocking Galley's well-struck shot at close quarters although she was powerless to prevent the same player making no mistake second time.

Things could have been tighter, had it not been for Newman showing tremendous awareness to drift over and snatch the ball virtually off the toes of Galley.

The points were safe to set up a mouthwatering clash at the STCS this Sunday at home to the side Worthing have replaced at the foot of the standings, Portishead Town.