Hinshelwood: We can be vulnerable – but we’ll learn from Sutton defeat
Adam Hinshelwood has called on his Worthing players to learn the lessons of their loss to Sutton – and use the hurt to inspire them to another unbeaten strong run.
Three goals in a 12-minute first-half spell put Chris Agutter’s team 3-0 up at Woodside Road on Saturday – and the Rebels were unable to find one their trademark second-half recoveries.
A disappointing afternoon ended with a number of Reds players with bruises and knocks and unable to play in Tuesday night’s National League Cup tie at home to Fulham under-21s.
But it was a first defeat in 11 league games, and the Rebels’ job now is to show it was a blip in a fine first half of the season.
On Tuesday night Joel Colbran’s first goal of the season and an own goal by Nazim Benchaita five minutes from time earned Worthing a 2-1 home win over Fulham U21s in the National League Cup.
The Reds now have a blank weekend ahead and resume their league programme at Scunthorpe on Saturday week, where Hinshelwood will be looking for a more resilient defensive showing than he saw versus Sutton.
Hinshelwood said: “We didn’t turn up in the first half. We were too soft in conceding three goals in little over 10 minutes and just didn’t deal with things – like the long throw that led to their first goal and the long ball that resulted in their second.
"We’ve watched it all back and analysed it – it’s things we cannot do at this level. We have to learn from it and move on quickly.”
Hinshelwood said the disappointing thing was that Sutton’s disruptive approach – their shape and game-plan – was no surprise. He felt Worthing should have been much more ready to deal with it.
"We’re a young side and we do show vulnerability at times. We mustn’t dwell on it,” he said.
"Some of Sutton’s challenges were borderline. We were left with two or three who were battered and bruised and unable to play Tuesday. Someone said it was like watching football in the 1970s."
Just four days earlier Worthing had recovered from being 2-0 and 3-2 at home to Southend to draw 3-3.
But Hinshelwood said: “On Saturday you were waiting for that moment when we could get it back to 3-1 but it never came. We have to realise that we won’t always be able to fight back into a game as we have done a few times.”
Injury-wise, Dom Hutchinson and Harry Ransom are out for another eight and six weeks respectively with wrist fractures, while Sam Packham needs hamstring op.