Meeney confident Rebels can bounce back in crunch clash

Worthing Football Club joint boss Jon Meeney believes his side have what it takes to bounce back in their crunch Ryman League South Division clash at Dorking Wanderers on Saturday.
Rebels celebrate earlier this seasonRebels celebrate earlier this season
Rebels celebrate earlier this season

After a 2-1 defeat at home to runaway leaders Folkestone Invicta on Saturday, third-placed Rebels now trail second-placed Dorking by six points, with a game in hand.

Things have also closed up in the table below Rebels and they now head sixth-placed Hastings by just four points.

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Meeney is confident his side can pick up a positive result at Wanderers on Saturday and said: “You can’t feel sorry for yourselves, it’s about bouncing back, and what better way to do that than at Dorking on Saturday?

“We will be expecting a tough game and know we will get that but it’s a chance for us to bounce back.

“Our full focus will be on that one, then we face Walton Casuals at home two days later.

“I’m sure the boys will respond as they always do.”

Meeney lamented his side’s conversion rate in their home loss to Invicta.

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He felt more composure in front of goal would have seen Rebels, who were without injured 29-goal top-scorer Lloyd Dawes and the suspended Omar Bugiel, who has netted 19 times this season, pick up at least a point.

Meeney added: “We should have taken something from the game. At the end of the day we have created numerous chances but just did not take them.

“We came up short in this one with our conversion rate and that’s seen us go on and lose the game in the end.

“I’d be worried if we weren’t creating chances but, at the same time, I’m concerned that we are not taking them.

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“I know we score goals but we should score more and I want us to score a lot more than we do.”

Rebels made a bright start and Ben Pope had a great opening on 12 minutes. Zack Newton’s neat ball in behind found Pope free but his goalbound strike was blocked by Frankie Chappell.

Rebels then wasted a couple more openings and it was all-square at the break.

The home side were made to pay for those misses when Invicta went ahead on the hour as Ian Draycott’s deflected 20-yard free-kick beat Worthing keeper Rikki Banks.

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Substitute Jordan Wright doubled Folkestone’s lead five minutes from time. He latched on to Ronnie Docan’s through ball and slotted past Banks.

A nervy ending welcomed Folkestone as Newton’s strike from the edge snuck into the bottom corner.

Worthing piled forward in hope of a leveller but they could not find it and fell to their seventh home league defeat of the season.

After Saturday’s game at Dorking, Rebels host 18th-placed Walton Casuals on Monday (3pm).

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WORTHING: Banks; Piper, Elphick, Heath, Metcalf; O’Neill, Axell; Newton, Jackson, Sparks; Pope. Subs: Hendon (Jackson), Quirke (Piper), Edwards, Fagan.

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