Worthing beat Hastings on penalties to reach Sussex Senior Cup final

On a night of 16 penalty kicks – 14 of them in the shoot-out showdown – the Rebels edged out United 5-4 after the teams were locked at 1-1 after 90 minutes. As tension built with every kick, both goalkeepers had saved two spot-kicks before Male pulled off a decisive third stop, to send Worthing to an Amex final against Bognor Regis Town on Thursday, May 11.

Rebels manager Adam Hinshelwood made ten changes to the starting line-up from the team which had secured their play-off place at Cheshunt 24 hours earlier. A whole clutch of fringe players and under-18s were given the chance to make their mark, while others rested in preparation for Worthing’s final National South fixture on Saturday. A victory over Hemel Hempstead will assure them of a home game in the first round of the play-offs – on either Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.

United, who had narrowly missed out on their own Isthmian Premier play-offs, had no such selection issues and manager Gary Elphick fielded a strong starting XI – against one of the clubs for whom he had pulled on a centre-back’s shirt in his own playing days.

A couple of early Worthing flurries drew smart saves from Louis Rogers in the Hastings goal, but as the teams settled into their pattern, it was a first half of more caution than action, with few clear chances under the Lancing lights.

And then, with half-time looming, the tie was suddenly ignited. First, a fluffed Worthing clearance was pounced on by Knory Scott, who fed striker Sam Adams – and a desperate Harrison Male pulled down the United striker as he closed in on goal: penalty. Adams dusted himself down to smash Hastings ahead from the spot.

But into stoppage time, a mirror-image foul at the other end gave Worthing an instant opportunity to level the scores – decisively struck from 12 yards by Javaun Splatt.

So 1-1 then, and back to the pattern of probing and snuffing out of each other’s attacks. A corner here, a yellow card there – but no breakthrough. With five minutes left, Hastings had a huge shout for handball waved away by the referee, and after four minutes of added time, the tie went to penalties.

Each team scored four of the first five, and then to sudden death: and Male kept his nerve, guessed right and punched the air after punching away the final, failed Hastings strike.