Worthing boss calm over Isthmian League form - despite top-of-table lead being cut

The gap at the top of the Isthmian premier division has been cut to two points but the Mackerel Men have a game in hand over second-placed Enfield.

And Hinshelwood said he was content with how his team – unbeaten in their past four in the league – were performing.

They host Wingate and Finchley this weekend and have a Sussex Senior Cup semi-final against Isthmian south-east side Three Bridges to look forward to. That will be played at Sussex FA HQ in Lancing around the end of February.

Last night a youthful Worthing side won 1-0 at Kingstonian in the Velocity Trophy, to the delight of Hinshelwood.

At Corinthian-Casuals the hosts led through a strike by ex-Worthing man Mo Diallo on the half-hour before Dayshonne Golding came on for the start of the second half and scored an immediate equaliser.

Hinshelwood said: “It was a fair result. We were under no illusions about how difficult it would be.

“Dayshonne and Marvin Armstrong came on after half-time as we wanted to freshen it up and had a big impact for 20 minutes.

“We could have done with getting a second in that period as the momentum was halted a little after that.

“But it’s another point and that’s four unbeaten since we lost to Carshalton, and we have a game in hand at the top so are in a nice position.

“I’ve said it before but it’s unrealistic to expect any team to win every week in such a competitive league.

“We just need to keep on performing as we can and that will get us results.”

Hinshelwood was without skipper Aarran Racine at Casuals – he had a family illness to attend t0 – but he should be back for Wingate’s visit to Woodside Road, which is likely to bring another 1,000-plus crowd.

The manager said they’d put the ‘tricky’ county cup semi-final with Bridges out of their minds for now, but it was nice to have such a big occasion ahead of them.