Worthing boss frustrated at Cup loss to Morecambe – but midweek league win will lift spirits

Those were the two things on manager Chris Agutter’s mind after Morecambe ended the Rebels’ FA Cup run with goals at the start and end of Saturday’s entertaining first round tie at Woodside Road.

And the team have already shown they can keep up their standards in the National South campaign– by battling to a 2-1 home win over Aveley on Tuesday night which left them fifth, just three points behind leaders Eastbourne Borough.

Agutter said his overwhelming feeling at the end of the Cup tie was one of frustration that his team had conceded two goals from set-pieces and failed to take any of the numerous chances they’s created.

See Worthing-Morecambe in pictures by Kyle Hemsley here.

"A lot of managers would be saying after that how proud they were but we should have beaten them,” he told us. "We created a lot and let in two from set-pieces which was down to basic stuff.

"It was pretty much all Worthing and we created some unbelievable chances. I was surprised at how much we were able to dominate certain stages of the game against a full-time team.

"We started really well and at 1-0 down – and even when it was 2-0 – I still felt we could get back in it. We had some decisions go against us as well at crucial moments.”

Agutter said the test for his side now was to keep up the same performance levels to make sure their league campaign continued in positive fashion.

"If we can perform that like against a League Two team, there’s no reason why we can’t go on and win league games with the same approach,” he added.

The manager picked out Nicky Wheeler and Sam Beard as contenders for Worthing’s star man but said it was a real team performance – and pointed out that many at the game felt Morecambe’s keeper was man of the match in front of a record 3,110 Woodside crowd.

On Tueday an injury-time winner by Harrison Smith clinched victory over Aveley after the visitors had scored early in the second half to cancel out Danny Cashman’s 41st-minute penalty.

The Rebels visit 11th-placed Chesham on Saturday.