Worthing FC and Dorking cancel each other out – but crazy six-way National South title race is going to final day

The hosts began the day in top spot with a distant scenario of the possibility they could clinch the National League South title by beating Dorking provided there was an unlikely set of results elsewhere.

They ended it fourth – level on points with Eastbourne Borough, with the Sussex duo both a point behind Truro and Torquay, and two points in front of Boreham Wood and Dorking – and anyone who wants to predict what will happen in Saturday’s final games needs luck!

Table as it stands ahead of final day (goal difference and points shown)

1 Truro City +30 86

2 Torquay United +28 86

3 Eastbourne Boro +24 85

4 Worthing +16 85

5 Boreham Wood +36 83

6 Dorking Wand +33 83

Fixtures – all to take place 3pm Saturday, April 26

Dorking Wanderers v Chesham United

Eastbourne Borough v Weston-super-Mare

Enfield Town v Worthing

Hemel Hempstead Town v Torquay United

Tonbridge Angels v Boreham Wood

Truro City v St Albans City

At Worthing, The visitors had the better of the early exchanges at Woodside, creating a number of clear cut chances, the pick of the opportunities by former Bognor Regis Town striking duo Jason Prior and Miles Rutherford.

As Worthing settled into the game it became clear that the outcome of the afternoon could potentially be decided by an error at either end, and on 42 minutes the passionate home crowd were buoyed when Jack Spong scored with a free kick just outside the right hand side of the box.

Many in the stadium might question if Wanderers keeper Harrison Foulkes should have done better but the Rebels went in 1-0 up at the break, remaining in first place despite the chasing pack of Truro, Torquay and Eastbourne Borough all winning.

However Worthing’s superiority barely lasted 10 minutes in total, and unfortunately it was the almost predictable mistake that saw Dorking Wanderers back on level terms.

Worthing keeper Lucas Covolan, who arguably secured them a point on Good Friday with an impeccable display at Eastbourne Borough, was guilty of a mistake as he failed to hold on to an initial Dorking shot and spilled the ball straight into the path of the clinical Rutherford to level on 51 minutes.

At 1-1 all three points were very much up for grabs for both sides, and whilst both teams went close a draw was perhaps the fairest result on the day – but not the ideal one for either team.

Aside from their slip from the top spot, there were more negatives – as the Rebels will travel to Enfield for their final league game without influential defender Sam Beard who begins a suspension after previously accumulating his 15th booking of the campaign, and possibly without the talismanic Danny Cashman, who went off injured in the first half and looks like he will have no further part of the campaign this season.

The Worthing faithful will no doubt lament of what might have been – just a few short weeks ago they had the possibility of going seven points clear in the table ahead of games against Welling United and Hornchurch, but back to back defeats clearly dented their aspirations, and now where they finish is out of their hands.

The title winners gain automatic promotion to the National Premier, second and third go straight into home play-off semi-finals and fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh face a play-off eliminator before a semi-final.

That said, Chris Agutter’s team are on their day capable of beating anyone in this league, so while the play offs would, as always, create more twists and turns than a Peter James novel, promotion is still there for the taking – just with a bit more game time than the triumph that automatic promotion would, and still could, bring.