PUNISHED BY ONE LOOSE MOMENT

A WORTHING team without their England Under-16 trialling striker Beth Warner and experienced midfielder Claire Greenway fell just short of survival quality in the Trophy on Sunday. In their first season upgraded from the EH Vase, where they were semi-finalists last season, they earned the respect of their Three Counties League opponents but were edged out by a winning goal they ought to have prevented.

Substitute Cheryl Melanithy at right-back was called off the pitch in the rolling substitute custom with Karen Francis returning from the sideline to midfield.

Worthing failed in the imperative to retain the ball during this and Wycombe Rye lanced swiftly down the right, where they had extra pace and before Worthing had plugged Melanithy's gap, Jane Clarke was one of two unmarked players as she struck the ball home.

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The seed of the Buckinghamshire side's respect for a Worthing side one short in firepower was sown the way in which they went into half-time a goal down after totally dominating.They had gained six short corners to none and were denied by Sarah Atkin's gifted goalkeeping.

That reason was Shelley Formstone. Defending outside Worthing's own circle on their own left, seven minutes before the interval, midfielder Andrea Catlow won a free hit that Sarah Greenway quickly creamed to Lynne Stoner on halfway. Stoner's deft between-the-legs deflection, facing her own goal, surprised centre-half Kim Bristow and the ball ran loose off her stick behind her.

Recognising food and drink, Formstone was hungrily onto it, tore on through the gaping space and smashed Worthing into a lead as resounding as it was unmerited.

Two snap shots through a populated circle by right midfielder Alem Thomas in the fifth and 23rd minutes of a more even second half brought Wycombe Rye back from the sheer shock of Formstone's goal. Yet they knew that 2-1 was not enough. Worthing's equaliser came from Greenway, the personification of their refusal to fold.

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Only five minutes later, the left-back wormed and muscled her way towards the deadball line, then along it and scored from an acute angle. With Worthing sweeper Cathy Parton well nigh impassable, it was anybody's game until that fatal loose moment of substitution.

WORTHING: Atkin; Parton; Canell, Pickett, C.Greenway; Toni Catlow, Butler, Francis, Andrea Catlow; Stoner, Formstone. Subs: Melanithy, Alex Catlow.

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