Rebels get to grips with victory

With draws no good to them in the run-in against relegation, they thoroughly deserved their first home win in three starts but results elsewhere in the drop zone left them little better-placed.

Chasing Walton & Hersham only drew with Harrow Borough and cannot now catch Worthing with their game in hand, and likewise, Harrow are now two points closer to Worthing lying four places ahead of them. East Thurrock United, the next club above Worthing before the kick-off, stayed eight points ahead of Rebels with a 3-0 victory over Ashford Town (Middx) who now slip to within seven points of Worthing but with a game in hand.

Worthing must go to Ashford on the last day of the season while East Thurrock will be at home to title-chasing AFC Wimbledon, reports Richard Amey.

On Tuesday, Worthing will know the outcome of their rivals Easter Monday matches when they go to Horsham.

Monday's key games: Ashford Town (Middx) v Slough; Billericay v East Thurrock; Hampton & Richmond v Walton & Hersham; Harrow Bor v Hendon.

Ben Andrews scored Rebels' dramatic winner against Leyton. It came three minutes after Leyton had equalised and it restored Rebels' confidence after conceding the goal with more defensive fallability.

Right-back Joe Keehan faced a high ball on the right of his own penalty area which, had a fellow defender called to him, he could have allowed to run out for a goal kick. Instead, he tried to head forward and clear but only presented the ball to Leyton's most dangerous player, Manny Williams, who had moved over from the right wing. Williams turned inside, eluded a defender and cracked the ball low in off the paint of the near post with Rebels keeper Rikki Banks unable to see it coming early.

That was in the 74th minute and wiped out Mark Knee's opener in the 27th minute. But Worthing were back down the other end and Leyton captain Roy Parkyn, without penalty, pulled back lively new substitute James Fraser. But a minute later, in the 77th, Banks made the second of two confident high catches and punted left-footed downfield. The ball bounced beyond two Leyton defenders who, looking complacent, allowed big Ben Andrews to come across behind them and beat them to the ball. Once there they could not dislodge him and Andrews calmly beat keeper Jamie Lunan from the inside-left angle to notch his 16th goal of the season.

Banks then made the third of his three saves with his left foot in the match from striker Leli Bajada, who was looking for yet another of his goals against Worthing. Two minutes later, inside the last 10, Stuart Axten blocked the ball away as Williams swung his boot at what seemed a certain equaliser, then Bajada spooned too high another chance, and in stoppage time Williams shot just past Banks' right post.

Knee had given Worthing the lead against the run of play. Sam Francis, got behind Parkin on the Worthing right, deep into the penalty area, pulled back a deep cross and as two Leyton defenders appeared to stand still, Knee's header bounced down from the bar and, according to the linesman, over the line.

Banks had already denied Bajada for the first time but Axten had had an effort blocked from a Keehan cross and the goal boosted Worthing's confidence. Andrews could not quite reach Nathan Simpson's diagonal delivery behind the defence and after Banks' second denial of Bajada, Knee almost touched in Keehan's deep free kick. Omark Coleman's effort was blocked by Ben Gracey but Worthing went into half-time grateful again to Banks, who got down well to beat out Curtis Allen's shot at the foot of his near left post.

Early in the second half, Knee headed Jamie Lawrence's free kick awkwardly past the angle with Andrews sailing in to head home behind him at the far post. Then Leyton carved Rebels open in the best move of the match, only for Banks to get enough onto Allen's drive to keep it out.

Andy Lutwyche, the senior central defender in experience, then began to take charge at the back, unable to put a foot wrong and sub Fraser replaced Coleman, who had a knock, with extra pace and effectively set Leyton's defence a new set of problems. Lutwyche got the man of the match award but Banks his third player of the month award.

Leo Day was recalled to midfield in place of the young Karl Akehurst, who been excelling on his first run in the first team and had starred in the Sussex Senior Cup semi-final win over Lewes. Boss Danny Bloor suggested he was not wanting to ask too much of Akehurst. He said: "I've got to look after the younger players. They ought not to play too many games at once. I might leave Stuart Axten out on Tuesday at Horsham. You've got to take your time with them.

"Leo's deserved to be recalled. He's an instrumental cog to this team and was a contender for man of the match today. I don't agree with the fans who have been criticising him.

"Some of the players we have got in this team who live in London don't care one iota for this club. They are no longer here. But Jamie Lawrence, Omari Coleman and Nathan Simpson do care about it."

Captain Lawrence did not agree entirely about young players being limited in their exposure and commented: "Karl Akehurst, James Fraser and Stuart Axten are different. They are men already. They want to go out and prove something and they don't respect people's reputations in the teams playing against them. They've got hunger and desire.

About the victory: "We worked so hard to get in front against Leyton, then gave away a silly goal. But this time we ground it out which is what you've got to do when you're not playing particularly well. You can't always play free-flowing football."

Team coach Paul Rogers remarked: "We showed a bit of commitment we haven't always done against the mid-table teams. Sam Francis showed the bit of quality we've been missing, with his pace, directness and crosses. If I'd been in the Leyton camp I'd have been thinking they'd blown it. They missed several chances. Other results haven't gone our way today but we've just got to keep going and see what's what."

WORTHING: Banks; J.Keehan, Axten, Lutwyche, Simpson; Francis, Lawrence, Day, Knee; Andrews, Coleman. Subs: Lawley (Francis HT), Fraser (Coleman 68), Brotherton, Alexander, Hunter gk. Att: 423.

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