REBELS IRONED!

ALAN POOK'S injury-hit Worthing had seven first-team players sidelined against title contenders Braintree on Saturday and lost at home in the league for the second successive match. The full-time team from Essex took all three points in a physical encounter that left the Rebels manager fuming at some of referee Andy Legg's decisions.

Pook stated: "I don't want to say too much about the referee but all I will say is that when we found out he was to be in charge we asked for him to be replaced."

Worthing nearly got off to a flyer when, with only a minute on the clock, Chris Dicker drilled in a thumping effort that was well held by keeper Danny Gay.

However, it was Braintree who took the lead on 16 minutes when Alex Revell's opportunist header just crossed the line after a defensive mix up.

The Iron doubled their lead six minutes later. Mr Legg awarded them a free kick for what seemed a perfectly good interception by a Worthing player. Collins, it appeared, won the ball and was guilty only of being quicker than his opponent to the ball.

From the resulting free kick, Mark Ormerod punched his clearance straight to the welcoming Andy Porter who coolly converted.

Rebels manager Alan Pook was bemused by the free-kick decision and his frustration was shared by the injured Worthing players watching from behind the dug out.

Worthing's Shaun Grice then seemed to step up a gear and nearly pulled a goal back with a solid header on 27 minutes that was just tipped over the bar.

Rebels captain Paul Rogers was having none of the aggressive tackling visitors antics and started to put in some X-rated challenges of his own that had Braintree manager George Borg shouting at the officials for his players protection.

Although Worthing went close on several occasions including another Grice header, Braintree were as every full-time professional club should be '” extremely well organised and extremely disciplined.

With only one minute remaining Borg's men wrapped up the match when Gary Abbott rose unchallenged at the near post to head past the desperate Ormerod from a Graham corner.

WORTHING: Ormerod; Holmes, Dicker, Pullan, Rogers; Solomon, Grice, Collins, Green; Carew, Phillips. Subs: Knee (Carew 63), Geard (Dicker 75), Head (Phillips 80). Lamont, Lutwyche. Att: 362.