Young Worthing let Wimbledon off hook

They drew 0-0 at home to leaders AFC Wimbledon to bring them within reach and enhance the chances that Worthing's fellow Isthmian Youth League Cup finalists last season, Croydon Athletic, can go on and win the title. The league is in its first season.

Worthing are now third, can make second, but they are still only in their first season after promotion from the less taxing South East Counties League they won last season while they also entered the Isthmian Youth Cup. In this season's Cup they are awaiting an away quarter-final against either Burgess Hill or Tonbridge Angels.

Hillians will be their opponents in the Sussex Youth Cup Final, known as the Dennis Probee Under-18 Youth Cup, on Thursday, April 3, at a venue to be decided.

Young Rebels welcomed AFC Wimbledon to Woodside having beaten them away 9-1 in an astonishing match when every chance they created seemed to hit the back of the net. It was the same this time, except the netting remained still. Wimbledon were insistent upon playing the ball around and out from the back, but proved error-prone in areas of the pitch that would have been expensive had the Worthing strikers been on song.

Worthing saw a couple of chances cleared off the Wimbledon line and defender Joe Booker hit their bar. Up front with Ashley Rees, who is on the brink of a first-team try-out says Alan Pook, was Jonno Meeney.

At the back, Rebels contained Wimbledon to the extent that new keeper Sam Killick had no chance - not even during a sequence of three Wimbledon should provide serious competition for their resident keeper, Will Martin, who took over this season when Steve Phillips went over age. Killick was a Crystal Palace release some months back.

Two 15-year-olds made young Rebels debuts after spells with AFC Bournemouth. Joe Shiel, who had gone originally from Worthing to the Bournemouth Academy, started in midfield and Sinan Djevdet was on the bench.

Worthing are next at home to Kingstonian on Monday, although there is a chance the fixture will be altered. Click here for Ryman Youth League.

WORTHING: Sam Killick; Charlie Farmer, Joe Booker, captain Max Coleman, Harry Constable; Russell Wells, Joe Shiel, Mickey Demetriou, Terry Dodd; Ashley Rees, Jonno Meeney. Subs: Sam Corkill (Constable HT), Adam Mitchell (Shiel 60), Reece Appleton, Sinan Djevdet, Will Martin gk. Att:60.