The Cornish-named leading scorer in the County League last season, as Crows took the title without peer, is a joint-signing for Rebels from Conference club Eastbourne Borough, and injury prevented him making his debut on Saturday at home to Folkestone Invicta.

Each upcoming Worthing match will carry an element of doubt, however, about his availability until the Borough side becomes settled. And to pitch him against the former team-mates he left behind this summer might not be the wisest thing in Borough's minds.

Andy Alexander's return from the suspension he incurred through being sent off, for the first time in a Rebels shirt, at the Division 1 South play-offs semi-final, means that Worthing can release Ben Andrews from defensive needs, to menace up front.

Without Alexander on Saturday, Dominic Douglas, another joint-signatory with Eastbourne Borough, took admirable responsibility in the back four, although he escaped a couple of hairy moments.

Potential strike power

And that unleashes a juicy possibility in the Rebels fans' imagination: Andrews and Treleaven up front with Jamie Brotherton a third prong. It's the land of 4-3-3 and Sammy Donnelly's latter Woodside days, but all depends upon the midfield strength and the strongest shape those players can make.

That's a melting pot as Scott Kirkwood and Carly Akehurst vie for a spot alongside the general, Paul Kennett, in the middle, or Kirkwood with Lloyd Skinner wide right.

New signing Chris O'Flaherty on the left has the potential to become a household furniture item, much on the principal of Kevin Foreman in the great Barry Lloyd 1980s Rebels. But in a 4-3-3 is different to the Lloyd 4-2-2 and that remains something for revelation in future.

With Jorge Lopez,and Mickey Demetriou to join the mix in midfield with Mark Pulling, and Carl Southwell being able to drop in anywhere, plus Paul Elliott to become a developing factor up front, the machinery is still in the experimental stages.

Mind concentration

Meanwhile, Metropolitan Police away on Saturday and Crows at home on Monday requires a concentration of the mind, with the Worthing defence the first to undergo scrutiny and endure the test.

Worthing will go to Camberley Town in the preliminary round of the FA Cup on August 30, for £1,500 in prize money. They defeated Kent club Lordswood, whose ground problem meant they played their replay on Tuesday back at Camberley. They lost it 4-2 after a 1-1 draw there on Saturday.

Camberley are in the Cherry Red Records Combined Counties League. Does this mean they run out onto the pitch to the strains of the Groundhogs?

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Email the Herald: richard.amey@worthingherald.co.uk