FOOTBALL: Colbran delighted as Rebels go top after away wins

WORTHING Football Club have regained top spot in Ryman Division 1 South after taking nine points from a busy schedule of three games in five days, which was capped with a 2-0 win at Walton Casuals on Monday night.

Rebels have now won seven on the bounce, after Monday's result followed a win 4-0 win at Corinthian Casuals on Saturday, and a 1-0 victory at fellow promotion-chasers Goldalming Town on Thursday.

Worthing clinched the top spot on Saturday after Croydon lost 1-0 at Fleet Town and Folkestone drew 0-0 with Leatherhead, and their three points meant Rebels leapfrogged both sides from third place.

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Worthing boss Simon Colbran was ecstatic at the way his side have reacted to last week's news of the budget cut, after earlier in season similar news saw a prolonged dip in form, which at one stage looked to have cost Rebels in their battle for promotion.

Colbran said: "What I'm so pleased about is that we are a young side and when something like that happens it has an effect on you, it is bound to.

"And although it has happened again they have all learnt from it, they have become bigger players and got stronger and not let it affect them.

"The past few days have been unbelievable, it has shown how much character the players have, like I've been saying all season, they really are getting what they deserve."

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Despite the busy schedule, Colbran insists he didn't set a target of points beforehand, preferring to concentrate on each game at a time, he said: "I honestly don't look at taking certain points from a certain amount of games.

"I much prefer just to go game to game, I don't ever look at any fixtures apart from the next one coming up.

"All three results, though, were definitely deserved, against Goldalming we dug it and did what was needed to do. Casuals was a very good performance and their manager actually said we were the best team they had played all season.

"There were a few tired legs at half-time against Walton, but I told them they needed to get over it and keep going.

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"Success is never given to anyone, and if we want to win the league we need to get through games like that and earn things, which we came out in the second half and did."

Captain Paul Kennett headed Rebels ahead after just nine minutes from a Jamie Brotherton corner against Walton, while a minute later they were lucky not to be level as Anthony Gale's free-header at the back post rattled Alan Mansifield's cross bar.

After the break, Brett Patton fired over on the hour mark, while Charlie Farmer put his header well over the bar.

It was substitite Evan Archibald on hand however, in the 85th minute to wrap up the points. He got on the end of Ben Williamson's cross and hit it on the turn to net his seventh goal in eight games.

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Against Casuals on Saturday, goals from Ben Williamson (two), a Brotherton penalty and late strike from Ben Johnson sealed all three points.

Mansfield pulled off two top-class saves in the early stages as Casuals started much the brighter.

Williamson put Worthing ahead on 12 minutes getting on the end of Stuart Axten's flick-on from Luke Denton's throw.

Ten minutes later, Kennett rolled in Archibald, whose ball saw Williamson beat his man and finish.

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Casuals' goalkeeper Luke Naughton saw red after bringing down Brotherton in the box on 76 minutes but Brotherton coolly slotted his penalty kick past the substitute keeper.

Karl Akehurst made his long-awaited, Worthing return, after suffering a broken leg back in December, coming on as a substitute with four minutes remaining.

Johnson wrapped things up on 90 minutes as his deflected shot sailed home.

Against Godalming on Thursday, Rebels controlled the first half and Archibald got the only goal of the game in the 30th minute.

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He got through one-on-one and after the Godalming keeper saved his first effort, Archibald knocked home the rebound.

WORTHING v Walton: Mansfield; Denton, Farmer, Axten, Groves; Brotherton, Patton, Kennett, Johnson; Fenelon, Williamson. Subs: Archibald (Fenelon 65), Greenfield (Johnson 90), Clarke (Brotherton 65), Bowra, Brown.

v Casuals: Mansfield; Denton, Farmer, Axten, Groves; Brotherton, Kennett, Patton, Johnson; Williamson, Archibald. Subs: Fenlon (Archibald 70), Brown (Kennett 74), Akehurst (Patton 84), Bowra, Greenfield.

v Godalming: Mansfield; Denton, Farmer, Axten, Groves, Brotherton, Kennett, Patton, Johnson; Archibald, Fenelon. Subs: Williamson (Archibald 60), Clarke (Brotherton 65), Greenfield, Bowra, Brown.

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