Dawes hits four as Rebels beat Little Common to reach semi-finals

The game was delayed by ten minutes after one of the floodlights went out, before Rebels kicked off against a blustery wind with power fully restored.

Common, who play in Southern Combination League Division 1, had reached the quarter-finals with a 5-1 win over division-higher Arundel last week.

They took the lead through Martin Denny six minutes into the second half, before Rebels responded with a double from Metcalf and four from Dawes to reach the semi-finals.

Dawes flashed a cross from the right across the face of goal on four minutes, before Callum Overton’s header from Dawes’ cross was well saved by Common keeper Matt Cruttwell, diving low to his right, on 12 minutes.

Dawes then flashed a shot from the edge of the area just wide a minute later, before Zack Newton had an effort pushed over by Cruttwell on 18 minutes.

Rebels went close again on 23 minutes when Overton’s cross was miscued by a Common defender and Harvey Sparks’ shot from eight yards was brilliantly saved by Cruttwell.

Chances continued to come Worthing’s way and the visitors’ keeper then dived high to his left to keep out Dawes’ shot from 18 yards two minutes later, before Cruttwell kept out two efforts from Corey Heath in quick succession.

Worthing’s Ryan Quirke blasted over from 20 yards on 28 minutes, before Common threatened on 31 minutes but Rebels keeper Jack Fagan was out quickly to claim the ball at the feet of Lewis Hole.

Dawes over-ran the ball after Rebels attacked at pace on 36 minutes and Cruttwell took the ball of the striker’s feet, before Common’s keeper again denied Dawes when he got through on goal moments later.

It was Dawes who again went close in the final minute of the half when he drove an effort just wide of the far post as the sides went in all square at half-time.

The Dawes versus Cruttwell show continued in the second half when Rebels’ striker stung the hands of the visiting keeper 90 seconds after the break.

Sparks fizzed a shot just wide two minutes later, before Common went ahead on 51 minutes. Denny beat the offside trap as he raced on to a through ball and coolly fired home under Fagan.

It took Rebels just four minutes to equalise as Cruttwell was unable to hold Dawes’ fierce free kick and Worthing captain Metcalf pounced to score from close range.

Within a minute, Worthing were ahead as Newton broke down the right and passed the ball inside to Metcalf and he took a touch before firing past Cruttwell from 15 yards.

It was then almost three goals in as many minutes for Rebels but Will Hendon’s shot from four yards was pushed wide by Cruttwell.

Dawes then saw two more shots kept out by Cruttwell, who also denied Overton inbetween. Dawes should have got on the scoresheet on 71 minutes but Cruttwell thwarted him, before Rebels sub Mike Waller’s goalbound shot hit Dawes and went out for a goal kick.

Chances continued to come Rebels’ way and Will Hendon flashed an effort just over, before Dawes finally got on the scoresheet after 79 minutes when he coolly dinked the ball over Cruttwell from 12 yards.

With Common tiring, Dawes got his second just a minute later when he beat the offside trap from Newton’s through ball and chipped the ball home from 12 yards.

Dawes then completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot on 85 minutes after Newton was tripped. He then got his fourth of the game from sub Jack Barnes’ cross in injury-time.

WORTHING: Fagan, Hendon, Sparks, Axell, Metcalf, Heath, Dawes, O’Neill, Overton, Quirke, Newton. Subs: Waller (Overton 67), Barnes (Newton 85), Edwards (O’Neill 87), Pope, Banks.

LITTLE COMMON: Cruttwell, Sherwood, Mote, Eldridge,Morris, Trickett, Denny, Brown, Hole, Crone, Lusted. Subs: Foster, Curteis (Denny, Lusted 72), Kobb (Eldridge 87), Wells, Sloat.

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