Five-star Worthing beat Whyteleafe

Worthing Football Club returned to winning ways in Ryman League South Division with a 5-1 win at home to Whyteleafe this afternoon.
Brannon O'NeillBrannon O'Neill
Brannon O'Neill

Worthing were outstanding in the first half and led 4-1 at the break with goals from Callum Overton, Ryan Richefond, Harvey Sparks and Jordan Clark. Richefond struck his second ten minutes from time to seal a comfortable win.

Rebels, with the wind behind them in the first half, went ahead after just four minutes. Brannon O’Neill found Sparks in space on the left-hand side of the penalty area and his low shot was parried by Whyteleafe keeper Bailey Vose into the path of Overton, who bundled the ball home from close range.

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Worthing doubled their lead just five minutes later when Omar Bugiel went on a mazy run down the left, his cross was pushed up into the air by Vose and Richefond was on hand to volley home at the back post.

Rebels could have been 3-0 ahead after just 14 minutes as Bugiel slipped Will Hendon through on goal but his low shot from 15 yards was saved by Vose.

The hosts again went close to a third on 22 minutes when Bugiel dummied O’Neill’s cross from the left and the ball went just wide of the far post. O’Neill then fired an effort straight at Vose from Overton’s lay-off a minute later.

Worthing did get a third on 26 minutes when Bugiel did well down the right to hold off the challenge of Dean Hamlin, before he crossed for Sparks to coolly slot home from eight yards.

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The opening half-an-hour was all Rebels and Overton had a well-hit 25-yard strike saved by Vose, scrambling across goal to his left on 28 minutes. Two minutes later, Worthing went close again when Hendon’s powerful effort was kept out by Vose at his near post.

It became 4-0 on 35 minutes when Clark broke from defence and side-footed home from seven yards, after Bugiel back-heeled Richefond’s low cross into his path for a wonderful team goal.

Whyteleafe threatened a minute later when Roscoe D’Sane let fly but his goalbound shot was blocked by Clark.

Rebels went straight down the other end and Richefond had a close-range effort blocked, before Vose back-peddled to tip Sparks’ right-footed shot over the bar.

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Whyteleafe got a goal back on 44 minutes when Vernon Francis was left unmarked to head home Sam Clayton’s corner.

The visitors then almost got another goal back before half-time but Francis’s low shot from 15 yards was saved by Rikki Banks.

Whyteleafe made a treble substitution at half-time but the first chance of the second half fell to Rebels when joint boss Gary Elphick headed O’Neill’s corner over on the hour.

Worthing added a fifth on 80 minutes when Sparks found Bugiel, whose low cross was turned home by Richefond at the back post.

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Sparks almost netted a sublime sixth on 83 minutes but his shot from the touchline just curled away from goal after Vose had come out of his goal to head clear.

WORTHING: Banks; Hendon, Clark, Axell (Quirke 84), Elphick, Heath, Overton (Newton 81), O’Neill, Bugiel, Richefond, Sparks. Subs: Pope, Fagan, Lyne. Att: 366.

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