Sparks helps Worthing seal FA Trophy progress

Omar Bugiel and Harvey Sparks were both on the scoresheet for Worthing today. Picture: Stephen Goodger

Efforts from Sparks, an Omar Bugiel spot-kick and a late Kane Wills strike helped the home side seal a 3-1 first-round qualfying victory over league below Southern League Central Division 1 outfit AFC Kempston Rovers.

Worthing were far from their best but a couple of strikes in the final ten minutes added extra gloss, before Grant Fryer pulled one back with virtually the last kick, but Worthing held onto seal the £2,700 prize money reward.

Following a sedate start, Worthing were ahead on 12 minutes. After the ball fell kindly to Reis Stanislaus on the edge, he picked out Sparks who fired past Martin Conway.

Sam Rents was then denied by a post with a fine effort seven minutes later. Sparks’ clever dinked ball found Rents but his deft lob came back out of the upright.

Ash Fuller’s curling strike on 23 minutes took a bad bounce, with Worthing goalkeeper Jack Fagan forced to parry wide.

Sparks thought he had prodded home his second of the afternoon nine minutes later. A rampaging run from Stanislaus saw him beat three players, before seeing his ball poked home by Sparks, though, he was flagged offside.

Stanislaus then ballooned a late opportunity over a minute into first half stoppage-time. Alex Stoyles’ header fell to Omar Bugiel, he then slotted Stanislaus in but he fired well over.

Fagan was then called into action with 20 minutes to go. Fuller’s whipped cross was met by Dom Masala’s scissor kick effort but Worthing’s stopper tipped over.

Stanislaus then somehow fired wide with 75 minutes on the clock. Great work from Bugiel saw him get clear, he then square for the forward but he side-footed wide from all of four yards.

Worthing were then handed a great chance to go ahead ten minutes from time. Grant Fryer hauled down Jack Cook in the area with a spot-kick awarded. Bugiel slammed the penalty into the top corner as the home side opened up a 2-0 lead.

Johnson’s cross picked out Fuller but his volley was blazed over five minutes from time.

Wills then sealed it for Worthing a minute from time. Sparks’ ball found the midfielder unmarked and he fired back across goal and into the bottom corner.

With less than a minute to play, Worthing fail to clear their lines from a corner and Fryer was on hand to fire home a late consolation.

WORTHING: Fagan; Hendon, Cook, Heath, Rents; Axell, Wills; Newton, Bugiel, Sparks; Stanislaus. Subs: O’Neill (Axell), Boiling, Hards (Bugiel), Brodie (Newton), Belward.

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