Worthing FC’s return to form is fired by self-belief

The Reds went into the Woodside Road six-pointer on the back of a run of three defeats in which they’d conceded 14 goals.

They were 1-0 down at the break but kept plugging away and second half goals by David Rodari, Ollie Pearce, from the spot, and Kane Wills earned a crucial victory, even if a second Havant goal in the 89th minute briefly made them sweat.

24 pictures from Worthing’s excellent win over Havant and Waterlooville.

It puts them back up to sixth in National League South – but so tight is the race for a finish in the top seven and a prized play-off place, only five points separate Braintree in fifth and 11th-placed Eastbourne Borough.

Hinshelwood admitted it was a much-needed win and said it had put them back on the front foot for the final six games, which start with a trip to tenth-placed Farnborough on Saturday.

"I think we deserved it and the score was closer than it maybe should have been based on the possession we had.

"I don’t think we were under extra pressure because of recent results. We’re still up around the highest league position the club’s ever been, after all. But to have been in the play-off positions for so long, we’d be stupid to give that up without a fight.

"At 1-0 down at half-time the message to the players was to keep believing. We’ve achieved a lot this season as a group and that’s not changed.

"There could have been a few nerves but in the second half we really showed again what we can do.

"Now we have to carry on in the same vein because every game will be hard between now and the end of the season. There are so many teams with something to fight for.”

Hinshelwood was pleased to see Rodari come off the bench to score – and also praised Ibby Akanbi for his part in the two goals which clinched victory.

The downside was the two goals they let in.

The boss added: “We’re disappointed with the manner of both – we have to be harder to score against.”

Hinshelwood is without winger Lewis White (hamstring) on Saturday while Pearce needs a toe x-rayed.