IT'S NOW NECK AND NECK

Both teams now share the leadership. To be London 1 champions, Worthing, whose points difference is 76 points superior, face five closing games that must all be won.

They go to Thanet Wanderers (March 12) and Old Albanians (April 9), and are at home to London Nigerians (April 2) and Canterbury (April 23) but begin this Saturday at home to London Scottish '” whom they have already beaten away in league and Powergen Cup this season.

What A knock-on nightmare. Worthing's handling skills let them down so badly on Saturday that Cambridge ran out more comfortable winners than the pattern of play might have suggested.

While Cambridge deserved to win, Worthing gifted them possession, position and points, not simply by nudging forward but giving the impression of playing volleyball with the oval shape, which Cambridge seized on the burst.

The teams traded early blows with a penalty and an unconverted try apiece. The visitors' try came first when tricky right-winger Tavela Kwilimbe evaded too many Worthing tackles. The hosts' followed an excellent direct run by full-back Duncan Taylor, completed by No 8 Rowan O'Gorman.

Play became quite scrappy in the second quarter with both sides nervous of blundering. Cambridge seemed to have got the measure of Jamie Stewart-McDonald, closing him down early, and when he did seem to break through, strong second-line defence halted the attack.

Then came a series of disasters for Worthing. Terry Butler dropped surely a scoring pass and a minute later, back at halfway, another gifted Sam Alatini a 25-metre break, although the delivery to scorer Dafydd Lewis, the stand-off, seemed forward.

A penalty by Ben Coulson made the half-time score of 11-13 fair and the game was there for the taking.

A brilliant break of 40 metres by Alatini, Worthing players flat-footed, gave Lewis the chance to stretch the deficit to 11-20 but Worthing's pack struck back and drove over for hooker Simon Alcott's 10th try this season and his third against Cambridge.

Then ill-luck took a hand. A forward kick from halfway bounced awkwardly for pursuing wing Gavin Stephens but well for Cambridge full-back Mike Campbell who collected, kicked on, chased, again got a friendly bounce, and scored under the posts.

In trying to break Cambridge's hold, Worthing dropped intricate crossovers, finally leading to a direct Alatini run stopped only by conceding a penalty under the posts. The Worthing forwards reasserted themselves in the dying moments and provided New Zealander, O'Gorman, with the 22nd try of his stay.

Alatini, the Cambridge player-coach, said they had done enough to warrant victory, claiming: "I would have been satisfied with a win by just one point. We were provided with a couple of chances and we took them."

Worthing coach Mick Orton, immensely disappointed with his side's performance, said: "We did not have the control of the phases of play we needed and could not close down their fast runners."

WORTHING: Taylor; Coulson, Butler, Stewart-McDonald, Stephens; Dudley, Imrie; Storer, Alcott, Bennett, Dove, B.McGowan, Kirchell, C.McGowan, O'Gorman. Bench: Kimmer (Butler 76), Monoogian, Coombe. Att: 650.

Worthing v London Scottish '” Coach Mick Orton: "Andy Phillips is fit so he will play on the openside, Louis Kirchell on the blindside and Charlie McGowan will go back to lock. (Bench: Nacagilevu, Dove, Coombe).

"All five games left are difficult, all are cup finals now. Cambridge created space better with the ball than we did and punished us for spillages or possession not secured."

The pre-match lunch features a reunion of the Worthing RFC team who met London Scottish in the National Cup in January 1987 as then the first Sussex Club to reach the last 32.