Worthing win 6-4 – but boss has a major worry

The Rebels have scored 72 league goals this season – easily the highest number in National League South and beaten only by Chesterfield’s 79 across the top six tiers of football in England.

But Saturday’s 6-4 win at home to Dover, in which Ollie Pearce scored another four to take his league tally to 29 for the campaign and put the Rebels five points clear in second place, had its downside for Hinshelwood at the other end.

Worthing 6 Dover 4 in pictures by Mike Gunn.

He felt a serious ankle injury suffered by keeper Josh Jeffries, which led to him being taken to hospital, ‘rocked’ his team when they’d been comfortable at 3-0 up.

Dover pulled it back to 3-2 – and after Worthing then went 6-2 up, Hinshelwood said conceding another two could only be put down to ‘a lack of concentration and a bit of complacency’.

"You just can’t afford to do that,” said the manager. “Our goals-for record is up there with the best in the country but our goals against is poor and probably in the bottom ten for the league.

"It’s something we’ve got to get better at. We’ve had it too many times this season where we’ve played really well, a team’s scored a goal and we’ve ended up conceding four.

"I don’t think Dover had to do too much to score four goals. We’ve had to work our socks off and put a lot into the game to score, and they’re just getting gifts.

"But we’re on a good run. It’s another three points, we’re scoring goals and Ollie Pearce is on a mission! It’s not just his goals – he’s leading the line really well, he’s setting off the press for us, him and Danny Cashman.

"It’s not a one-man band, though, and we all need to keep grafting to pick up as many points as we can.”

The match was overshadowed by Jeffries’ ankle injury which is still being assessed to check for a possible fracture. Hinshelwood said: “He’s been superb and we hope he’ll be back strong. He’ll be missed.”

Worthing take their promotion bid to 14th-placed Weymouth on Saturday and 21st-placed Welling next Tuesday – with Hinshelwood warning they must tighten up.