Under the lights at Woodside Road on Tuesday night, Ricky Aguiar’s early goal from close-range was the difference against Hornchurch as the team hailing from West Sussex recorded a 1-0 triumph.
A domineering defensive display and multiple strong stops from Taylor Seymour helped the Rebels add their second clean sheet of the season, another positive heading into the trip to Victoria Road.
Meanwhile, Hartlepool have lost four of their last five league matches, which has seen them plummet down the table after an initial strong start to the season.
So far in September, the Reds are yet to taste defeat, with the 2-2 draws against Barrow AFC and AFC Fylde the bi-product of performances with plenty of character and resilience.
It’s already a third journey of the campaign that exceeds the 500 mile round trip mark, with the Reds already required to meet some of the league’s northernmost teams.
The Opposition
Hartlepool enter tomorrow’s contest looking to put a difficult week behind them, which consisted of two losses.
Last Friday, the Pools failed to lay a glove on newly-promoted Kidderminster Harries, falling to a 2-0 loss at Aggborough, before narrowly losing to Altrincham during midweek. Jack Hunter’s 72nd minute red card proved costly, as tomorrow’s opponents conceded nine minutes later.
The offensive and defensive numbers for Lee Clark’s side are polar opposites. Only Gateshead have scored fewer than Hartlepool’s six in eight games in the National League, however over Aldershot Town and Kidderminster Harriers have conceded fewer than the eight goals they have shipped.
Hartlepool are one of several teams that have spent long periods of their history in the EFL, with this fourth term since relegation from League Two. As recently as 2013, the Pools were members of League One, with aim to return to the top four divisions of English football.
The Gaffer
Nomadic manager Lee Clark is yet to win over his new supporters following a summer move to Hartlepool United.
Immediately after being appointed, the 53-year-old vowed to get the Pools back into the Football League, although four losses in five matches and an overall win percentage of 30% has made the task slightly more challenging.
It follows a difficult time as manager of Rotherham United at the latter stages of last campaign, as the Englishman failed to steer the Millers clear of relegation into League Two in a stint that lasted just 45 days.
Prior to relocating back to England, Clark embraced a completely different footballing culture, with a spell at Al Ittihad of the Oman Professional League sandwiched in between two separate posts as Al-Merrikh manager in Sudan.
Close to almost two decades in football management, the Pools gaffer has also been employed by Huddersfield Town, Birmingham City, Blackpool, Kilmarnock and Barry with various degrees of success.
Clark is one of a select few to represent both Newcastle United and Sunderland as a player, making over 200 appearances over two stints with the former.
On the international stage, he scored a hat-trick for England schoolboys in 1988 in a 4–1, represented the Three Lions at Under 21 level, and was a member of England’s squad for Le Tournoi de France.
One to Watch
Despite only scoring once so far this season, striker Will Harris has a glowing reputation as one of the finest marksman in Non-League, as he netted an astounding 22 National League goals last season for FC Halifax Town.
Only Ollie Pearce, Emmanuel Dieseruvwe and Matt Rush scored more than the 25-year-old in the 2025/26 campaign, with only one of those 22 goals coming from the penalty spot.
Harris commenced the season in fine form, striking Hartlepool’s first of the season in the 2-0 opening day victory over Barrow. Since then, he’s drawn a blank in eight straight matches – but Worthing will still need to be wary of this threats.
Prior to his time at Victoria Road, the focal point has floated around several clubs in the North East, including Scunthorpe United, Spennymoor Town and Gateshead.
The Pools also boast midfield technician Jamie Miley in their ranks, the older brother of Newcastle United midfielder Lewis, Chelsea loanee goalkeeper Max Merrick and seasoned striker Jordan Hugill, whose attacking prowess cannot be underestimated off the bench.
League Form Guide
Hartlepool United | W3 D0 L5 GD: -2 | Pos: 16th
League Form: LLWLL
MD4: Hartlepool United 0-1 Eastleigh
MD5: FC Halifax Town 1-0 Hartlepool United
MD6: Hartlepool United 1-0 Woking | Scorer: Christopher Popov
MD7: Kidderminster Harriers 2-0 Hartlepool United
MD8: Altrincham 2-1 Hartlepool United | Scorers: Jamie Miley
Worthing FC | W3 D2 L3 GD: 0 | Pos: 13th
League Form: WDDLL
MD4: Tamworth 3-2 Worthing FC | Scorers: Jack Wadham & Jose Marquez
MD5: Worthing FC 2-3 Boreham Wood | Scorer: Razzaq Coleman De-Graft x2
MD6: AFC Fylde 2-2 Worthing FC | Scorer: Jose Marquez & Razzaq Coleman De-Graft
MD7: Worthing FC 2-2 Barrow AFC | Scorer: Dom Hutchinson x2
MD8: Worthing FC 1-0 Hornchurch FC | Scorer: Ricky Aguiar
Tickets
Please ensure, you purchase your ticket in the correct section with the Away fans being housed in the Hartlepool Cable Services Stand, with seating allocated to each supporter.
Online Prices are listed below, with tickets priced at a cheaper rate when secured in advance. We strongly advise supporters not to travel without a ticket.
Wheelchair Accessible Seating is also available and is an option for supporters when buying your ticket.
Prices
Adult Matchday Ticket (Advance Price): £22.00
Over 65 Matchday Ticket (Advance Price): £16.00
Armed Forces/Blue Light Card Matchday Ticket (Advance Price): £16.00
Student Matchday Ticket (Advance Price): £16.00
18-21 Matchday Ticket (Advance Price): £16.00
Under 18 Matchday Ticket (Advance Price): £11.00
Under 14 Matchday Ticket (Advance Price): £6.00
Under 5 Matchday Ticket (Advance Price): FREE
Companion Matchday Ticket (Advance Price): FREE
Hartlepool United vs Worthing tickets
HOW TO FOLLOW
If you can’t be at the game, you can follow the game via live updates from the club’s official Twitter account.
Or if you prefer, you can watch Behind- the-Scenes footage over on our Instagram account.
You can also listen to live commentary through the club’s official commentary service, sponsored by the Worthing FC Supporters Association.
Originally published by Worthing FC ↗