After last week’s confidence-boosting first win of the campaign at home to Millwall Lionesses, the Rebels made the short journey east, aiming to pick up another positive result.
Although they had to do it without regular goalkeeper Sofia Harding, who limped off seven days ago.
Her place was taken by debutant dual-reg. Sian Woods from Brighton & Hove Albion, as Marcie Skipp and Jess Richardson also came in for El Keegan and Sophie Rose. The former started on the bench alongside the returning Cristie Pritchard.
On a grey and windy day, it took the visitors a while to find their feet; particularly young defender Skipp who had her pocket picked just outside the penalty area by Moore; the Dockers’ attacker advancing before blasting a shot into the net to put the hosts in front after eleven minutes.
It could have been worse 180 seconds later, only for the post to come to Worthing’s rescue once goalscorer Moore had floated a high free-kick on the left all the way over to Emilia Rahaus at the back stick. Her first-time volley struck the upright and kept the game evenly balanced.
Midway through the opening period a bouncing ball was fired goalwards by Amber Hazlewood, drawing a fine save out of home number one Harriet Kwok at the expense of a corner.
Issy Wheatley responded for the Reds of Newhaven by finding the midriff of debutant Woods almost immediately, at the end of a quick break.
Woods was impressive on her maiden appearance and earned more Brownie points when she was out smartly to intercept at the feet of former Worthing striker Leah Morris, after she’d beaten the offside trap.
The end-to-end excitement soon resumed courtesy of the hard-working Hazlewood threatening once more, only for netminder Kwok to get there just ahead of her, and Paige Baker-Carroll couldn’t capitalise on the loose ball, firing it over the bar from distance.
Towards the end of first-half stoppage time, it took a brilliant tackle by Sophe Richards to thwart the danger posed by a rampaging Chloe Winchester, with the ex-Red close to pulling the trigger as she burst through the middle.
Two chances in the space of five early second-half minutes greeted the crowd who, by now, didn’t know whether to employ umbrellas to combat the occasional drizzle or break out the suncream, as the two teams returned to the pitch for the next forty-five.
In the first instance, Captain Charlotte Markham’s flag-kick picked out an unmarked Rahaus, but she could only head into the hands of Woods.
Then, up the other end, skipper Holly Talbut-Smith caused problems of her own via a deadball delivery which Kwok spilt, but no-one in a lilac shirt could take advantage of.
Reds retaliated by way of half-time sub Ruby Murdock, whose tricky feet saw her leave her marker trailing in her wake on the byline and Jess Richardson’s firmly-struck effort blocked by Faye Hannaford.
Lady luck appeared to have put on a red shirt, as Richardson was frustrated by Kwok at the end of a counter-attacking move, with the Lilacs still facing a single-goal deficit.
The introduction of Nicole Mackay gave Worthing an extra presence up front around the hour mark, but not even her long legs were able to fully reach Richardson’s right wing cross, little more than ten minutes from time.
Eventually, the travelling side from the West did level the score, though not by the most conventional of methods.
Talbut-Smith sent in a delivery off the left that bounced in the box and caught Newhaven custodian Kwok by surprise; dipping just under the crossbar and nestling in the back of the net.
Woods had to be alert to pounce on a Cara Graham header when the homesters looked to hit back with little hesitation, after Markham’s set-piece prowess posed further questions of the Rebels’ rearguard.
Not that they had it all their own way, thanks to another replacement in the form of De Sousa only being a whisker away from (potentially) completing a comeback victory.
A remarkable show of aptitude/defiance nearly procured a positive outcome for Sophie Jessop.
The recently introduced Docker chased a seemingly lost cause down to the corner flag, but fellow substitute Sofia Mausolle wasn’t quite able to get the better of Worthing’s Woods.
Similarly, Mackay had an even later opportunity presented to her in the final minute of the ninety; although she too placed a golden chance over the apparatus.
Added time saw one last attempt at all three points going one way or the other, only for Woods to round off an excellent personal performance by ensuring that Moore didn’t steal a maximum for Newhaven via another tremendous stop.
The shrill of the final whistle spelt out a well-earned point on the road for Jesus Cordon’s side, but a fixture which left them wondering if it could’ve been more.
League action will now be suspended for a fortnight as Leatherhead travel to Woodside Road for a Women’s FA Cup second qualifying round tie next Sunday.
Originally published by Worthing FC ↗