Williams and fellow under-18 Hattie Rainey were the latest to get a taste of first-team action, with the future beginning to look as bright on the pitch as it currently is off it, on another boiling hot afternoon in BN14.
Indeed the heat appeared to affect both teams in the early stages, reaching the midway point of the opening 45 minutes before any noteworthy chance was engineered by either side.
Even then, the assistant referee’s flag went up to ensure Ludmila Da Sousa failed to make more of Annie Gracie’s brilliantly bent ball into her.
Further fine approach play almost saw Gracie get goalside herself and bury an outside-of-the- boot attempt, only to see it whistle inches the wrong side of the far post.
Going direct nearly worked around the half-hour mark, Sofia Harding launching her kick downfield perfectly for Da Sousa to seemingly break clear, where a superb recovery tackle by captain Anya Thompson was needed to ensure the game remained goalless.
Neve McEvaddy’s set-pieces were causing a few problems for the visitors and from a right wing corner, Gracie pounced on a loose ball to land an effort on top of the net, as the hosts continued to enjoy the greater possession and territory.
That persistence paid off shortly afterwards, thanks to Ruby Murdock teeing-up Gracie to put a shot out of Belle Hicks’ reach and edge Worthing in front.
However, that lead proved to be short-lived, when indecisiveness under pressure resulted in Reds number one Harding getting caught on the ball by Ruby Huggins, who promptly shimmied rounded the stricken’ keeper to tap home the equaliser.
Whatever Harding had, opposite number Hicks soon caught too; flapping at McEvaddy’s latest flag-kick to present home skipper Sofia Wickenden with an opportunity to hook in from close-range.
Three goals in six minutes might have become four in nine had Sophie Richards managed to keep her effort a fraction lower, after the ever-dangerous McEvaddy had slipped in Jess Richardson to provide the opening.
The last action of the first-half though fell to India Mackie, her corner hitting the crossbar and going straight back out for a goal-kick, leaving the hosts to hold on to their narrow advantage going into the break.
Not that home fans had much longer to wait for a third of the afternoon, via Ruby Melis’ flag-kick flat footing Fleet, seeing Gracie’s potential brace blocked but Richards reacting quickest to claim her maiden strike for her new club.
Moments later, half-time sub Trialist A whipped in a dangerous-looking set-piece that ended up on the roof of a relieved Harding’s net as Town’s threat remained.
That threat was evident again when Huggins burst clear and broke into the penalty area, only to fire at Harding.
Play immediately switched to the other end, where Gracie, on the run, came within a whisker of meeting Wickenden’s teasing delivery to the back stick.
The unnamed Fleet number seven kept catching the eye, never more so than when she worked room for an attempt that Harding held onto.
Flowing, fluid teamwork eventually saw the Hampshire-based guests cut the deficit to a single goal. Thompson’s low, byline ball in from the right clinically converted by half-time inductee Priya Wilson to round off a quite brilliant move.
Worthing made changes of their own and it was one of them, Amber Hazlewood, who found herself in a decent position, following Wickenden putting her there, though she could only find the gloves of Hicks.
A short passage further into proceedings, Huggins’ slide rule pass carried just a touch too much for Wilson to possibly bag her second of the day.
Heading towards time, Lottie Traxler- one of four substitutions prior to the change of ends – didn’t miss by much, as she let go from distance but more goals would soon arrive.
Outstanding football by a buoyant Rebels produced a tidy finish from newbie Ruby Williams with five minutes to go, only for Fleet to reciprocate via a quickfire response which ended with Huggins, dual-signed from last season’s opponents Maidenhead United, capping off yet more wonderful work.
It would be Williams and Worthing celebrating at full-time though, at the end of a thoroughly entertaining affair.
Originally published by Worthing FC ↗