Better late than never as Hawks steal all three from Worthing

 

 

The term ‘a game that had everything’ is sometimes overused in Football, however this game was a fine exception, a game that has everyone in attendance talking.

The first goal for Worthing is one which will be obtained for the Christmas DVD as the ball ricoshades into the back of the net after a clearance, the goal was given to Omar Bugiel who was as stunned as everyone else in the ground as it came the shinpads.

Then the Hawks had despite Worthing leading, the best attacking chance of the game. When Ben Swallow whipped in a free kick towards the head of Theo Lewis who headed the ball with the last touch coming from a Worthing defender, a touch deemed by Lewis to be by a hand but the referee saw otherwise and signalled for a corner ball. Then Worthing took control of the game after the quarter hour mark when Bugiel caused the Hawks defence a whole host of problems with chances on goal from distance in which Ryan Young came up trumps.

Then on the half hour the Hawks had a chance to equalise when Swallow crossed the ball in meeting Matt Paterson, but the best that ‘Pato’ could do is header the ball wide.

Then on 32 minutes Worthing saw themselves two to the good when an excellent free kick from Lloyd Dawes from 25 yards out stunned Westleigh Park and saw Worthing into dream land.

HALF TIME: HAWKS 0-2 WORTHING

The second half saw a complete turn of the table as within 90 seconds of kick off a short corner by Ben Swallow to Rory Williams was put into the area towards Jason Prior and a man with his kind of goal scoring pedigree you can’t keep quiet as he headers the ball into the back of the net.

Then around ten minutes into the second period Swallow teed up George Barker whose bullet header went just wide on goal. Then Worthing a volley by Henry Watson which Ryan Young parries then a second shot comes in and goes over.

Then parity is restored bang on the hour when a ball from Paterson is whipped in and it meets Barker who slots is into the bottom right hand corner and level it is. This started a flurry of chances for the Hawks afterwards, however Lee Molyneaux on 67 minutes stopped Bugiel getting in to make it 3-2.

But that seemed to be an anomalous chance for Worthing in a second half in which the Hawks dominated and this was showed again by more constant pressure in their box culminating in a shot by Rory Williams saved by Rikki Banks.

Then Williams in the 89th Minute gives away a free kick in a promising position, fans thought that it was heart in your mouth time, well hindsight is a good thing, after the Hawks defended the free kick well, it all happened in front of our eyes. The second minute of stoppage time saw a melee in the Worthing box which saw Corey Heath sent off in controversial circumstances.

That was the hors d’oeuvre of drama as then the ball in the final minute of stoppage time was pin balling in the Hawks penalty area and after shots by Paterson and Rutherford, Lee Molyneaux saw his effort hit the back of the next and send the Hawks fans into ecstasy. Still the drama wasn’t over as straight from the kick off the ball is given to Newton and before anyone knew he was in on goal and thankfully for the Hawks his effort strayed wide.

FULL TIME: HAWKS 3-2 WORTHING

On the whole a thoroughly enjoyable game which saw the Hawks come up with three points. The Hawks Man of the Match was Lee Molyneaux and all things look up ahead of the big FA Cup tie against Ebbsfleet United.

Henry Deacon

THE GAME WILL BE LIVE ON HAWKS RADIO FROM 14:45