Written by: Ollie Heathcote
The Tudors drew 1-1 to Worthing after the visitors were able to salvage a draw with the last kick of the game.
After Ricardo German broke the deadlock in the 30th minute and with Bobby Wilkinson’s side having numerous chances to wrap the game up, Worthing’s midfielder Jack Spong equalised with the final kick of the game to break the hearts of Hemel.
The opening exchanges saw the visitors have more possession of the ball, with both sides struggling to find a clear cut chance. The Tudors were able to pick their moments, resulting in Ajayi’s header being saved by Haigh, whilst Harrison Smith’s effort towards goal was blocked and cleared away from danger for the Rebels. Despite having the majority of possession, looking to get the ball into the pockets of space, the hosts were able to defend well and limit Worthing.
Credit: Club Photographer, Jemma Sear (@_Photosbyjem)
However, the Tudors broke the deadlock on the half hour mark after a clever piece of play resulted in a well-weighted through ball finding the feet of Ricardo German, who fired home for his third goal in four games. 12 minutes later, the talisman was substituted after sustaining a hamstring injury, replaced by the threatening Alfie Cerulli. The visitors saw the ball in the back of the net just before half time, with a delicate chip from Danny Cashman following some quick play on the edge of the box. However, the attacker was adjudged to be in an offside position, which meant that the Tudors went into the half time break winning against another highly organised team.
The second half continued to be a cagey affair, with clear cut chances limited for both sides. Whilst the Tudors were focused on preventing the visitors having a strong start to the half, they also looked to double their advantage. The Rebels, on the other hand, continued with their possession approach, testing the character of the Hemel defence with some promising chances. For the home side, Cerulli’s shot went narrowly past the post for the home side whilst Worthing saw their header cleared off the line following a corner. Worthing looked to push men up the pitch as they were chasing the game, with the Tudors equal to everything thrown at them. In the 88th minute, a breakaway saw Cerulli’s effort strike the post and with 6 minutes of added time to play, the visitors were able to carve out one more opportunity. With the Tudors attempting to clear the ball on the edge of the box, the ball was deflected and trickled through to Jack Spong who levelled with the final kick of the game.
Credit: Club Photographer, Jemma Sear (@_Photosbyjem)
Despite a valiant effort from the Tudors defensively, it was a tough result to take for the home side, who remain unbeaten this season. Reflecting upon the game, head coach Bobby Wilkinson remained positive despite having been seconds away from three points, saying: “Against a side that score goals for fun, tactically we got it right this week”. He was also impressed with the team’s performance: “I’m happy today because my boys have shown me that we can compete with some of the best” with Worthing tipped to finish high in the league table at the end of the season. However, he admits that there were no excuses for conceding the goal and remains optimistic about learning from that moment. Overall, it was a valiant performance from the Tudors, who now travel to face Enfield Town on Monday.
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