Rebels had numerous clear-cut chances throughout the game, including a seventh-minute Scott Kirkwood penalty, which was brilliantly parried to safety by the outstanding Ashford keeper Jamie Riley.

Even before that, Riley had tipped a deflected Enzo Benn effort over the bar and Ross Treleaven had blazed wildly over when clean through.

Ashford's best chance of the game was on 37 minutes when Mitch Sherwood sliced his shot wide after Danny Lye's corner was only half-cleared.

The second half was all Worthing but excellent goalkeeping, poor finishing and bad luck prevented them from taking all three points.

Kirkwood and Chris O'Flaherty corners were a constant danger but, despite winning most of the kicks, Rebels failed to head their openings on target.

Benn shot over on 48 minutes before Jamie Brotherton headed Kirkwood's corner wide from inside the six-yard box three minutes later.

Andy Alexander, captain for the game with Ben Andrews serving a one-game ban, headed wide on 71 minutes and then, two minutes later, his header was hacked off the line and Stuart Axten's follow-up header went over.

Mickey Demetriou's header from Kirkwood's corner was deflected over on 76 minutes before Worthing missed three gilt-edged chances late on.

Karl Akehurst's brilliant 30-yarder on 89 minutes swerved past Ashford keeper Riley, hit the underside of the bar and bounced on the line. Treleaven raced in to surely head the winner but somehow nodded wide, with the goal gaping, from just six yards.

Then, in the first minute of injury-time, Treleaven's header back across goal wrnt the wrong side of the far post.

Demetriou's fizzing 15-yarder in the third minute of stoppage-time was tipped over by Riley before Demetriou headed O'Flaherty's corner wide from four yards in the last action of the game.

The referee was Danny Austin, who famously red-carded six players in Rebels' 1-1 draw with Chipstead in September but, this time, his cards stayed in his pocked until the second half when he booked four players.

The draw extends Rebels' unbeaten league run to eight games and they stay seventh in the table. There were high-scoring games elsewhere in the division with Cray Wanderers winning 8-1 at Corinthian-Casuals, and Dulwich thrashing Crowborough 7-0.

Match reaction

Worthing joint-manager Alan Pook said: "We missed about eight chances from just four yards but we were tremendous in the second half.

"We murdererd them and have to take positives from the game.

"They played on the counter-attack but this is a game we would have lost last year.

"We even had three scoring opportunities in stoppage-time but, playing without four of our most experienced players - Paul Kennett, Ben Andrews, Matt Simpson and Roy Pook - it's all positives."

Worthing joint-boss Danny Bloor added: "It if had been a boxing match, it would have been stopped.

"Their skipper Sean Ray was excellent for them but we've kept our unbeaten run going and it's a point gained."

The crowd of 363 was Rebels' largest gate of the season.

WORTHING: Mansfield; Axten, Woodburn, Alexander, O'Flaherty; Brotherton, Benn, Akehurst, Demetriou; Kirkwood, Treleaven. Subs: Pulling, Greenfield, Mitchell, Farmer. Att: 363.

-------------------------------------
Click here to go back to Worthing sport.

Click here to return to Gazette sport.

Click here to go back to Shoreham sport.


Where are you? Add your pin to the Herald's international readers' map by clicking here.

Email the Herald: steve.bailey@worthingherald.co.uk