Lack of desire so frustrating

The home side were quick out of the blocks and took a deserved lead on eight minutes when Ben Carrington ran onto a through ball and fired in a shot which Rooks 'keeper Russell Tanner could only parry, and Rebels top scorer Mark Knee tapped in the rebound.

Lewes continued to struggle to adapt to the tricky conditions, and it took until the 28th minute before they were able to string together a couple of passes. Fortunately the move culminated in a goal, with the ex Worthing duo of Kennett and Davis combining before the latter cut in from the left and unleashed a fierce shot from 20 yards which beat Rebels 'keeper Luke Burton at his near post.

Five minutes later came a match-defining moment. Graham Harper, restored to the side in place of the flu-stricken Danny Wright, only had to side-foot the ball into a gaping goal when a series of richochets ended with the ball landing almost at his feet. For some inexplicable reason he opted to try and break the net, and the ball sailed high and wide.

An undeserved lead might at that point have broken the spirit of a limited home side, but apart from a good spell of pressure for the first ten minutes of the second half, that was about as good as it got for the Rooks.

For much of the second period you would have been forgiven for thinking that this was a pre-season friendly, such was the level of intensity on and off the pitch. You had to feel for Lee Newman, withdrawn on the hour having spent most of the game hoping in vain for some decent service to his feet, and yet still looking more dangerous than others who remained on the pitch.

It took a goal from the home side on 78 minutes to sting Jimmy Quinn's men into action, with Carrington again the instigator in a move which culminated in Wesley Lopez heading his side back in front from close range. Within 60 seconds the Rooks were level again, when substitute Palmer forced his way through before netting from a tight angle, but, despite a hectic last ten minutes, the home side hung on.

One could offer a number of excuses for what was another below par display, not least the fact that referee Mr W Bull and his two assistants seemed happy to award the home side a free kick every time they appealed, but who missed a clear foul on Soutar in the build-up to Worthing's second goal. However, the nagging doubt remains that some of the players do not seem to be particularly bothered about securing the promotion that their fans and their manager crave desperately.

Maybe yearning for three successive promotions is unnecessarily greedy, but when the prize is within reach it is extraordinarily frustrating that some do not seem to wish to grab it.

LEWES: Tanner, Venables, Soutar, Kennett, Chin, Cable, Cunrow, Davis, Pomroy (Palmer 70), Newman (Reid 60), Harper. MOM: Paul Kennett