Rebels bow to Albion in final

Rebels tried to make a pact with the gale blowing down the Priory Lane pitch. They chose to kick with it behind them in the first half and therein lay their best chance of making a real match of it. Their play had the growing potential during the half to force one goal, maybe even a second, and throw down the gauntlet to Albion's young side and ask what they could do in reply after the interval.

The Albion, the new champions of the Pontins Combinations, rarely got out of their own half. When they did, they served ample warning twice in two minutes of what might happen after the break. In the 27th minute, Worthing keeper Rikki Banks had to block Joe Gatting's angled shot at his near post, then Robinson fired just wide after being played in by Stuart Axten's mis-directed header.

And in the 35th minute, Rebels felt a shudder when Andrew Pearson struck the base of Banks' left post at a corner kick.

Worthing had plenty of set-piece opportunities to put Albion under severe stress in their own box but overhit their inswinging corners and some of their free kicks. Their midfield could have penned Brighton back in their own last third but did not have the conviction to press their opponents in the vital areas 15 yards into the Brighton half as keeper John Sullivan struggled against the wind with his kicking.

And after the early promise seen in the aerial command Ben Andrews gave Worthing's attack, all that changed after 31 minutes when Andrews had to deputise in the back line for Andy Lutwyche who pulled his groin in the early seconds of the game.

Even so, seven minutes later came their best chance of taking the lead. Jamie Lawrence and James Fraser put in Sam Francis but the Lancing-based Sullivan was already off his line and out to foil Francis' attempt to nudge the ball past him.

Worthing began the second half facing what, after all, could be a mere damage-limitation exercise, but if anything they began looking more competent against the wind than Albion had been. Joe Keehan had started in midfield in replacing the cup-tied Leo Day. He looked settled, and Karl Akehurst was combative alongside the busy Fraser and the exemplary Lawrence, and with Mark Knee industrious on the left. Francis was now operating alone up front.

After only five minutes, Knee's low cross just needed turning home by Francis and Rebels could have been calling Albion's bluff.

Just after the hour, though, they escaped when Alexandre Frutos send a corner kick raking across the Worthing six-yard box and eluding several possible final touches.

Then Albion midfielder Doug Lofts, who changed his boots for longer studs after rain began the second half, made two plays that eased Albion's anxieties. He ran down the inside-left channel past two challenges in the 68th minute and slid in the kind of ball inside the full-back that had twice opened up Worthing in the first half. On the end was Robinson and he expertly angled his shot inside Banks' far post.

Five minutes later it was virtually all over. Andy Alexander, playing in Keehan's normal right-back spot, lost a block tackle on Lofts who took the ball on, cut inside and drove low at goal. Banks got down, got everything behind it but the ball cannoned off his fallen body and Robinson prodded in the rebound.

Near the end, it could have got worse for Rebels on the scoreboard. Joe Gatting fired wide after pinball in the box gave him a sudden chance, and in added time he headed onto the top of the Rebels crossbar.

WORTHING: Banks; Alexander, Axten, Lutwtyche, Simpson; Keehan, Axten, Lawrence, Knee; Francis, Andrews. Subs: Fraser (Lutwyche 31), Brotherton (Francis 64), Lawley (Akehurst 86), Rogers, Hunter gk.

B&H ALBION: Sullivan; P.Hinshelwood, Breach, Pearson, Cobbs; Pearson, Chamberlain, T.Fraser, Frutos; Robinson, Gatting. Subs: Elphick (Pearson 64), Skinner (Chamberlain 83), Fogdens (Frutos 88), Gargan, Martin gk.

Att: 873. MoM: Lofts.

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