Royals Give Worthing The 2nd Half Blues

​This Sunday, in much need of relaxation after my daughter's team out us all through the wringer on Saturday (before eventually winning a penalty shootout), I was pleased to find that the postponed FA Cup match between AFC Portchester and Worthing was going ahead. Having already purchased a ticket for the postponed game, I set off down the A34 for my first ever trip to The OnSite Group Stadium.
The second round FA Cup game was a big one for both teams. For Worthing, struggling i the National League Division One South-West, it was the opportunity to progress into Round Three for the second consecutive season. For Portchester, a division below Worthing in The Southern Region Premier, it was a chance to make history and get to the 3rd round for the first time.
Despite being bottom of their league with only one win, Worthing have been in good FA Cup form. They have already put out two fellow Division One South-West teams, beating Abingdon United 4-1 and winning 2-1 at Maidenhead United.
Portchester have already played three cup games. They began by edging out Havant & Waterlooville, 3-2 on the road. They then went goal crazy at home to Weymouth, hitting 19 goals without reply. In the First Round they defeated South-West Premier side Gloucester City 6-2 at home. 

It was surprising to see Worthing appear in their all red kit. Whilst Portchester's orange shirts and black shorts didn't create an exact colour clash, the shirts were sufficiently similar to cause confusion. However, the referee didn't seem to be to worried, and we were soon under way with Worthing kicking towards the sea end, and with the slight slope in their favour, in the first half.

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Colour clash?

​There was an initial period of jousting in which Worthing saw plenty of the ball in their own half, but didn't pose any threats going forward. Portchester swung a couple of earlier free-kicks into the Worthing box, but these were dealt with by the visitors defence. However, it was noticeable that the vast majority of the game was being played between the halfway line and Worthing penalty area.
However, as happens on many occasions in football, the home side fell behind against the run of play and to Worthing's first real foray into Portchester territory. Jasmine Smith did the early damage, breaking free and driving towards the left edge of the penalty area, before firing across the face of goal to provide Lucy Jellett with the relatively simple task of slamming the ball past the exposed Shannon Betteridge. 0-1.
Undeterred, Portchester immediately went on the hunt for an equaliser. There minutes after going behind, Layla Morgan came close when she volleyed narrowly wide. A minute after that Becki Bath came close to making it double-figures for her in the cup, also shooing just wide of Ella Hunkin's post. The same Portchy player then swung in a free-kick from the right flank that evaded everyone before Hunkin got down well at the far post to deal with it.
When, midway through the half, Gemma Hillier saw her volley bravely blocked and Hunkin, once again, thwarted a close-range effort, Portchester must have been staring to wonder what they needed to do to score.
That said and despite being a goal down, Portchester were not being threatened by Worthing, who were defending brilliantly but not posing much threat at the other end. It had the feeling that it was just a matter of time until the home side broke through.
The second half of the first period was much quieter when it came to goal attempts. Portchester were still probing, but Worthing stood firm at the back, and the home side were beginning to run out of ideas to break them down. That was until deep into added time, when Sarah Butterworth broke a tackle to get free on the left. Her cross found Charmaine True, who was closed down quickly. The chance looked to have gone, but True laid the ball off the Layla Morgan who side-stepped her marker before drilling the ball low to Hunkin's right and into the bottom corner. 1-1.

HT AFC Portchester 1 Worthing 1. A half of football played almost exclusively in the Worthing. However, after scoring on the counter early one, the visitors defended just like their nickname, The Lions. Portchester kept plugging away and finally got a deserved equaliser in added time.

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Portchy attacking the sea end

​There was a plenty of conferring going on between the officials and the Worthing bench as the players left the pitch at the break. The conversation topic became clear when Worthing appeared for the second half wearing Portchester's pale blue change shirts. Obviously, the officials felt the colour clash was affecting the game in some way.
The kit may have changed, but the pattern of the game remained the same. Portchester, now attacking the sea end goal and backed by their vociferous Arancione support's club behind the goal, set about their visitors with a renewed vigour.
Five minutes after the restart they played in Sarah Butterworth on the left again. Her first time cross was half-cleared by a Worthing defender, but only into the path of Charmaine True, who returned it straight past Hunkin, into the bottom corner. 2-1. The home side were now on a roll. Only a further three minutes had passed before they extended their lead. Once again the danger for Worthing came down Portchy's left. Butterworth, their chief tormentor, sent free by another clinical through ball. Her low ball across the six-yard box was perfect for Becki Bath to finish with ease. 3-1
Once again, credit to Worthing for not letting their heads go down. The two quick goals could easily have seen them fold, but they dug in and stemmed the flow of orange, for a while at least. Hunkin, who had already made a number of very good stops, was called into action again just past the hour, when Portchy captain and midfield controller, Gemma Hillier, latched onto an errant clearance before firing goalward, only for Hunkin to make another good stop.

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Celebration time

Six minutes later, however, even the Worthing stopper was helpless to prevent The Royals making it four. Sarah Butterworth swung over a corner from the right that found  the stooping figure of Becki Bath, who planted her header in off the post. 4-1 and plans for the Ipswich Town visit could probably be made.
With a three goal advantage and possibly tiring a little from their efforts, Portchester began to drop a little deeper for the remainder of the half. Worthing, to their credit again, never gave up the ghost and continued to press in the search of a way back into the game. Their closest effort came on 74 minutes, when Skye Bacon sent a curling effort just over Betteridge's bar.

FT AFC Portchester 4 Worthing 1. History made in more than one way for Portchester. They progress to the Third Round for the first time, facing WSL 2 side Ipswich Town. They also set a new record stadium attendance for a women's game, with 332 spectators watching the game.
An all-round, practically perfect performance from Portchester. They were on the front foot from the first minute and, even after being behind for over half an hour, they kept playing their football and always looked like they were going to get back into the game. Two more cup goals for Becki Bath and four assists for Sarah Butterworth. However, this was a complete squad performance.
You couldn't question Worthing's work-rate. They never let their heads drop and didn't look liker a team sitting at the bottom of their league. They are back in league action next weekend, as mid-table Keynsham Town come to Woodside Road. Meanwhile, Portchy have a League Cup derby game just along the coast at Southampton Women, before the visit of Ipswich on December 14th.

AFC Portchester: 13.Betteridge, 2.Bell, 3.Saunders, 5.Potvin, 6.Marshall, 7.Butterworth, 9.True, 10.Hillier(c), 16.Morgan, 22.Barron-Clark, 28.Batch. Subs: Jennings, Stroem, Hill, Fuller, Riley, Bradbury, Aitken
Worthing: 1.Hunkin, 20.Newman, 4.Talbut-Smith(c), 3.Jones, 17.Freeman-Woods, 8.Wickenden, 14.Gates, 7.Bacon, 15.Amerena, 22.Jellett, 9.Smith. Subs: South, Malcolm, Mackay, Sherwood, Hazelwood

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The Ground
The OnSite Group Stadium or Wicor Recreation round is situated a stone's throw from the coast of Portsmouth Harbour, around 6 miles to the North-West of Portsmouth. There's ample parking available, but note that charges do apply, even on Sundays. Access to the ground is through a turnstile just off the main car park. 
The stadium is a great example of a traditional style non-league ground. None of these out of the box, pre-built and lifted into place stands here. This ground has grown organically and it's brilliant. Upon entry, immediately to your right is the snack bar and entrance to the clubhouse, which runs along abut a third of one side. Just pas the club house and players entrance to the pitch, is a small covered seating area. The remainder of this side of the ground is taken up by a covered standing area. At the far end of the ground, the goal is backed by a large advertising hoarding. On the opposite side to the clubhouse there are two further covered seating stands, either side of the non-symmetrical dugouts (the home one is noticeably larger than the away one). Finally, to the left as you enter, behind the goal of what is known as the sea end (according to the stadium announcer), is the Arancione Supporters Club shop. The only gripe I have about this stadium is that it is too far away for me to visit more often.


Ground Number: 472
Att: 332 (new stadium record for women's football)
Entrance: £5.00
Programme: Online