THIS WEEKEND’S MATCH PREVIEW – WORTHING KICK-OFF 3.00 PM (PAY WHAT YOU WANT)

Its Pay What You Like time again as Dulwich Hamlet open the doors for the visit of the Mackerel Men on Saturday.

Promoted from Division One South last season after finishing third before steamrolling their way through the playoffs, demolishing Hythe Town 7-0 in the semi-finals before brushing Faversham Town aside in final awash with controversy. The Salters felt aggrieved when the assistant ruled that, in the sixth minute, Brannan O'Neill's corner crossed the line in its entirety before being cleared. 13 minutes the Kent side had Luke Harvey sent off after he was adjudged to have retaliated to a challenge from Will Hendon. Player-manager Gary Elphick turned the ball home after Faversham ‘keeper had kept out Omar Bugiel’s close range header on 24 minutes before Jordan Maguire-Drew made it 3-0 midway the second half. Faversham Town were left wondering if their coach had taken a detour through Battersea Black Cats’ Home and the local mirror factory as they were even denied a consolation when Charley Robertson's 73rd minute penalty kick was saved by Rebels’ number one Rikki Banks.

Worthing return to the Ryman League Premier Division began in stonking fashion as they kick off the season with a convincing 3-0 victory away to fellow plastic pitch proponents. All the goals came in a 12-minute spell in the second half, a brace from Reis Stanislaus sandwiching a goal from Harvey Sparks. Sparks and Stanislaus were on target as a 3-1 at home to the Metropolitan Police took Worthing to top spot in the embryonic table. The Mackerel Men retained top spot at the weekend as much-vaunted striker Omar Bugiel grabbed a brace in full-blooded encounter with North Division playoff winners Harlow Town. Both teams had a man dismissed, Worthing losing Steve Metcalf to a red card as he conceded the penalty that allowed the Hawks to level for a second time. However, Bugiel put the hosts back in front before Fabion Simms went walkies for a second caution. Bugiel was on target in the midweek trip to Leatherhead to cancel out Lloyd Harrington’s opener but it was only enough for a draw, as Worthing were knocked off top spot. It was the start off a disappointing run of results that saw the club plummet down to 19th spot.

August Bank Holiday weekend brought little joy for the South Coast side. If being shut out in front of goal by strugglers Grays Athletic, David Fallah’s goal splitting the sides, then the Monday would give management, fans and players nightmares for some time to come. In front of a four-figure gate at Nyewood Lane the Mackerels found themselves well and truly smoked. Already two adrift when Zack Newman got his marching orders just before the break, it only got worse in the second half as James Fraser grabbed a pair in a resounding 5-0 victory.

By now the season had reached the stage when various cup competitions, Emirates FA Cup and Alan Turvey Trophy, intervene with Worthing’s results in knockout competitions in marked contrast to those in the Ryman League. Unbeaten in the month of September the Mackerel Men failed to register a single league point during that period. Still it was exciting stuff to watch with goals galore starting with a dingdong draw with Peter Adeniyi’s Carshalton Athletic at Woodside Road in the FA First Qualifying Round. 3-1 in arrears to the Robins Bugiel narrowed the gap with 12 minutes on the clock before dispatching a last gasp penalty to rescue a replay. The sequel provided even more thrills, spills and goals. Again the Robins were two goals to the good with Brendan Murphy-McVey, Ricky Korboa putting Carshalton in the driving seat after 24 minutes. However, Hendon threw the Mackerel Men a lifeline as he netted just before the interval. Cry havoc and unleash the dogs of war as three madcap minutes turned the game on its head. Goals from O’Neill and Sparks put Worthing 3-2 ahead with Carshalton’s Jahmahl King sent to the showers for a second caution moment later. Now rampant the Rebels added further goals in the last 20 minutes, Bugiel added two more to his impressive tally either side of a Metcalf goal as the game finished 6-2. Bugiel was again on target at home to Wingate & Finchley but, despite Sean Cronin’s dismissal shortly after the Blues had moved 2-1 in front Worthing failed to take advantage, the visitors added two more through Fred Moncur late as the game finished 1-4. An O’Neill hat trick helped Worthing dispense with Three Bridges in the Alan Turvey Trophy 5-0, setting the Rebels up for a FA Cup trip to AFC Hayes, home of peripatetic Hayes & Yeading. Even before the “hosts” lost Harold Joseph to a red card midway through the first half, it was clear who the stronger team were though it took Worthing until the early exchanges of the second half to make the breakthrough when Bugiel found the net. Sparks would later make it 2-0 as the Mackerel Men booked their passage through to a Third-Round Qualifying tie away to St Albans City. However, the FA Cup effect failed to filter through to League form, defeats following in its wake away to Billericay Town (0-3) and Havant and Waterlooville, that game seeing Worthing surrender a 2-0 halftime lead as the Hawks rallied to claim a 3-2 win.

Injury, illness and absence left Worthing ranks depleted for their trip to Clarence Park to face St Albans City in the FA Cup and it certainly showed as the Saints romped to a resounding 6-0 victory, Shaun Lucien bagging a hat trick for the Saints. So it was that Merstham came to Woodside Road for a midweek Ryman League game. Finally, after five straight league games with zero return, the Worthing fans could again celebrate victory as Kane Wills was enough to seal the points. More satisfying was a clean sheet against a Moatsiders squad that had scored five times in each of its previous three games. It looked as if another three points might follow in quick succession as Worthing led Folkestone Invicta 3-2 with the final whistle looming only to be denied as Frankie Chappell powered home a 93rd minute header. Dawes had opened his league account in that game, having returned to Woodside Road from Lewes a month earlier and he would continue to find the net, scoring in the next three games as Worthing’s league season entered its yoyo phase. Met Police were beaten 2-1 at Imber Court, a trip to highflying Needham Market resulted in a 1-2 defeat before Worthing got the better of Leatherhead by the odd goal in five, a result that lifted the team up to 7th place. By that strange quirk of fate Hendon found the net against Hendon but it was not enough as the Dons left Woodside Road with a 2-1 win. After a goal scoring drought stretching back to mid-August Stanislaus was back on the scoresheet as Worthing picked up the points at Kingsmeadow with a 3-1 win at out-of-sorts Kingstonian. That win was followed by an ultimately untroubled victory in the Buildbase FA Trophy as the Walnut Boys of Kempston Rovers were comfortably cracked 3-1. Progression in one knockout competition was swiftly followed by progression in another but it was less of a cakewalk away to Arundel in the Sussex Senior Cup, Worthing leaving it late to secure the win over the Mullets with former player Scott Tipper a whisker away from taking the tie to extra time.

A return to league action seven days later saw victory once more followed by defeat as former Hamlet hero Billy Crook scored the matchwinner for Enfield Town at Donkey Lane, the Towners edging it 2-1. But it was in the cups that Worthing once more excelled, a Stanislaus double seeing off South Division leaders in the Alan Turvey Trophy before goals from Dawes and Zack Newton keep the FA Trophy run going as Worthing won 2-1 away to Cray Wanderers. However, this was to be the last time that Stanislaus would turn out for the Mackerel Men, the forward citing the long travelling from London for training as his reason. Stanislaus’ departure leaves Worthing with just three strikers – Dawes and Bugiel who have scoring 20 times this season between then as well as youngster Luke Brodie - with Ben Pope still side-lined with a long-term ankle injury.

A reminder that this afternoon’s game is “Pay What You What” with all profits raised on the day going to Dulwich Hamlet’s chosen charities, Football Beyond Borders and the Dog Kennel Adventure Playground. Season Ticket holders and guests may use the Health Club entrance as normal where there will be a bucket collector if you wish to make a donation, no matter how big or small.