Worthing United Football Club

On a blustery afternoon, Roffey won this exciting match 4-3 in the proverbial “seven goal thriller”. In truth, it could have gone either way, but the Mavericks were guilty of gifting the opposition with three first-half goals which ultimately cost them the match.

There were five goals in a pulsating first half.  Roffey took the lead in the 5th minute with a close range effort from Kieron Purkiss, only to see Mavericks' captain Joe Patching hit the equalizer with a screamer into the roof of the net in the 12th minute.

Roffey however, re-took the lead in the 15th minute when Sam Sourbridge hooked the ball into the net. Joji Phillips made it 2-2 in the 35th minute with a fierce strike that rattled the underside of the crossbar before crossing the line, but the Mavericks conceded a third goal in the 37th minute when Purkiss took advantage of some poor defending, and at the interval Roffey led 3-2.

With the strong wind at their backs in the second half, the Mavericks pressed forward and might have scored on a few occasions.  Dillon Nagle's cross from the right was headed just over the bar by Yassine Jilal in the 57th minute, and a minute later Kieran Deacon was unlucky when his excellent strike hit the woodwork.

At the other end, Aaron Relf in the Mavericks' goal was superb, pulling off a string of point-blank saves to keep his side in the game.

But Roffey went 4-2 ahead in the 85th minute, Pat O'Sullivan rifling the ball home to secure the win.  There was still time for Dan Hills to score a late goal, but the clock ran out and United had been beaten for the fifth time in the league this season.

Keith.