BY LAURA HOWARD
Last season’s hat-trick hero, loanee Liam Vincent, will return to Beveree Stadium on Tuesday evening as Hampton & Richmond search for their fourth win on the bounce against Worthing.
Vincent was the scorer of all three of the Beavers’ goals in last season’s seven goal thriller when Worthing triumphed 4-3 despite the loanee’s efforts. The reverse fixture at the Bev provided far less goal excitement, ending with points shared in a 0-0 draw.
Whilst Worthing currently sit just inside the play-off spots in seventh and boast qualification for the FA Cup First Round Proper, they have one win in their last five league games.
The Rebels suffered last minute defeat to Yeovil Town on Saturday, conceding in the 98th minute to the league leaders to lose 2-1.
To find their last league victory one must travel back to the September 5 when they took three points at home to 23rd placed Welling United.
A quarter of Worthing’s goals this season have come through club top scorer, Ricky Aguiar, whose league tally has reached five goals. Penalty-taker Ollie Pearce sits just behind on four.
Worthing manager, Adam Hinshelwood, will certainly be hoping these two bring their shooting boots to the Bev. He will be looking to get the club’s league form back on track and reward the faith placed in him having just signed a three-year contract extension.
Mel Gwinnett, meanwhile, will be hoping for more of the same as the Beavers have continued a storming run, taking their third win on the bounce with a 1-0 win in their weekend clash away at Taunton Town.
A steely defensive performance from Hampton & Richmond brought the three points back to the Bev and moved them up to 13th in the table. A win on Tuesday would allow them to leapfrog opponents Worthing and could propel them into the play-off spots.
The history between the two sides is a long one, extending all the way back to August 1971 when the first meeting between the clubs ended in a 2-2 draw at Worthing’s Woodside Road ground.
Prior to last season, however, the last time the two sides had met was in 2007 in the FA Cup Third Round Qualifying when the Beavers triumphed with a 2-0 win.
Rather than a historic association with political subterfuge or activism, Worthing’s nickname, ‘the Rebels’, originates from something slightly tamer. Following a change in rules in the West Sussex League, the club resigned from the league on a matter of principle.
The coastal club have also been known as ‘the Mackerel Men’ owing to the three fish adorning their badge.
The Beavers will be hoping to extend their winning run to four games when they welcome the Rebels to the Beveree on Tuesday with the play-off places in sight.