Rebels extend the roll to four

They led twice, Jamie Brotherton did not add a fourth goal in four games but was instrumental in their taking the lead, and Rebels made good the damage of having lost at home by the same score to the promoted Combined Counties League champions - at the beginning of Worthing's mid-season slump back in mid-December.

With Ollie Rowland back off suspension, his return was the only change Worthing needed to make from their previous two winning line-ups and the young Enzo Benn stood back down at left-back having made his starting debut in the victory over Molesey and kept his place in the success over Walton Casuals three days later.

When Chipstead keeper Andy Parkinson parried high his effort in the 11th minute Brotherton sent the rebound across goal where, with Parkinson now out of position, Scott Kirkwood headed his fifth goal since his arrival from Ryman Premier Division club Hastings in January.

Scott Simpson for Chipstead and Ben Andrews for Worthing missed their targets later in the first half, Fred Fleming sinfully did likewise in the 52nd minute for Chipstead, who then breathed heavily after Karly Akehurst, having another highly effective game for Worthing, just failed to reach what could have been a scoring pass from Brotherton.

Chipstead did equalise, in the 70th minute, but then Worthing achieved a feat they have rarely done in recent seasons - they beat a side reduced to 10 men. After five minutes of parity, Daryl Coleman was instantly sent off for a studs-up challenge on Worthing substitute Mark Pulling.

The swings in the game in those last 20 minutes involved Rebels' joint-signed defender Dominic Douglas, also of Eastbourne Borough and The Sun newspaper glamour boy fame. His foul on Simpson when chasing back was just inside the Worthing box and Danny Oakins leveled it from the penalty spot, by netting to keeper Rikki Banks' left.

But in the 80th minute, Douglas was there to knock home Rebels' close-range winner when defender Stuart Axten came up for Pulling's free kick from out on the right and rose with Parkinson at the far post to set up the goal with his head.

WORTHING: Banks; Keehan, Axten, Douglas, Rowland; Skinner, Akehurst, Kirkwood, Johnson; Brotherton, Andrews. Subs: Pulling (Skinner 62), Morrow, Hughes, Rogers, Alexander. Att: 101.

Click here for the Ryman League results and table