The game was, as others have stated a very poor match. Low on on quality and a hard watch. Was really surprised how lacking Worthing were. That said think it was an important 3 points -  even this early in the season, you don't want to be caught adrift in relegation spots as a couple of teams found out last season.

Last edited by Argus (26/8/2025 7:17 AM)

Hot, windy, dusty and a hard, bobbly pitch. Hardly the conditions for pretty football.  And pretty it wasn't.  Scrappy game.. and we scrapped really well. Worthing dominated the first half and looked threatening everywhere except in the final third, where they barely troubled Will Henry at all. We were fortunate to take the lead.. and it took a goal from a deadball situation to do it.. as we had posed no threat at all in or around their penalty area.
The realist/pessimist in me assumed it would be another Dorking and that having to defend for a full 60 minutes we'd inevitably concede... and, quite likely, at the death.  But is was a refreshing surprise to see that we didn't... partly because Worthing were poorer than I expected, but largely due to the fact that from the goal onwards, we really got stuck in and began to match their  physicality and intensity... even if it did mean lots of shirt pulling and holding. Both sides were guilty but as they say in the playground " They started it".
The conditions perfectly suited Jake Evans who scrapped, shut down and asserted himself physically throughout.  Tom Mehew was much more physical and put in a solid, committed defensive shift, too, which was good to see. The youngsters at the back are learning quickly and despite being comparatively slight in frame did  a really conscientious job of stopping some of their big guys ( I think of Ethan V battling  their very physical No 7,  de Graft, and Jac P shepherding/ wrestling with their No. 14 ).
During the warm-up the pitch looked like a Recovery Ward with Parsons, Grant ( both braced) and Carroll at various stages of limping, and Minturn in the Stand heavily braced, too... a reminder of just how injury-stricken we are. 
An important 3 points becaue it stops any immediate threat of a Doom-Cycle. Hornchurch are, however, going to be tough.  Their tails are well up.
 

Well it’s blatantly obvious every summer is not the same.  I remember walking into the ground last August and thinking that’s the best I had ever seen the pitch (and I’ve been going through those gates since I was a nipper 60 years ago).  Last year we had a wetter than normal spring/summer.  This year we’ve had four heatwaves and little or no rain to speak of, the hottest summer since records began I believe.
We’ve had a full time groundsman for a number of years - Tony spent every waking hour at the ground, and still assists Andy the new one.  They’re doing their absolute best given the weather and the limitations of our water supply (keeping a bowling green ‘green’ is hardly a comparison given the dimensions).  I don’t know the figures (maybe someone can give us a ballpark figure) but water is seriously expensive for the club.