Vanarama National League South
A fixture that doesn’t need much introducing. On a day of utmost importance in the 2024/25 National League South title race, a sold-out ReachTV Stadium will watch 3rd place Eastbourne Borough take on 2nd place Worthing.
What’s at stake?
For Borough (81 points, +23), a win over Worthing would see them leapfrog the Rebels by one point, however the two teams’ positions come the end of play would all be subject to the result of Good Friday’s other blockbuster tie between Truro City and Torquay.
Chris Agutter’s Worthing and league leaders Truro are tied on 83 points, with the Cornwall side holding a valuable 13-goal swing over Worthing which could prove vital come April 26.
With each of the top four in action against one another, and Dorking and Boreham Wood breathing down their necks, the National League South’s Good Friday slate promises to entertain.
Recent Form
Eastbourne Borough head into the game as the in-form team in the matchup, winning five out of their last six compared to Worthing’s three. The only defeat for Adam Murray’s side in that period came against fellow promotion candidates Dorking Wanderers, losing 3-1 at Meadowbank at the end of last month. In their last outing, Kai Innocent scored the only goal in a 1-0 win away at St. Albans City last weekend.
Spearheading Borough’s frontline is George Alexander, who has 24 goals in 38 league appearances so far this season. A huge part in the Sports’ so-far-unbeaten home campaign; Alexander has been ruthless on home turf since the start of February netting 9 in his last 7 games at Priory Lane, including a hattrick in a 4-1 win against Weymouth in Borough’s last home match.
After a run of five straight wins to begin March, Worthing ended the month with back-to-back defeats away at struggling Welling United and Hornchurch. The Rebels’ most recent, and most significant defeat came a fortnight ago, as Truro claimed an invaluable three points winning 2-1 in West Sussex. Worthing got back to winning ways at the weekend, defeating Chippenham Town 4-1 at home.
While Mo Faal and Danny Cashman are tied for 16 goals in all competitions, it’s the latter who has come into form at the right time for Agutter in recent weeks. The former Brighton and Coventry City forward, Cashman has scored five in his last seven appearances.
Head-to-Head
In the first meeting between the two this season, a crowd of near 1900 watched these sides play out a 0-0 draw at Woodside Road on New Year’s Day. It was the first draw in all competitions in six meetings since August 2022. Out of those six meetings, Friday’s visitors have won four, with Borough’s last win over Worthing coming in a 2-1 victory in the FA Cup Third Qualifying Round in October 2022.
Worthing fans will have fond memories of Priory Lane in recent years, winning twice in the league and once in the FA Cup in their last three visits. Most recently, goals for Ollie Pearce, Nicky Wheeler, Ricky Aguiar and Joan Luque gave the Rebels a 4-0 win on New Year’s Day 2024.