hinshelwood says Worthing are ready for one more shot at sealing the National League South title, with a sell-out home finale set for Saturday at the Sussex Transport Community Stadium. The Rebels are one point clear and need a win to finish the job, after falling 2-1 at Maidstone on Saturday. Ebbsfleet are the visitors, and second-placed Hornchurch could still change the picture if they beat Maidenhead.
Worthing face a tense final-day test
It is a straight, high-pressure finish for Worthing, who are one win away from reaching the top tier of the National League for the first time. The setback at Maidstone means there is no margin for error now, and the home crowd will see a match that carries title implications from the opening whistle.
The game has the feel of a decisive moment after a season built on near misses. Worthing will know exactly what is at stake: win, and the title is theirs. Anything less opens the door for Hornchurch, depending on results elsewhere.
hinshelwood urges his side to use the chance
After the defeat at Maidstone, Adam Hinshelwood framed the challenge in simple terms. “It’s all to do now, ” the Worthing boss said. “It makes it a massive game at home but the good thing is we have got another opportunity.
“In football you don’t always get these opportunities. As much as we are hurting at the moment, we will dust ourselves down, see where we can be better and see if we can get a much better version of ourselves next week. ”
That message captures the mood around the club: disappointment, but also belief that the title is still in reach. For hinshelwood, the task is to keep the focus on the immediate job rather than the weight of what the result could mean for the season.
A season shaped by hard lessons
Worthing’s position heading into the final day has been shaped by painful moments in recent seasons. Two years ago they reached the play-off final after a strong run, only to lose 4-3 in extra time after leading Braintree in the second half. Last season they were knocked off top spot after a draw in their penultimate home game, then finished with a 5-1 win at Enfield before going out in the play-offs for a third straight year.
That history gives Saturday’s match a sharper edge. The club has repeatedly come close, and hinshelwood now has a final chance to turn that pattern into a title.
What comes next for the Rebels
The immediate next step is clear: Worthing must beat Ebbsfleet to secure the championship. If they do not, the outcome will depend on Hornchurch’s result against Maidenhead. For hinshelwood and his players, the stakes could hardly be higher, and the club now heads into a final-day sell-out with everything on the line for hinshelwood and Worthing.
