Record Sussex Senior Cup winners, Worthing, are back in the final for the first time since 2016, easing past Three Bridges, at Culver Road on Tuesday night.

 Goals from Jasper Pattenden, Reece Myles-Meekums (2), Davide Rodari, and Callum Kealy, eventually sent Worthing through in flying colours after Pattenden opened the scoring before half-time.

Worthing attacked Three Bridges from the word go. A former Representative Squad player, Pattenden caused a lot of problems venturing high up the pitch for Worthing and picked up dangerous positions down the right, as they dominated the early proceedings.

Marvin Armstrong effectively broke the lines with his bustling runs and linked play from the base of midfield. Early on, Rebels midfielder Davide Rodari blazed over twice in quick succession, as Three Bridges settled into a compact 4-3-2-1.

Three Bridges, though, gave Worthing a gentle warning when Daniel Perry and Noel Leighton led a rapid counter-attack, but former Leeds United ‘keeper Harrison Male was quick off his line to snuff the danger.

Worthing's Dajon Golding then found himself free at the edge of the box with a fine swivel, but the busy Bromage managed to parry the shot with a wonderful reflexive save. 

Curtis Gayler forced a smart save from Male just after the half-hour mark. Gayler was quick to pounce on a defensive lapse and watched his shot fly agonisingly wide, as Male got his fingertips to the ball.  

Pattenden broke the deadlock for Worthing. Mitchell Bromage palmed Golding’s cross from the left flank straight onto the path of Reece Myles-Meekums, who cushioned the ball for Pattenden. The right-back’s left-footed shot skipped its way past Rodari and below Bromage to find the net, making it 1-0 to the Rebels. 

Football League Referee Tim Robinson waived off a huge appeal for a penalty, as Brannon O’Neill tripped Rodari at the edge of the box just before half-time.

Shortly after the restart Danny Barker’s through-ball found Myles-Meekums with the winger coolly slotting the ball inside the bottom-right corner, earning Worthing a deserving second goal in front of their supporters.  

Dajon Golding spurred a glorious chance, blazing his shot over after Kealy’s cut-back from the left failed to be cleared. Rodari then met Pattenden’s inviting cross with a diving header which sailed wide.

The tie was then sealed for Worthing after three manic minutes of goal-mouth activity. Kealy’s goal-bound strike was steered over by Joseph Stone’s heroic block. One minute later, the in-form Rodari got his much-deserved goal with a magnificent strike from the edge of the box, after a corner fell kindly to him.

Kealy peeled away from his marker and poked in substitute Oliver Pearce’s cross with a sliding effort. The fifth goal was a carbon-copy of the fourth, with Kealy turning provider for Myles-Meekums’s second goal of the game. 

Giani Ashley and Tadley Bromage had their hands full, having to deal with Rodari’s quick off-the-ball movement and Callum Kealy’s link-up play. The Three Bridges’s wingers sat back to help the defence and could not do much in the attacking third. 

The Mackerel Men continued to dominate the proceedings in the second-half, keeping the ball and playing it wide to the attacking wide-men. Three Bridges refused to press high, as Worthing overloaded the wide spaces. 

Worthing were happy to keep the play wide and controlled possession. Captain Aarran Racine impressed with his accurate distribution from centre-back, as he switched play out wide with ease. Three Bridges resigned to the sit-deep and counter system, while Worthing piled on the pressure with shots and corners. 

Worthing qualify for the Sussex Senior Challenge Cup Final after a six year absence. They await the winners of the second semi-final between Horsham and Brighton & Hove Albion.

(A selection of photographs can be found on Facebook - courtesy of Simon Roe Photography)

Stats: (Three Bridges-Worthing): Goals (0-5); Shots (7-19); Shots on target (4-9); Offsides (2-0); Fouls (4-3); Yellow Cards (0-0); Red Cards (0-0)

Three Bridges: Mitchell Bromage, Joseph Stone, Giani Ashley, Tadley Bromage, Ryan Blackpool, Curtis Gayler, Brannon O’Neill, Daniel Perry, Noel Leighton, Daniel Ferreira, Bryan Villavicenico
Subs: Benjamin Bacon, James Young, Leo Anderson, Camron Lawson, Michael Wilson

Worthing: Harrison Male, Luca Cocoracchio, Cameron Tutt, Danny Barker, Aarran Racine, Davide Rodari, Marvin Armstrong, Dajon Golding, Callum Kealy, Reece Myles-Meekums, Jasper Pattenden
Subs: William Seager, Oliver Pearce, Jesse Starkey, Owen Spicer, Darren Budd

Match Report by Sathvik Bharadwaj