Hinshelwood reflects on a 'missed opportunity' as Worthing exit FA Cup

Adam Hinshelwood assessed Worthing's FA Cup exit to two-divisions higher National League outfit Ebbsfleet United and said: "It just wasn't to be."
Adam HinshelwoodAdam Hinshelwood
Adam Hinshelwood

Luke Coulson hit a first-half double while skipper Dave Winfield struck and Will Miles put through his own net - both after the restart - as Worthing suffered a 4-0 fourth round qualifying defeat at Fleet this afternoon.

The final scoreline does now tell the whole story and Worthing could count themselves a little unfortunate not to have at least reduced the deficit.

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David Ajiboye saw a penalty saved late on while Hinshelwood's side squandered a couple of good openings in the first half.

Fleet added a third soon after the restart but Worthing could still have found a way back in had they been clinical.

As it was Worthing missed out on reaching the first round proper in the FA Cup for the first time in 19 years, but Hinshelwood felt it could have been different.

He said: "I thought the quality in levels just showed on the day really. I thought it was quite an even-type game, we were brave, implemented our gameplan, we played some great football and took the game to them on their own patch at times. But that level of quality ultimately showed on the day.

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"When you come to places like this you have to take your chances. David (Ajiboye) is not going to have a better chance than the one he had early on but full credit to the players. They came here and implemented everything we wanted them to but when you come here and have the chances we did it's important you take them, that's the little bit of luck you have got to get."

A crowd of 1,011 were in attendance to see Fleet see off Worthing and seal a spot in the first round proper.

But Hinshelwood is hopeful Worthing can be coming up against teams of National League level more often in the future.

He added: "This is kind of level we want to be coming to and playing at as a club and as a manager this is the kind of level I want to be pitting myself against. The players want to be pitting themselves at this level as well, it's important we learn from the defeat, and we will do. We'll dust ourselves and try to become better from this performance."

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