They came more in expectation than hope: a modern-day record 3,110 of them crammed into the Sussex Transport Community Stadium like the mackerels that adorn Worthing’s badge.
Some mooted Cup upsets are born of the heart, fuelled by an alluring backstory that taps into society’s natural inclination to cheer for underdogs that have overcome adversity to challenge those more distinguished.
This match had that in abundance: the former Worthing player turned owner George Dowell transforming the non-league club he bought with the compensation money he received from a car crash that left him paralysed from the chest down as a teenager.
But what the heart started, the head reinforced with dispassionate logic. Worthing’s FA Cup first-round visitors Morecambe have been a shell of a Football League club for some time. Up for sale since 2022, the Lancashire side ended last season without a manager or chief executive, and facing a transfer embargo despite having only five first-team players on their books.
The signing of 15 players on one July day at least ensured their ability to fulfil the current campaign, but they have won only one of 14 League Two matches so far this term and are already five points adrift of safety at the bottom of the table.
Harbouring Football League aspirations of their own, Worthing began the day just two points off the top of the National League South, having won five of their past six league matches.
Kettering Town pulled off the upset of the day by winning 2-1 at their local rivals Northampton Town after extra time to become the third seventh-tier club to progress to the second round of the FA Cup on Saturday.
Harborough and Gainsborough Trinity had earlier made it through against fellow non-league sides but Kettering's victory came against opponents 18th in League One. Kettering trailed at half-time but Luca Miller equalised and the former Newcastle striker Nile Ranger got the winner early in extra time.
Harborough won 4-1 at National League South Tonbridge Angels to reach the second round for the first time and Gainsborough went through on penalties after an extraordinary 4-4 draw at eighth-tier Hednesford. Gainsborough trailed 3-0 but forced extra time in the fourth minute of stoppage time. They went behind again in extra time before winning the shootout 5-4.
National League Wealdstone pulled off an upset with a 1-0 win at Grimsby after a late goal from Alex Reid. Justin Obikwu had missed an early penalty for the League Two side.
Oldham came from behind to win 2-1 at League Two Tranmere, who had gone in front early on through Connor Jennings before goals from James Norwood and Jesurun Uchegbulam sent the National League side through.
Dion Pereira’s second-half penalty got National League Dagenham a win 1-0 at Crewe.
Stoppage-time goals from Corey Whitely and Levi Amantchi enabled Bromley to snatch a dramatic 4-3 win over National League Rochdale at Spotland - where the home side had fought back from going 2-0 down inside three minutes.
Josh Magennis scored a hat-trick - including two second-half penalties - as Exeter came from 3-2 down to beat Barnet 5-3.
Joel Colwill grabbed a brace as League Two Cheltenham won 3-1 at Rotherham, while Matthew Lund’s goals gave Salford a 2-1 win over League One strugglers Shrewsbury.
Sonny Carey scored twice as Blackpool won 2-0 at Gillingham, with Steve Bruce back in the dugout after the death of his four-month-old grandson. Ricky-Jade Jones struck twice late on as Peterborough won 4-2 at Newport, who had been 2-0 up inside seven minutes.
Weston-super-Mare took Bristol Rovers to extra time before losing 3-1 and Southend were close to a shootout against Charlton after coming from 2-0 down before Charlton grabbed a 4-3 win. PA Media and Guardian sport
So yes, those on the south coast did not so much hope they might make the FA Cup second round for the first time since 1982-83 as boldly anticipate it. “If I’m in Morecambe’s shoes, it’s a horrendous draw,” the Worthing manager, Chris Agutter, had boldly stated beforehand.
Alas, after Morecambe’s five-and-a-half-hour, 300-mile trip to play on an artificial pitch, natural order prevailed, as the Football League basement boys avoided embarrassment at the hands of their part-time opponents.
In a largely even game of fine margins, a wonderful Jordan Slew volley and late Rhys Williams header settled a 2-0 win.
It was never comfortable though. Worthing’s forays forward became increasingly frequent as the match wore on, eliciting encouraging cheers from a home support that will wonder what could have been on a proud day that only added weight to Dowell’s conviction of one day cutting it in the professional ranks. The £45,000 they missed out on by losing here would have helped, but promotion to the National League remains an achievable target.
“I don’t want to be that guy that’s just accepting of losing games,” Agutter said. “We felt they were there for the taking and the game showed that. The challenge is we’ve got to make sure that’s a league game next season. If we can do that to a League Two team, then in the National League South we should win more often than not.”
Thoughts of pushing Football League opposition so hard would have been fanciful when Dowell spent 10 months in hospital following a car crash days after he was named on the Worthing bench aged 17. Barely 200 spectators attended games back then, but Dowell has overseen wholesale changes since becoming one of the youngest owners in English football in 2015.
Two promotions have followed, and there was plenty of evidence of Worthing’s abilities here, much of which was provided by the former Brighton Under-18 captain Danny Cashman, the club’s top scorer this season. Cashman was at the heart of Worthing’s regular attacks and sparked brief celebrations from those who had not spotted the raised offside flag when he dinked the ball over the stationary Morecambe goalkeeper, Stuart Moore, just before the half-hour mark.
For the visitors, victory provided another rare glimmer of joy to follow this week’s news that the club’s board are “engaging directly” with a prospective buyer. Slew’s thunderous seventh-minute finish took place directly in front of the travelling supporters whose enduring misery did nothing to quell their ceaseless singing.
“Morecambe is not an easy club to work for and support because of the circumstances and it hasn’t been for many years,” said their manager, Derek Adams. “The fans were terrific.”
More important matters await in the battle to retain their League Two status. Should they fail to achieve it, Morecambe may well make this trip to face Worthing again next year in a different division for both clubs.
