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Continued from back page.Dawson continued: “It

hasn’t just been the work they have been doing on the pitch. We have sat down and analysed where we have been going wrong, where we have not been nicking these games. It has been coming and we got what we deserved.

“It was another great performance. We have looked at analysing the game, boxing a little bit clever. Fylde came to play rugby and they did what we have been doing earlier in the season, playing too much rugby.”

On their work off the pitch, Dawson added: “We have done a lot of work on the scrum as, earlier in the season, it was our weak point, as was the line-out.

“We concentrated on so many other things and those were neglected, but in the last few weeks we have done a lot of work, both on our drive and defending our drive, and on our scrum.

“Mick Orton has done great work with the scrummaging and now it’s all coming together. Once you have got a good set piece you can control the game. It was a fantastic day with great weather, great conditions, a buzz around the club and, hopefully, a sign of things to come.”

Raiders travel to Loughborough Students on Saturday, who they were beaten 43-24 by at Roundstone Lane in October.

Dawson added: “We will go up to Loughborough and try to build on what we have done. After most of our wins we haven’t backed it up with another win and that’s what we want to do this week.

“They were probably one of the two or three teams, who have properly beat us this year. We definitely owe them one, but we’ll go there and try to dominate with the forwards.”

Worthing look set to be without Charlie McGowan, who twisted his knee against Fylde.

Hard work pays off for Raiders

THE Albion said farewell last week to one of its ‘Marmite’ men as striker Ashley Barnes headed north for an undisclosed fee – rumoured to be around £750,000 – to fellow Championship side Burnley.

I can’t remember a transfer prompting such a mixed reaction from supporters. Last Friday, I spoke to two friends of mine within 15 minutes of each other, both season ticket holders, whose views on the matter were almost poles apart.

One, and it’s fair to say he’s never been Barnes’ biggest fan, said it was excellent business for the club, commenting that they’d probably added on an extra zero to the price tag without the Clarets realising, while the other questioned the sense in selling one of your top strikers to a promotion rival.

It clearly is a game of opinions.

For my part, Barnes clearly had his strengths and his weaknesses, appearing to trip up the ref last season and getting a long ban in the process wasn’t one of his greatest moments.

Then again, he was merely the width of the crossbar from being an Albion legend when coming on as a substitute in the play-off semi-final at home last May.

With the score at 0-0, he hit the crossbar, if that had gone in, Albion history might have taken another turn, then again as Liam Brady once said, ‘If your granny had wheels she’d be a bus’, or words to that

effect...Three quarters of a million

pounds does represent good business for the Seagulls, when effectively the player, once out of contract, could have walked away for nothing in the summer.

However, I am somewhat surprised by Barnes’ choice of club. Granted Burnley are riding high in the Championship, but long-term, I can’t see the same opportunities for the player that he would have got had he signed the new deal offered at the Amex.

With all due respect to the good burghers of Lancashire, and specifically Burnley itself, Barnes is a West Country lad who married a local girl and he has a young family, it’s somewhat puzzling therefore with his choice of destination.

This probably points to the ever-growing theory that he jumped before he was pushed. Rightly so, contract offers remain confidential, maybe the Albion’s offer didn’t match the expectations of Barnes or his agent?

The key now is that the Albion replace him, with like for like or, hopefully, something better.

Some fans may be reading too much into Jonathan Obika’s arrival on loan from Spurs, this was on the agenda some time before the Barnes transfer was even talked about.

At the time of going to press, there is speculation that Bournemouth’s Lewis Grabban and Cardiff ’s Joe Mason could be transfer targets, and, who knows, something might develop in

time for the Albion’s vital trip to Derby County this weekend.

The following week is FA Cup fourth round action with an intriguing trip to Port Vale, which sees the Albion lock horns with former boss Micky Adams.

Barnes might have been an Albion legend if he’d scored and we’d beaten Palace and gone on to reach the Premier League, but Micky Adams is an Albion legend and always will be.

With the club at almost its lowest ebb when he arrived in April, 1999, he, along with others, transformed the club and built the foundations for what in excess of 25,000 supporters enjoy week in, week out, at the Amex.

Albion fans, both new and old, should never forget that...

Harty on... Ashley Barnes’ move to BurnleyWritten by Ian Hart

sport@worthingherald.co.ukTwitter: @Worthing_sport

Rebels show promising signs as seven make their debutsWORTHING Football Club started the new year with a promising draw at Eastbourne Town on Saturday as new manager Adam Hinshelwood named six debutants and the returning George Gaskin in his starting line-up at the Saffrons.

The hosts took the lead on 15 minutes when ex-Rebel Billy Medlock followed up his own free kick, which was initially blocked by the Worthing wall, to fire beyond goalkeeper Jack Fagan.

But Rebels responded quickly to peg Town back, with Brannon O’Neill netting on the half-hour mark, before Lloyd Dawes slotted his side into a 2-1 half-time lead.

It took Eastbourne captain Ross Sutton just five second half minutes to head in the equaliser, though, and despite looking the more likely to score a winner, Rebels were forced to settle for a point.

While missing the opportunity to take the victory, it was a Worthing performance which showed signs of promise with Hinshelwood’s young side making up for what they lacked in experience with attacking flair and some slick passing moves.

Hinshelwood, who took charge of Rebels on Christmas Day, has introduced a host of new faces since his arrival at Woodside Road, and the former Brighton & Hove Albion defender immediately showed faith in his new signings.

Young defenders Will Hendon, Corey Heath and Connor Cody started the match, alongside captain Mark Knee in the back four,

Lloyd Dawes netted Worthing’s second goal at Eastbourne Town on Saturday W49648H13

Ryman League South DivisionEaStBOUrnE tOWn 2, WOrtHInG 2By Sam Skilton

while Lee Carey, O’Neill, and Omar Bugiel formed a central midfield trio.

Gaskin – who previously played for Rebels during the Chris White era – made his return in a Worthing shirt, while Max Howell made his debut on the wing, but it was Lloyd Dawes in particular who shone.

Dawes looked a threat throughout the 90 minutes, as he provided the cross for O’Neill to cancel out Medlock’s opener, and showed composure in front of goal five minutes

before the break when he stroked beyond Eastbourne goalkeeper James Broadbent after racing on to a Hendon through ball.

The pacy winger thought he had grabbed the winner moments before the final whistle, but his near post strike was ruled out for offside.

Rebels had opportunities to settle the match before then, but lacked a cutting edge in the final third as both Hendon and O’Neill went close with runs which lacked a clinical finish.

Perhaps the best chance Worthing had to retake the lead fell to Dawes on 55 minutes when Broadbent parried a Gaskin shot into his path, but he could only drag his effort wide of the post.

Hinshelwood said: “We had seven new players come into the side, so we made quite a few changes and I was pleased with the performance.

“We went a goal down against the run of play when we felt one of their players, who was in a offside position, had obstructed Jack Fagan’s view.

“We showed great character, though, and full credit to the lads as we came back to take the lead.

“We had all the possession and chances but only came away with a 2-2 draw, so there’s stuff to learn from.”

WORTHING: Fagan; Hendon, Heath, Cody, Knee; Carey, O’Neill, Bugiel; Howell, Gaskin, Dawes. Subs: Pamment (O’Neill 68), Harper (Howell 82), Gedling (Bugiel 90), Berry, Turner.n Rebels hosted Newhaven

in the Sussex Senior Cup third round last night. Visit www.worthingherald.co.uk/sport for a match report.