Worthing were involved in tempestuous scenes as they battled to a point in the storm.

But Adam Hinshelwood played down a furore over two incidents in the 1-1 draw at home to Slough.

A Slough red card was cancelled and a Worthing goal later ruled out as the hosts stormed forward with the extreme elements at their back in the second half.

In the end, they had to settle for a point secured by Ollie Pearce after Slough were gifted a first-minute lead.

Pearce, who looked to the assistant and appeared to be offside, was the man fouled by Dan Bayliss just outside the penalty area before the Slough defender saw red.

Bayliss was well on his way to the changing room by the time referee Rob Ablitt spoke to his assistant - who had not flagged - and decided Pearce had indeed been offside.

The centre-back was recalled to the action.

The flag again stayed down when sub Jake Robinson tucked away what he thought might be the winner.

But, again, a chat between ref and assistant led to offside being given, this time against goal-maker Danny Cashman.

In both instances, it appeared the correct decisions were eventually arrived at – and it also seemed the red for Bayliss would have been harsh anyway.

But the manner of the decision-making led to the sort of confusion and irritation usually associated with VAR.

The flag went up more quickly when Pearce had a goal disallowed late on.

Furious fans vented their anger at the assistant during and after the game but Hinshelwood did not follow suit.

The Worthing boss said: “The linesman obviously thought it was offside but I don’t know why he hasn’t put his flag up straight away.

“It is what it is. Refs and linesmen come up with these decisions and we have got to deal with it.

“We will look at ourselves and see what we can do to get better.

“All the managers were called into a referees’ meeting the other day and nothing has changed, “It has got to a point where we have just got to accept their decision.

“We don’t know what is right or wrong and how they come up with their decisions.

“It is pointless arguing or trying to clarify.”

Worthing spent the evening looking to atone for a mistake within the first few seconds by young goalkeeper Josh Jeffries, who is on loan from Southampton.

He dropped what looked a routine cross and Nathan Minhas fired home.

That said, perhaps nothing was routine in such extreme conditions as high winds and heavy rain came down the pitch.

Worthing did not abandon their style of sucking in the press with short passes from the back and then looking to pass through it, similar to that operated by Roberto De Zerbi with Albion.

Hinshelwood said: “We stuck to how we want to play. It was always going to be difficult.

“We conceded a goal on a tricky evening but we kept believing in what we do and showed some momentum in the second half.

“But we weren’t able to come away with the three points.

“I don’t think we created enough really for the amount of football we had.

“Our goal was quite a lucky one, their goal was a mistake. There is a lot to work on.”

Johnny Goddard hit the Worthing post in the first half and the bar in the second, both with the score at 1-0.

Pearce, in a rich vein of form, struck the upright late in the first period and was always a threat in the second.

He enjoyed a bit of luck with the 54th-minute leveller which took a touch on its way in after he had worked himself a great position between the centre-backs and been found by Finlay Chadwick.

Worthing kept pushing but Pearce had a goalbound effort somehow cleared off the line and there was some admirable defending by Slough in the face of the storm.

Robinson thought he had won it when set up by Cashman – but then the officials conferred and the second storm broke out.

Worthing remain second in Vanarama National League south and are at home to Torquay on Saturday.