Horsham YMCA 1, Worthing 2.

Sam Francis hit a blistering injury-time winner to seal Worthing's third successive away victory.

Francis was rested for Saturday's 2-0 victory over Met Police because of blisters on his feet.

The rest paid dividends when he popped up with his first goal of the season in last night's Ryman division one south clash after YM's Andy Ottley had cancelled out Ben Johnson's goal in a hectic finale.

Rebels joint manager Alan Pook said: "We wanted to take Sam completely out of the firing line on Saturday because he was frustrated by his foot problems. He still wasn't fully fit but it was always our intention to bring him on tonight.

"You could see with the way he celebrated the goal how much it meant to him.

"But we under performed overall and the first 70 minutes was the worst I've seen Worthing play."

There was little to stir the passion in a scrappy opening half.

YM had lost five of their first six games and the confidence levels appeared understandably low as they struggled to find any rhythm.

They did, however, create a couple of golden chances. Adam Jupp, who scored in the 2-1 defeat at Leatherhead on Saturday, lobbed over when one on one with Rebels keeper Rikki Banks after visiting skipper Ben Andrews had misjudged the bouncing ball and shortly before the interval Matt Duffield forced a superb save from Banks.

It would have been an injustice had Worthing gone behind as the visitors took the game to their hosts, led by tricky winger Matt Phelan. But Rebels, playing with just Sam Gargan up front, struggled to create too much themselves.

The quality of the match - already far from high - got worse.

YM lost their shape and seemed incapable of creating anything that would beat Worthing's centre back pairing of Andrews and Stuart Axten.

But Rebels became less urgent and more disjointed. They showed ambition in pushing Phelan and Jamie Brotherton up alongside Gargan.

Brotherton was substituted as Rebels threw on Francis in a strike pairing with Gargan.

Fellow substitute Johnson provided the first shot of the second half on 70 minutes when his effort was well saved by Chris May.

It seemed as if the match would peter out when suddenly Rebels took the lead seven minutes from time. A surging run down the right by Roy Pook was followed by a low cross blasted home by Johnson.

Two minutes from time YM levelled through a half volley by Andy Ottley.

And then came Francis's dramatic winner in injury time, his first of the season. YM failed to clear a cross from the right and in the melee Francis arrowed his shot home from 12 yards.

YM assistant manager Colin Jenkinson said: "We were caught out by our naivity with some mistakes for their winner."

Horsham YMCA: May, Carden, Keaney, White, Woodburn, Duffield, Percival (sub Taylor 45), Keehan, Death (sub Nayee 80), Jupp, Ottley. Subs not used: Bidwell, Simpson.

Worthing: Banks, Mustafa, Cobbs, Axten, Andrews, Lovegrove, Phelan (sub Johnson 63), Day, Pook, Gargan, Brotherton (sub Francis 60). Subs not used: Rogers, Akehurst, JAlexander.

Referee: Mr Eric Mackerell.

Man-of-the-match: Sam Francis.

Attendance: 196.

Burgess Hill made it four home wins out of four in the league and it was a Steve Harper special that put them on the way to the 2-1 victory over Croydon Athletic.

In his second game back in the famous yellow and black colours Harper cut back inside his marker and curled a delightful shot inside the far corner to break the deadlock on 70 minutes.

Less than three minutes later Danny Gainsford headed in a corner but it was a nervous last few minutes for Hillians after substitute Neil Watts conceded a penalty from which Danny Waldren reduced the deficit.

With leading scorer Shaheen Sadough unwell and left on the bench manager Gary Croydon gave a debut to 18-year-old striker Tom Lyons.

Hillians now have four wins and a draw from their opening seven games. Croydon said: "If we can repeat that in blocks of seven matches over the season then we'll make the play-offs."