They arrived with more anticipation than hope: a record-breaking 3,110 fans packed into the Sussex Transport Community Stadium, resembling the mackerels that symbolize Worthing.

Some cup upsets are driven by emotion, fueled by compelling narratives that resonate with society's innate support for underdogs who have triumphed over adversity. This match was rich with such stories: George Dowell, a former Worthing player turned owner, transformed the non-league club he acquired with compensation from a car accident that left him paralyzed from the chest down as a teenager.

But while the heart may have set the stage, the mind provided a sobering reality. Worthing's FA Cup first-round opponents, Morecambe, have been a shadow of their former selves for some time. The Lancashire club, up for sale since 2022, ended last season without a manager or CEO, and faced a transfer embargo despite having only five first-team players. The signing of 15 players in one day in July at least ensured they could compete this season, but they have won only one of 14 League Two matches and are already five points from safety at the bottom of the table.

With their own aspirations of reaching the Football League, Worthing started the day just two points off the top of the National League South, having won five of their last six league matches. So, the fans on the south coast did not just hope for a second-round FA Cup spot for the first time since 1982-83; they expected it. "If I were in Morecambe's position, this would be a nightmare draw," Worthing manager Chris Agutter had boldly stated beforehand.

However, after Morecambe's grueling 300-mile, five-and-a-half-hour journey to play on an artificial pitch, the natural order was restored. The Football League's basement dwellers avoided humiliation against their part-time rivals. In a game defined by fine margins, a stunning Jordan Slew volley and a late Rhys Williams header secured the victory.

It was far from comfortable. Worthing's attacks grew more frequent as the match progressed, drawing encouraging cheers from the home crowd who wondered what might have been on a day that further strengthened Dowell's belief in one day competing at the professional level. The £45,000 they missed out on by losing here would have been helpful, but promotion to the National League remains a reachable goal.

"I don't want to be the type who accepts losing," Agutter said. "We felt they were vulnerable, and the game showed that. Our challenge is to ensure that this performance translates into league success next season. If we can compete like this against a League Two team, we should win more often than not in the National League South."

The idea of challenging Football League opposition so fiercely would have been far-fetched when Dowell spent 10 months in hospital following a car crash days after being named on the Worthing bench at 17. Back then, barely 200 spectators attended games, but Dowell has overseen significant changes since becoming one of the youngest owners in English football in 2015. Two promotions have followed, and there was ample evidence of Worthing's capabilities here, much of it provided by former Brighton Under-18 captain Danny Cashman, the club's top scorer this season. Cashman was central to Worthing's frequent attacks and sparked brief celebrations before the half-hour mark when he dinked the ball over the stationary Morecambe goalkeeper Stuart Moore, only for the offside flag to be raised.

For Morecambe, the victory provided a rare moment of joy following this week's news that the club's board is "engaging directly" with a potential buyer. Slew's powerful seventh-minute finish took place directly in front of the traveling supporters whose enduring misery did nothing to dampen their relentless singing.

"Morecambe is not an easy club to work for and support due to the circumstances, and it hasn't been for many years," said their manager, Derek Adams. "The fans were terrific."

More pressing matters await in the battle to retain their League Two status. Should they fail, Morecambe may well make this trip to face Worthing again next year in a different division for both clubs.

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