Elphick seeking right-back to complete summer business

Tony Nwachukwu celebrates his first Worthing goal in Saturday's friendly draw at Whitehawk. Picture by Marcus Hoare

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Worthing Football Club boss Gary Elphick is searching for a right-back to bring his summer business to a conclusion.

Elphick has been busy in the close season building a squad he hopes is able to challenge at the top end of the Bostik League Premier Division in the new campaign.

So far, James Fraser, Kershaney Samuels, Anthone Douglas, Tony Nwachukwu, Alfie Young and Omar Folkes have all agreed on switches to Woodside Road.

But Worthing boss Elphick is not satisfied as things stand after right-back Will Hendon decided on a move to division-higher National League South side Eastbourne Borough earlier this month.

Ebbsfleet United full-back Ollie Boulding featured in Saturday’s 1-1 friendly draw at Whitehawk, while Elphick revealed he was currently casting his eye over Rodrigo Mann, who was with Hawks last season.

Elphick sees filling the void left by Hendon as the only summer business needed to be done by him and said: “We had a look at Ollie (Boulding) in Saturday’s friendly at Whitehawk with a view to a potential loan this season.

“He’s not the only right-back I’m looking at currently.

“Rodrigo (Mann) has been training with us and will feature in our friendly with Eastbourne Borough tomorrow.

“Will Hendon’s departure does leave a hole and with just young Charlie Williamson our only natural in that position, it’s an area I want to add.” Harvey Sparks, who went off injured in Worthing’s opening pre-season game against Worthing United, is expected to be out for ten weeks with ligament damage, while long-term absentee Zack Newton is hoped to be back within the next couple of weeks.

With Newton’s imminent return and a wealth of depth in wide areas, Elphick sees no reason to add in that position.

He said: “We’ve got a lot of options up top and with Zack coming back I feel okay with what we’ve got.”

Nwachukwu netted in first Worthing goal in a 1-1 draw at Whitehawk on Saturday.

Elphick saw that as a vast improvement on the 4-0 home loss at the hands

of rivals Bognor a week earlier.

Now Worthing’s boss wants to see a further progression at another National League South opponent – Eastbourne Borough – on Friday.

Elphick added: “I was pleased with our performance at Whitehawk – if it was a league game I’d have been annoyed we didn’t win, but it was a friendly.

“We’ve got another big test at Eastbourne Borough tomorrow.”