The battle for fishing rights between the Mackeralmen of Worthing and the Trawlerboys of Lowestoft ended all square with neither side able to find the net.

Lowestoft did have the ball in the net midway through the second period, but Shaun Bammant was clearly offside when heading the ball back across goal.

With Rory McAuley serving a one-match suspension, Rossi Jarvis dropped back into central defence with Adam Smith taking his place in midfield and Jacek Zielonka replacing Andrew Fisk.

The best chances in the game came in the opening and closing minutes ,with a lot of endeavour but a lack of flair in the intervening 70 minutes of so.

Town almost scored a freak goal with only five minutes on the clock when home keeper Lucas Cavagnari smashed a clearing kick against Nico Cotton – the ball spiralled back over the keeper and hit the face of the bar.

Just two minutes later Zielonka's corner fell to Jarvis, whose volley brought a fantastic save from Cavagnari. After those initial flurries Worthing came more into the game with their main attacking option through Harvey Sparks on the left flank, but young Dan Humphries was marshalling him well and prevented him getting in any real dangerous crosses.

An excellent double save on the half hour from Ben Dudzinski denied Kieron Pammant and then Alfie Young. Although they were seeing more of the ball Worthing were not over-troubling Dudzinski and with 10 minutes to go Lowestoft thought they had opened the scoring when Cotton crossed from the right for Bammant to head back across goal for Matty Foy to volley home, although the goal was disallowed for offside.

It was another fine battling performance from the Blues, and a second clean sheet from two difficult away fixtures – they return home on New Year's day when they face Brightlingsea Regent (3pm).

Worthing: Cavagnari, Colbran, Rents, Budd, Hallard (Wild 58), Young, Parsons, Pamment (Herbert 81), Clarke, Starkey (Pope 72), Sparks, Subs not used: Denyer-Schneider, Watson.

Lowestoft Town: Dudzinski, Humphries, Barker, Smith, Cole, Jarvis, Zielonka, Foy, Reed, Cotton, Bammant, Subs not used: Hodd, Nyadzayo, Wren, Putnins.

Referee: M Lowe. Att: 706