High Brooms Casuals 0 – 3 Rusthall Reserves

After the excellent opening day result against Woodlands it was yet again another opponent with title aspirations that would stand in the way of the reserves in the shape of High Brooms Casuals.  Rusthall felt they owed Casuals after last year being dumped out of the cup and submitting a comfortable lead in the last league game the two sides met.  Management duo of Smithers and McKenna were missing Mickey Wallis who was unavailable Karl Mitchell through injury and Ryan Sands who was still suspended, but were able to welcome Mark Lester, Stuart Gray and Martin Millins into the fold for the first time this season.  With Wallis away Brazil slipped into sweeper and Lester came in to partner McKenna in the middle of midfield.  Gray replaced Histed at right back who took his place on the bench and Pring was rested allowing Bull to fall back into the midfield and Millins to start in attack with Paul ‘Goal Machine’ Stevens.

It was the home team that started of the brightest in the opening 10 minutes but were unable to break though the more experienced Rustics defence.  Larkin was forced into an early save rushing of his line but arguably should have been off his line quicker.  After the initial early exchanges Rusthall started to find their feet and created some glorious opportunities that fell to Martin Millins, who was unable to hit the target with just the keeper to beat on two occasions. Casuals main threat came from long throw ins aimed at the tall striker, but these were suitably dealt with my Smithers and Co.  With the score 0-0 at half time McKenna accused the team of giving the hosts too much respect and to get stuck in a bit more.  That is exactly what happened and it was not long before Casuals became frustrated and started moaning at the referee.  The opening goal of the game came through Martin Millins who was on the end of a pin point Hunter cross to head home for the lead.  With Gray and Bull looking impressive down the right, Rusthall created a number of chances and soon the chance came to make it two.  As the ball came from the right and fell to McKenna, he struck it with his left foot beating the keeper only for the Casuals right back to save the ball on the line and give away a penalty.  The ref decided not to send the player off, but 10 minutes later he was carried off with a damaged knee. Millins had already claimed penalty duties before the game and coolly slotted home from 12 yards.  With the game now getting more and more stretched Hunter found more and more room on the left and it was again his cross that found Stevens who headed hard and low into the bottom corner for 3-0.  Stevens had a good opportunity to make it 4-0 five minutes from time when substitute Andy Newman, on his debut, picked out Stevens who seemed to bottle it against the Casuals keeper and the chance was lost.

Team:   Larkin, Smithers, Brazil, Whitaker, Gray, Lester, McKenna, Bull, Hunter, Stevens, Millins
Subs:    Pring, Histed, Newman

Rusthall Reserves 8-0 Roselands - 22nd September 2007

On a perfect day for football Rusthall Reserves hosted bottom of the table Roselands at Jockey Farm and had the luxury of naming an unchanged side from last week vs. Casuals, however there was one change on the bench and that was Mitchell in for Histed after recovering from a groin injury.  After a decent warm up and a good motivational chat in the changing room before hand, the game kicked of with the visitors kicking down hill in the first half.  With the game only 5 minutes old Smithers somehow found himself on the left wing being closed down by a defender.  He looked up and hooked to the unmarked Hunter who took a first time shot which clipped the inside of the post before hitting the back of the net for 1-0.  Rusthall had their tales up and got back on the attack from centre and it was not long before Stevens was send through on the keeper one on one.  With the keeper rushing out to clear the bouncing ball, Stevens got there first and coolly lifted over him and into the back of the net via the underside of the crossbar, 2-0.  With everything seeming to be going Rusthall’s way the players were arguably guilty of over confidence and began to start shooting from 25 yards out, not troubling the Roselands keeper.  Rusthall began to get complacent and a mistake from Brazil at sweeper allowed Roselands a chance but they were foiled by a good double save from Larkin. The hosts had a number of chances and tested the woodwork from McKenna from a tight angle.  Rusthall made it three after Lester whipped a ball in from the left hand side and a combination of Stevens and the centre back bundled the ball into the back of the net, Stevens claimed the goal  Roselands had a good spell before half time and on two further occasions worked a one on one situation but Larkin was in fine form and kept both out well.

One change was made at half time with Pring replacing Bull on the right hand side of midfield with instructions to run at the defenders. It was Roselands that came out the quicker and again a ball over the top found the Rusthall defence caught square and Larkin had to make another save aided by Gray.  After this initial scare Rusthall began to settle down and pass the ball about nicely, McKenna was winning everything in the air and Lester was picking up the pieces and around him.  The hosts made it 4-0 through McKenna who found himself once again at a tight angle and once again shot but this time found the back of the net for his first of the day.  Whitaker was replaced with Hunter dropping to left back, Pring switched from the right flank to the left and Mitchell donned the Rusthall shirt for the first time this season on the right.  Further chances came and went for Millins and Stevens, but Millins did finally notch after the ball was fired across the box from the left hand side he finished well with his stomach.  After this point it became the McKenna show and he wrapped in two well taken goals to complete his hat trick.  The first was a well executed left foot volley over the keeper and the other was a well judged shot curled round the diving keeper into the far corner, 7-0.  Rusthall continued to create further chances and Pring made it 8-0 cutting on from the left before firing well across the keeper.  With the clock running down Smithers went on a run from the centre back position and the gaps opened up for him, but his shot was more like a back pass.  The game finished 8-0 and Rusthall topped the table for the first time this season scoring 15 goals without conceding any.

Team:  Larkin, Gray, Whitaker, Smithers, Brazil, Hunter, Bull, Lester, McKenna, Stevens, Millins

Subs:  Newman, Pring, Mitchell

Presidents Cup Final

RUSTHALL 1 – 0 WOODLANDS
Tuesday 17th April 2007
The first silverware of the season was up for grabs on Tuesday night in the Presidents Cup Final played at Longmead Stadium Tonbridge, between Rusthall Reserves and Woodlands.  Both sides arrived at the ground early to start their preparation for what was predicted to be tight match by two of the better sides in the Tonbridge Premier League.  Joint management pair of Brazil and Ronaldson had assembled a good strong flexible squad for such a big game. Larkin played in goal behind a changed back four of Waterman on the left, who had come in for the cup tied Pope, Cox filtered in on the right with Welch sweeping on Smithers.  Mitchell was switched to left midfield, Bull returned on the right and McKenna was partnered by the busy Abbott in the centre of the park.  With the clubs top scorer John Elliott unavailable due to the change in date of the fixture, Ronaldson was partnered in attack by the pacey Toni Lodeiro in a 4-4-2 formation, Stevens, Brazil and Sands made up the bench.  Woodlands set up in a 3-5-2 system with one of the centre midfielders dropping deep to influence the play but there was only a place on the bench for the former Rustic John Clark.

Rusthall were out the blocks the fastest and it was clear that they meant business in front of a good supporting crowd made up mainly of Rusthall fans.  None more so than Jamie McKenna who was clearly exited and proud to be wearing the yellow Tottenham kit that he had earlier borrowed from Tunbridge Wells, unfortunately this was not echoed by life long Arsenal fan Larkin who refused even to wear the socks.  The opening exchanges were dominated by the Rustics with McKenna winning everything in the centre of midfield and Waterman and Mitchell combining well down the left hand side.  The first real action of the game came on 15 minutes when the ball moved well on the left before finding its way to Abbott who fired from close range only to produce a wonderful point blank save from the Woodlands keeper.  The Tonbridge side offered very little in attack in the first half and were restricted to firing in long balls from the flanks which were either gobbled up by Larkin or comfortably defended by the solid back four.  The deadlock was broken on 30 minutes after Waterman had made a block tackle in his own half, the ball cannoned down the line and the chase was on.  He got to it ahead of the defender and waited patiently before squaring the ball to Lodeiro who beat two men and wrong footed the keeper with a low drive into the bottom corner, 1-0.  The rest of the half was a battle but without any real chances being created and the teams came in at half time with plenty to discuss.

No changes were made at half time and the team talk was centred around staying tight to the men and continuing to play the game as it had been played in the first half.  The whistle for the second half blew and we were of again, but early disaster struck, Lodiero had gone down with a pulled hamstring, an injury that he can’t seem to shake, he could play no further part and Stevens entered the game earlier than he had expected donning the Berbatov number 9 jersey.  Woodlands realised that if they did not start playing the game would be over before it had begun for them, and they did begin to take more control of the game.  The small centre midfielder was not being picked up and started to dictate the play for the Tonbridge side but once again the final ball was long and more often than not easily dealt with by Rusthall.  With time ticking away Sands replaced Ronaldson to give Rusthall a bit more pace in attack as Ronaldson had run himself into the ground.  Chances were very limited an despite all of the Woodlands pressure it was Sands who had the best chance to make it safe for the Rustics.  He was played through in on goal and with a good first touch set himself just to slide under the advancing keeper, but with the crowd cheering a rush of blood caused him to smash the ball over the bar and onto the roof of the stand behind the goal. Stevens also had a chance late on but fired straight at the keeper who spilt the first effort but gathered on the second attempt. Rusthall made a tactical change and replaced Bull with Brazil in an attempt to stop the play being dictated by the Woodlands midfielder, Brazil was given the job of sitting on him and stemming the flow.  In the last minute Smithers headed over another cross from Woodlands and they had a corner to which the keeper made a last ditch attempt to salvage something by being a target in the box.  The ball was aimed towards him at the front post but well cleared by Welch and eventually went off a Woodlands player for a goal kick.  The final whistle blew and the victory was Rusthall’s in a game that lacked chances and was not the best on the eye for the spectator, but we are in a results business and 1-0 is all that mattered.

Team:  Larkin, Waterman, Smithers, Welch, Cox, Mitchell, McKenna, Abbott, Bull, Ronaldson, Lodeiro

Subs:  Brazil, Stevens, Sands

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Rusthall Reserves 5-0 Southborough

It was important that The Rustics kept the pressure on those below them with games to play in the league by getting another three points on the board against a resilient Southborough side.  The back four and the keeper was the same that started the second Hawkenbury game last week of Larkin, Smithers, Waterman, Browning and Pope.  Welch continued in the centre alongside the ever present McKenna and Abbott and Mitchell occupied the flanks with Ronaldson and Elliott in attack. Kicking down the hill in the first half in was important for Rusthall to make the use of the slope and the advantage of the sun in the visitors eyes and Rusthall had the best of the early exchanges but could not capitalise.  With McKenna dominating in the midfield and Mitchell finding space on the left it was only a matter of time before one of the chances were converted, but it was an unluckily source who eventually broke the deadlock for The Rustics.  Mitchell was felled on the left touchline and Welch took the free kick which was beautifully floated to the back post where it was met perfectly by the run of Pope who headed in for the lead.  Rusthall began to play some of their best football towards the end of the first half notably through the impressive Ronaldson whose hamstring strain from the previous week had cleared up in enough time to turn the Southborough defence in knots.  The talking point of the first half occurred when the visitors appealed for a handball in the box against Andy Waterman but this was waved away by the referee.  The Southborough players were still fuming when their captain gave away a free kick seconds later and consequently said something out of turn to the referee who gave him his marching orders.

The half time team talk centred around just being patient and continuing to create chances and this was carried out onto the pitch.  The defence looked solid and was well marshalled by Browning, McKenna was still in control in the middle and Ronaldson was having arguably his best game of the season in attack It was not long before Rusthall made it 2-0 and it was through a nice finish from Ronaldson who had been slipped in on goal before coolly dinking the ball over the on rushing keeper.  Mitchell claimed his first of the game from a corner which was taken by Abbott and flicked on by Ronaldson and there was Mitchell to stoop to 4 foot of the ground and head home from a yard.  With Southborough offering very little in attack in was all Rusthall and questions started mounting about how many it was going to be.  The fourth came from Abbott at the back post who tapped in from eight yards after Ronaldson had twisted and turned his way to the left hand side before having the vision to look up and square the ball. With pressure really mounting Rusthall earned a corner which Mitchell stepped up to take, he fired the ball in relatively low and hard, then what happened can only be described as a freak. The Southborough defender on the front post can only have thought that he heard a shout from the keeper as he ducked under the ball and then turned to watch in go in at the near post, Mitchell claimed the goal.    As the game was winding down and the final whistle was about to blow Southborough had one of their only efforts of the game but Larkin clawed out of the top corner and pushed over.  With no game next week and only two left in the league all attention turned to the Cup Final on Tuesday 17^th April.

Team:  Larkin, Waterman, Pope, Smithers, Browning, Mitchell, Welch, McKenna, Abbott, Ronaldson, Elliott

Subs:  Stevens

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