Jimmy Anderson and his players will no doubt take many positives from the game ahead of the season opener against Fisher next week.

The fans in attendance today were hugely impressed with the commitment from all, the cohesion of the team, and the finishing of Danny Lear - all good signs for a successful season ahead.

Ramsgate were on it from the off - sharp passing and effective movement were evident right away and caused a few problems for the Rusthall back three. Matt Bailey had to be at his sharpest to divert a good cross/shot away before Luke Adams showed great determination to win the ball and release Danny Lear - he was perhaps pulled back by the defender but nothing was forthcoming from the referee.

After eight minutes, Ramsgate were ahead - a ball slipped through found a player who was perhaps a touch offside but he finished low past Bailey and the goal was given.

Rusthall were rocked and struggled to get out - more than once they were caught in possession at the back and were lucky to get away with a few blocked clearances. The chances kept coming for the away side - their striker turned Lenny Styles but could only scuff a shot which was easily collected by Bailey, and shortly afterwards, Ramsgate will count themselves unlucky not to be further ahead when they hit the bar.

The second half of the first half saw huge improvements from the Rustics - Charlie Clover got it started with a good ball through to Lear which was cleared for a throw - the resulting ball in didn’t quite fall for Lear from a Tommy Lawrence flick. A positive run from the lively Reuel Powell-Downey led to a freekick which was well delivered from the ever-reliable Lawrence - Styles could only direct his header straight at the keeper.
The two teams then traded mistakes - a short back pass saw Danny Lear advance on goal not long after a short clearance the other end had to be rectified by an excellent block from Styles. Rusthall were soon deservedly level on 25 minutes - Danny Lear picked the ball up on the left-hand side and cut in towards goal. He had options to pass to but didn’t need them - his finish from the angle was expertly executed and celebrated with delight, both on the pitch and in the stands.

Not long after, Rusthall were ahead - Powell-Downey received the ball following an excellent tackle and a superb through ball and despite being encouraged to shoot, he laid the ball perfectly into the path of Lear who tucked it home. Rusthall were well on top at this point and on 35 minutes, the lead was extended. Tommy Lawrence took a quick freekick which released Lear once again. The control on his chest was first class - his finish low past the goalkeeper was even better and Rusthall were 3-1 up at the break.

The second half began well, and almost spectacularly, following a free kick from Luke Adams. Despite some confusion over which side the set piece was for, and despite being on the halfway line, our number 9 decided a shot was on and was unlucky to hit the bar with a fantastic effort which had the Ramsgate keeper scrambling. Rusthall were still on top - Reuel won every header he went up for and was a constant threat, Stephen Ikpeme was as solid as fans have come to expect, and Ijah Curran-Wilson, a new addition to the squad, really grew into the game on the left-hand side.
Tommy Lawrence was perhaps a bit unfortunate to be booked for dissent early in the half - he immediately responded by winning a header which led to Danny Lear being in on goal again - his ball across to Luke Adams was perfect - unfortunately on this occasion, the resulting finish went agonisingly wide.

Soon after, Rusthall received a wake-up call when a cross was diverted onto the post. Rusthall were still giving their all, particularly Luke Adams who was putting himself about with great desire - too much for the referee and the Ramsgate defenders. The warning from the effort which hit the woodwork was not heeded as Ramsgate pulled a goal back before a penalty from nowhere saw them draw level. As Rusthall players began to tire, the class of the side from the division above began to tell - their winning goal was impressive as their attacker ran straight through the middle, past the despairing lunge of James White, before finishing low past Matt Bailey. Rusthall did not let their levels drop however - despite a rare mistake from Lenny Styles, Matt Bailey came to the rescue with an excellent dive at the feet of the Ramsgate attacker, Curran-Wilson kept plugging away down the left, and James White was on hand to clear off the line when needed.

This was a hugely impressive performance against good opposition and Jimmy and the lads will surely be delighted with the run-out today.

Talk is already turning to the opening game of the season- this team, and the passionate fans, are ready to take the SCEFL Premier Division in their stride.