LOUIE CLARKE’S BRACE AND CONTROLLING TEAM PERFORMANCE BOOKS OUR SPACE IN THE NEXT ROUND!

The magic of the FA Cup was on display from the off, as the Rusthall Supporters Group put on a show with balloons being sent skyward as the players emerged from the impressive new tunnel.

The home side were quick out of the blocks- with the first attack, Reuel Powell-Downey set the tone for his afternoon with a driving run which could not be contained. His fine shot was parried and if Luke Miller were closer to six foot than five, he would have nodded in the rebound. Rusthall continued to dominate- a throw-in fell to the feet of Luke Miller who crossed low but the ball was cleared. Next, Louie Clarke found himself in on goal only to be judged offside but it felt like chances were there to be taken. A free-kick from wide on the left was swung in and Clarke got a foot to it but the ball looped over the bar and away from danger. Just as it seemed a goal was surely coming, it did, but for Loxwood who up to that point had offered nothing going forward. A deep cross was not dealt with and when it was nodded back, Adrian Todd finished well, striking the ball as it bounced and finishing into the top corner leaving Tommy Taylor no chance.

The goal caused a few moments of concern for the Rustics. Powell-Downey attempted an acrobatic strike but when the ball was cleared, Loxwood were able to break- the shot which finished the move rolled just wide with Taylor watching in hope. Just as in the win over Welling Town last week, Rusthall rallied impressively. Momentum built again and, unsurprisingly, it was Powell-Downey who was the catalyst going forward. With the ball at his feet, he flummoxed two defenders before driving in a firm cross which was turned home by a mixture of Rory Salter and a covering defender. Before half-time, Clarke had seemingly made it 2-1 but his expert finish was taken from an apparently offside position.

It was another fast start at the beginning of the second period and a goal soon followed- again, Powell-Downey played a key role. He played a clever one-two on the edge of the box and when he found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper, he selflessly rolled the ball to Clarke who had the easy job of putting it into the empty net. The confidence flowing through the team was clear to see. Dwan Archer was at the heart of everything in the number 10 role- his touch, control and desire to press forward an absolute joy to behold.

At the back, James White and Calvin Gatiba had everything under control- Gitiba proving himself astute at bringing the ball forward and finding effective passes into Jamie Miller and Jack Smith in the centre of midfield. Reuel Powell-Downey was often able to spin in behind the defenders and on one such occasion, he did so to great effect- when he reached the bye-line, he looked up and again found the dangerous Clarke who, under pressure from defenders and goalkeeper, once again found the net to make it 3-1.

Loxwood tried to get back into the game but when they had a good chance to get in, Calvin Gitiba used his pace and positional awareness to time a tackle to perfection and put a stop to a dangerous situation. Much to the annoyance of Jimmy Anderson and his players, another less dangerous situation was not dealt with in the same decisive way and it led to a second goal for the away side. And what a strike it was- a shot from distance on the left-hand side arrowed into the top corner leaving Tommy Taylor rooted to the spot. However, Rusthall were able to see the game out comfortably and, in the end, were much the better side on the day. A sign of progress perhaps was the fact that, despite the win, both Jimmy Anderson and his players were not impressed by the overall performance. While any win last season was greeted with relief, it seems the expectations from within the club have risen and indeed they should. There are some very capable performers in this squad and competition for places seems to have raised the games of several players. With two wins from two, confidence is rightly high- it seems the standards being set are equally high.

Rusthall will welcome Ramsgate of the Isthmian South East to The Jockey Farm Stadium for the next round of the FA Cup on Saturday 20th August.

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