On a day where it could be forgiven to be starting to focus on next week’s clash against Tunbridge Wells, it was vital for Jimmy Anderson to ensure his players’ minds were fully on the task at hand and so it proved to be as the Rustics dominated from start to finish. The game was the perfect warm up for the FA Vase tie on Saturday which promises to be a much more intense affair- Jack Kirby, so influential this season, was given a rest and Serine Sanneh, one fantastic second half save aside, was able to enjoy a relaxed afternoon in which he no doubt contemplated leaving his station and joining in higher up the field.

Chances were created at will, the vast difference in quality between the two sides clear to see. After 14 minutes, Rusthall took the lead- Thompson Adeyemi, who was able to control the game in the middle of the park without ever getting out of first gear or breaking into a sweat, picked up the ball and prodded it through to Charlie Clover who was typically unerring in dispatching his shot past a goalkeeper who seemed ill-prepared to keep out a side averaging four goals at home this season so far.

The only surprise perhaps was the fact that Rusthall took only a one goal lead into the break, the rest of the half having remained one-way traffic. if Rusthall’s attacking players thought they may have had an afternoon off from being admonished by Robbie Bissett and Frank Griffin, they were to be disappointed- standards are clear and Rusthall’s leaders on the pitch were there, as always, to make sure everyone was doing their bit.

It always felt like more goals would come and Sheppey Sports must have been a little dispirited to see Louie Clarke standing on the side line as the second half began, waiting to replace James Miles who was able to take his break, watching the second half with his feet up. Clarke did not take long to extend the lead, his goal coming from a free kick deep in Rusthall’s half which was won by the excellent Jack Low whose ball juggling seemed to rile the Sheppey players, one of whom decided to chop him down in what he probably thought was a safe area. However, Rusthall simply went straight through the middle in just three passes- Griffin to Low, Low to Clover, Clover with an exquisite pass through to Clarke, who controlled the ball before rolling it past the stranded keeper. Rusthall made it three shortly after through Daniel Blunn who had ventured forward in search of action- he was able to make it on to the end of a ball played forward by Adeyemi, with a little help from an attempted clearance from the Sheppey back line which put a bouncing ball back toward their own goal. Blunn was brave- he beat the keeper to the ball and headed it past him into the corner- his second goal of the season greeted with delight by his adoring fan(s) in the stands.

Rusthall’s fourth was a goal of great quality- Jaevon Dyer, who had earlier replaced Josh Reid, exchanged passes with Jack Low whose back heeled return was only beaten by Dyer’s spin to beat his man- he had the composure to find the perfectly timed run of Louie Clarke, who grabbed his 12th goal of the season with a simple finish. Another string of impressive passing involving multiple players led to the fifth which came hot on the heels of the fourth. Oscar Oguli, on in place of Louis Anderson, impressed on his first appearance, showing great promise in his 30 minutes on the pitch- it was his pass into Clover which set things in motion. Robbie Bissett then played the ball into the feet of Jack Low who found himself under pressure- no matter, he used his strength to turn his man and find Jaevon Dyer, who danced his way past the defence and slotted the ball home for his first in a green and white shirt. His Man-of-the-Match performance today, and his obvious class and quality, means there will surely be many more for Dyer who has remained admirably patient early on in Rusthall career. Robbie Bissett couldn’t let Dan Blunn get too far ahead in the goalscoring stakes and it was the captain who added the gloss with the very last kick of the game, finishing from close range from a corner.

Score lines occasionally flatter but that was certainly not the case here- in fairness to Sheppey Sports, they kept going and did all they could- the lively Simon Gyimaha the pick of the bunch- but the gap in class was ultimately unbridgeable. Jimmy Anderson will have been delighted to be able to rest key players and build momentum ahead of Saturday and the visit of Tunbridge Wells who go into the game on the back of a 3-0 defeat at Corinthian. Preparations now begin at Jockey Farm to prepare for what promises to be a thrilling occasion.

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