THREE POINTS AT HOME TO KICK START OUR SEASON

Following a successful pre-season programme, manager Jimmy Anderson will have had a tough job naming his starting eleven with some talented players not even making the bench. The progress that has been made on and off the pitch was clear to see and, despite a nervy beginning where both teams were still adjusting to the cut and thrust of league action, this was an excellent performance which led to a fully deserved win.

Early chances were limited as both sides worked each other out- the returning Reuel Powell-Downey, dangerous throughout, cut in from the left before pulling a shot narrowly wide. Louie Clarke, on fire throughout preseason, proved to be a threat that a defence missing Lenny Styles could not deal with- his control and turn was not matched by his shot which didn’t trouble the keeper.

Aside from the refereeing performance throughout the game, the worst part of the afternoon was seeing Callum Taylor hobbling from the pitch having been on the end of a poor tackle while attempting to shepherd the ball out of play- it can only be hoped he will not be missing for long. Calvin Gitiba replaced him and immediately looked like he’d been playing at The Jockey Farm Stadium for years- an assured performance alongside the impressive James White certainly steadied the ship following Taylor’s unfortunate withdrawal.

On 35 minutes, a slightly heavy touch from Rory Salter meant he had to scamper after the ball and stretch to clear. Sam Bailey tried to block and ran into Salter’s outstretched leg- in the opinion of the referee and his assistant, this was worthy of not only a freekick for Welling, but a yellow card for the Rustics’ number 3. Inevitably, the seemingly terribly injured number 7 jumped up and slotted home the freekick. Welling celebrated as though they had won the league but they perhaps underestimated the desire, passion and resolve from the men in green and white. While going a goal down last season may have caused heads to drop, this felt different. Rusthall went again and by half time they were deservedly in front. First, good work from Powell-Downey from the left led to a chance for Louie Clarke- he shifted his feet expertly and got his shot away- the rebound fell to Powell-Downey who calmly placed the ball high into the net. Minutes later, the referee ignored a chance to play advantage and gave the home side a freekick. Thankfully for the Rustics, it proved to be a helpful decision as Louis Anderson stepped up and curled the freekick into the postage stamp of the top corner to give the delighted crowd reason to celebrate as the whistle blew for half time. This was as good a freekick as you’ll see all season, in any league.

While the performance overall in the first half was not at the level as some of the preseason games, the second half was much improved, to the point where Welling struggled to put anything of note together. When they did get a sniff of goal, the excellent Tommy Taylor was there to palm the ball away. In contrast, Rusthall were playing some fantastic football- the midfield duo of Jack Smith and Jamie Miller offering good security for the likes of Dwan Archer, Luke Miller and Powell-Downey to venture forward and string some flowing moves together. When the ball was played down the line on 65 minutes, Louis Anderson chased it down and fed the ball inside to Louie Clarke who knocked it into the path of the onrushing Archer- his composed finish under the keeper was a fine end to a great move.
Abdullah Khalil, who had excelled at right back in his appearances so far, came on to replace the impressive Salter at left back. Before long, he had joined the attack and when he found himself in a good position on the left, he looked up and rolled the ball into the path of Clarke. He simply does not miss and his shot found the corner of the net to make it 4-1. Rusthall were well and truly on top but never stopped performing- Tommy Lawrence, Conor Johnson and Addo Amankwah all came on and wanted to impress- the strength in depth of this exciting squad clear to see.

A dominant performance and a great result was in complete contrast to last season’s opener against Fisher where the Rustics fell to a 5-0 defeat. If that set the tone for last season, let’s hope that today’s performance and result sets the tone for the forthcoming campaign. With the talent, effort and passion on show from these players, there is hope from all involved with the club for a successful season ahead.

Next up, Rusthall welcome Loxwood FC of the Southern Combination Football League for the FA Cup Extra-Preliminary Round.

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