Rusthall jumped back into 6th place in the SCEFL Premier Division table following an important 1-0 win over a well-organised Stansfeld side on an afternoon where despite the wildly fluctuating weather, Rusthall’s resolve remained solid throughout. Stansfeld began the day just two points behind the Rustics so building upon Saturday’s impressive 5-1 win over Lordswood was crucial. Dwan Archer, who had returned to such good effect at the weekend, was missing for this one but with Tommy Lawrence playing further forward and Jack Smith and Jeffery N’Juguna behind him for security, Rusthall were able to play some impressive football from the off.

Luke Miller and Addo Amankwah once again lined up in the wing-back positions and continued to demonstrate their ability to attack and defend to good effect. Amankwah in particular caught the eye with steady defending and swashbuckling runs down the left which the Stansfeld defence struggled to cope with throughout the game. James White - as he has all season - won every header and alongside him in defence, Calvin Gitiba and Dan Blunn passed out from the back with precision, and brought the ball forward with composure and confidence. When Stansfeld did find themselves in a position to threaten - mostly from questionable freekicks around the edge of the box - they found Tommy Taylor in supreme form. Not only did he punch clear some dangerous crosses under immense pressure, he stopped a certain goal when a Stansfeld attacker was released one-on-one with not long left in the first half. Taylor stood up as long as he could, his positioning was perfect, and the resulting shot was blocked by his body and cleared. It felt like a big moment in the match and so it proved to be. Shortly after, a Rusthall attack saw the ball played into the box and when Tommy Lawrence stretched for the ball, he was felled and a penalty was awarded. This was too much for the Stansfeld Number 5 who was sin-binned for the tantrum that ensued. Louie Clarke stepped up confidently to dispatch the spot-kick before wheeling away to celebrate yet another goal. What a superb season it has been for Rusthall’s Number 9 who still has eyes on the top goal scorer award. The bad feeling from the away players spread to the away dugout with the referee having to book one of the disgruntled management team for some inappropriate comments before the half drew to a close.

The second half saw Rusthall grab control of the game - Jeffery N’Juguna and Jack Smith dominated the midfield with tidy touches, crunching tackles, and calm direction from the centre of the pitch. Yassin Fares did all he could to win the ball and drive at the defence and although this wasn’t perhaps his day, he never gave up and showed regular glimpses of the talent that has propelled Rusthall’s season. The strength of the squad that Jimmy Anderson has built was demonstrated as Abdullah Khalil - one of the most consistent performers this season - replaced the impressive Amankwah, Russel Mayami stepped in for Tommy Lawrence, and Suleiman Bakalandwa replaced Yassin Fares.

The referee was evidently enjoying what he was watching and decided to add about ten minutes on at the end and they would prove a testing ten minutes for the Rusthall defence. Cameron Smart, who has performed admirably from the bench in recent weeks, pushed his claim for a starting spot in central defence with a superb cameo - his interceptions and crucial headed clearances helped to see out the game, alongside more good saves from the excellent Tommy Taylor.

When the final corner was cleared, the whistle blew and all in green and white knew just how important this win could be.
It is clear that despite a lack of playoffs at Step 5 - which thankfully will be rectified next season - these Rustic boys know that there is still so much to play for this season.

With two games left, including Saturday’s trip to see old friends Lenny and Lukey at Holmesdale, there is hope for a strong finish to what has been an incredible season.

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