HARD-FOUGHT POINT AWAY AT KENNINGTON

The Rustics and their vocal band of fans-who must have trebled the attendance at a rather soulless Homelands Stadium- may have felt this was a game they could- and should- have won, but having played the last quarter with ten men, and a resolute if unspectacular performance from the home side, a point can be considered a decent outcome.

The aforementioned windy conditions threatened to bring a poor-quality game and it certainly began that way, with both sides trying to get to grips with judging how the ball would run. Long balls were played up field but would simply catch in the wind and bounce through and out of play- unfortunately for Rusthall, it was Kennington who were quicker to settle into some good passing on the deck and it was the home side who took the lead. The goal arrived from a drop ball awarded to Kennington as, not for the first or final time, the referee had managed to position himself so poorly, he got entirely in the way of everyone- this poor positioning was symptomatic of a refereeing display in which the man in the middle wanted to be the centre of everything. Having received the drop ball, Kennington moved forward well in fairness and when a cross was only half-cleared, it wasn’t long before the ball was stabbed home by Ryan Philpott.

Rusthall responded well to going behind and were well on top for the rest of the first half. Tommy Taylor was neat and tidy when called upon to sweep up at the back and the outfield players began to find their rhythm. Louis Anderson was forced off the field with a worrying looking injury midway through the half- he was replaced by Abdullah Khalil whose introduction meant a change in formation as well as personnel. This meant Hayden Velvick and Jack Lyons were able to attack in wide areas to good effect, backed up by Martin Youngah and Ben Branch who are forming a strong base in midfield. Tarik Ibrahim was typically lively behind Luke Adams who put in a real shift up front. From a corner, Rusthall nearly equalised but good blocks from the Kennington defence denied firm shots from Lyons and then Adams. Parity was restored minutes later however, when a quality passing move involving all the attacking player ended at the feet of Ibrahim who jinked and weaved past defenders before driving a shot past the keeper from the angle. It really should have been two for Rusthall and Ibrahim shortly afterwards when he was played through by Adams- his excellent touch took him past the defender, another swerve saw him round the keeper, and, having done all the hard work, he had only to roll the ball into the empty net. Unfortunately, he missed his kick entirely and the chance was gone. Before the half reached its conclusion, a minor scuffle broke out following a challenge involving Martin Youngah who was booked for his part in proceedings. Kennington’s left back was also booked but the feeling was the referee was rather guessing at this point having lost all sense of control of the situation.

When the second half began, the travelling fans had the benefit of the shelter from the wind and they really began to find their voice. This had an obvious impact on the field as Rusthall began to dominate the game entirely. Lenny Styles and Callum Taylor were untroubled at the back and Martin Youngah was really getting into his stride- snapping into tackles and carrying the ball forward with confidence. Daniel Blunn, who had moved to right back following Anderson’s withdrawal, was a real threat down the right-hand side and Ibrahim continued to menace a defence who were unable to keep up with his quality on the ball. Just as it felt Rusthall would be able to grab the goal they deserved, Youngah stretched out a leg to make a tackle which was perhaps slightly mistimed- the referee brandished a second yellow, and Rusthall’s number eight was off. Only now did Kennington begin to get back into the game but Rusthall were still threatening and responded to the disappointment of losing a player really well.

Jack Lyons was, once again, a major threat. It was from him the best chance came when he drove down the left before fizzing a low drive across the box which Luke Adams nearly managed to get a toe to at the back post. Lyons also went close with a free kick which clipped the top of the wall before being replaced- Kalani Barton entered the fray and immediately took up attacking duties on the right, showing real quality on the ball and an ability to make a difference. Luke Adams made up for the difference in numbers by doing the running and closing down of two men- his desire a real inspiration for those behind him.

There were a few nervous moments for Rusthall at the death when Kennington won several corners in succession- from one, Tommy Taylor made an excellent save to keep his side level. How good it is to have him back between the posts- his calm authority and awareness a real bonus to this side. The threat from Kennington was seen off however, and when the referee blew the whistle, it felt like a point gained given the circumstances. This was perhaps a day when some of the Rusthall players saw and heard their crowd at the top of their game for the first time and felt the impact this storng support can have. The passion and desire to give everything was on show from everyone in a Rusthall shirt today and it is surely those qualities, as well as the undoubted talent of this young squad, which will propel Rusthall up the table in the coming weeks.

Next up, a home game against Deal Town on Saturday 16th December where everyone with a TN4 8 postcode can benefit from free entry. Come and join us for our final home game before Christmas.

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