THE POINTS ARE SHARED WITH LEAGUE LEADERS GLEBE

Simon Howe gives us the run down from the afternoon…

Faced with the league leaders, one of the division’s top marksmen, and with all the luck seemingly against them in recent games, Rusthall were up against it, on paper at least. What Glebe did not factor in was Jimmy Anderson’s ability to inspire his young side, tweak tactics to suit the occasion, and use resources from the U23s when he feels it is right, which he did to perfection here. Frank Little was called upon to line up in a back three alongside the experienced heads of Lenny Styles and Dan Blunn. All three were solid throughout to the point where it can only be hoped Dan Blunn remembered to empty his pockets before driving home, otherwise Jamie Philpot would have had to join him on his trip back home to Bromley.
Jeffrey N’Juguna was stationed in midfield alongside the returning Calvin Gitiba and both provided a solid screen in front of the defence. Fans who had not seen Gitiba play before were immediately impressed- those who have been around a little longer were delighted to see him still oozing class, winning the ball much more often than not, and controlling the game in his calm and relaxed style. Jack Lyons and Jesse Hammond provided attacking thrust down the wings, and effective cover when needed- Hammond was particularly busy on the left flank, winning tackles, intercepting the ball and starting attacks. What Glebe really struggled to deal with was the more attacking trio of Martin Youngah, Ezekial Eboda and Danny Powell, all of whom gave all they had to close down defenders and stop the ball coming forward. Such was the pressure, when the ball was played up the pitch, it often ended up at the feet of Rusthall defenders, or Tommy Taylor in goal who had an untroubled first half.
In fairness, Nathan Edwards- in goal for Glebe- had a fairly quiet opening period as well- this was a game battled out in the middle and it was a battle Jeffrey N’Juguna and Calvin Gitiba were winning. Jesse Hammond found himself in position to whip dangerous crosses in from the left, further troubling the ruffled Glebe back line. Martin Youngah- a constant threat with his powerful running from deep, cut in from the left and unleashed a dangerous, dipping shot which beat Edwards but also narrowly beat the bar, landing on the roof of the net. That was as close as either side would come in the first 45 minutes and Jimmy Anderson would no doubt have been the happier of the two managers.
Glebe came out of the blocks quickly at the beginning of the second half and enjoyed their best spell of the game. Jamie Philpot managed to squeeze in a sharply-taken effort but was repelled by the legs of Tommy Taylor. However, Rusthall came back into the game thanks to a refusal to stop working- every player in green and white gave their all and it felt like they were much the greater threat. Martin Youngah went close again with a fine effort from distance and when Zeke Eboda showed what he can do with the ball at his feet, he left several Glebe players in his wake before feeding the ball perfectly to Lyons who took it in stride perfectly. Lyons’ shot was well-blocked but he was beginning to demonstrate that his technical ability outshines most, even at such a young age. A goal kick from Taylor which went rather higher than longer was expertly plucked out of the air by Lyons, the ball seemingly sticking to his foot. By now, Glebe knew they were up against a real threat and backed off from Rusthall’s young attacker whenever he moved forward. When a freekick was awarded to the home side in a good position on the left, the ball was perfectly delivered and Lenny Styles was only inches away from giving Rusthall the lead.
Despite Rusthall creating good chances, given the way games have gone against Rusthall in recent weeks, the home fans would have been forgiven for thinking Glebe would snatch a late winner. However, it was not to be as Rusthall remained resolute. Jimmy Anderson made a number of substitutions- Myro, Emmanuel Kufoalor and Kalani Barton all entered the fray and all worked hard, all of them had an impact. If Glebe were disappointed, it could only be that they had all but won this game the first time it was played before being abandoned due to fog. Rusthall were well worth a point and if they had won the game, it would not have been unjust. Most in green and white would happily take the point though. This was a performance where Jimmy Anderson once again got the big calls right, where players gave their all and showed what they are capable of. This was a performance which suggested everything will be alright.

UP NEXT IS A VISIT FROM LYDD TOWN ON SATURDAY, 3PM!

For regular updates including news, photos & lots more from around the club, follow us on social media: Facebook, Instagram & X (formerly Twitter)