Premier Division
Bearsted 0 Rusthall 1
Although not enjoying the best of the exchanges during the first half, particularly in the early stages, this was a game of which Bearsted were very unlucky not to have got something out of. During the opening 10 minutes it was Rusthall who took control and had early opportunities to open the scoring. Indeed they finally did achieve this after 10 minutes when Lee Fincham was adjudge to have handled in the area following a goalmouth scramble which resulted in a penalty which Ross Cable calmly stepped up and send his kick neatly into the net to open the scoring. With the away side seemingly in the driving seat they still had to be at their best on two occasions, both seeing striker Russell Mcleash going close, one of which when he was sent clear through only to be thwarted by a challenge by goalkeeper James Larkin which possibly might have produced another penalty. Certainly Rusthall should have increased their lead shortly before half time, when the lively Dave Burren turned inside with a clever run and shot only to be denied by a smart near post save by Phil Lewis to turn it for a corner.
The second half saw a shift in possession and more opportunities being set up in the pursuit of an equaliser, not before however when once more Burrell was denied by Lewis. Bearsted were unfortunate not to score and might well have done so first when Stuart Brockman’s hooked effort was clawed away by Larkin from close range and then when Mcleash got onto the end of a Brockman corner only to see his effort cleared off of the line. Although the pressure was on them, Rusthall should have wrapped the game up 5 minutes from time, when Robbie Perkins shot high over after finding himself in a good scoring position 15 yards out. With time running out and the home side’s goal under siege it was skipper Steve Smith who just failed to save the game, seeing his shot flash wide instead of hitting the target from just outside the area, which subsequently turned out to be the last kick of the match, and still leaving his side languishing at the wrong end of the table.
Team: P.Lewis, S.Mcloud, D.Thornycroft, R.Hayward, S.Brimstead.
L.Fincham,(D.Mozes), S.Smith, G.Pritchard, S.Brockman, R.Mcleash, G.East,
Subs: A.Budden
J.Brook
D.Dayal
, 08 March 2008
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