KENT COUNTY LEAGUE: Rusthall boss pleased with the playing standards - EXCLUSIVE

The table doesn’t lie and Norton Sports are worthy winners.

Their manager Ben Taylor is a smashing bloke and his team are a credit to him. I know they are trying to make arrangements to be able to play in the Kent League, and I wish them well. They will not be out of place up there.

Orpington have run them all the way, and they have had an amazing season considering they have just come up. They score goals for fun, I think their two strikers Gary Gorman and Anthony Weir have scored 50 between them, and that is a brilliant feat. Bearing in mind their strong defensive record, you have to say they will be amongst the favourites next year.

After a slow start, Coney Hall got their form together and their manager Ryan Musgrove knows the league much better now, and he too should lead his side to a challenge next season.

At the other end, Crockenhill have had a tough season. When we played down there in November, their manager John Adams was really struggling to get commitment from his players. Credit to John though as he refused to walk away and recent results have been earned through sheer hard work, and I have full respect for him.

With the exception of Norton and Orpington, everyone else has been taking points of each other. The league gets stronger every year and next season will be no different. I think people would be really entertained if they watched the majority of sides in the league, as many of us try and keep the ball on the deck and play football. I personally think there are 4 or 5 sides that could hold their own in the league above.

The league has some outstanding individual talents. From what I have seen, Mike Ward from Fleet Leisure has been outstanding this season. A very hard working and honest striker who I know was determined to score goals this season and he has done just that.

Ross Brookes at Hollands and Blair is an exceptional footballer. Plays the game so simply yet effectively. He is certainly one of the best players technically in this league.

Jamie Hughes, the attacking Orpington player has also stood out for me. He is quick and loves attacking defences, and he has weighed in with a good share of goals too.

A word too for Bearsted's goalkeeper Jason Reeves, who put in one the finest goal keeping displays I have seen a few weeks back at Jockey Farm. He pulled off 4 or 5 world class saves to earn his side a point.

My club Rusthall, meanwhile, have made progress this season. We had a very hard time in November and December but we regrouped and re-focussed in January and reset our targets for this season, with two games to go we are almost there.

I brought in Ross Cable about a month ago to the club, and he has been first class for us on and off the pitch. He has had a lot of negative press, but I am keen to go on record and say he is a pleasure to work with.

I will of course be trying to keep him at Rusthall, but we all know he should be playing at a much higher level.

Wayne Balmer is another player who has been a model footballer all season. He came in from Tunbridge Wells early in the season, and he has been excellent week in and week out, and his attitude is amazing, both in games and in training.

Jamie McKenna is a player who I promoted from the reserves last September and he has taken his chance with both hands. He is a tall strong lad who loves this football club and is determined to keep pushing this club on.

Dave Forster also joined us in November and you know what your getting with Fozzy. He will do anything to win games of football and he has scored one in every two for us from midfield. I know all my players are up for the challenge to get this club up to the Kent League itself. There is a lot of hard work ahead and we're all looking forward to it.

Dick Chawner has joined my coaching staff, and he has been brilliant. He has coached at all levels around the county and his enthusiasm and knowledge have been second to none, I am delighted to have him on board.

Like most teams in our league, we have begun planning for next season. A lot of work has gone in this season, and my players have been excellent and worked so hard on the pitch and on the training ground. We are still working hard off the pitch to get our ground up to scratch so we hope we can reach our dream of Kent League football.

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