Rusthall 4-0 Bearsted - We should've done better, reflects Rustics' boss Ronaldson

Saturday 09th May 2009

RUSTHALL 4-0 BEARSTED

Saturday 9th May 2009

Vandanel Kent County League Premier

Stephen McCartney reports from Jockey Farm

RUSTHALL finished their Vandanel Kent County League campaign by completing the double over sixth-placed Bearsted at a sunny Jockey Farm today.

A disappointing Bearsted side, kicking down the slope during the first half, were left to rue a couple of early chances, before going into the interval two goals down, courtesy of Martin Millins and Rob Perkins’ powerful header.

An own-goal from Bears left-back Ricky Stevens gave the visitors an uphill struggle after 51 minutes, before Dave Burren made it four later on.

The outcome might have been different had Bearsted strikers Joe Smith and Russ McLeish had taken their opportunities inside the opening two minutes.

But after an even opening twenty minutes, Rusthall went on to stamp their authority on the game, performing much better than their position in the bottom five suggests.

Burren led the recovery halfway through the first half when he met Stuart Gray’s whipped in cross from the right with a powerful header, which flew just over Jason Reeves’ crossbar.

Rusthall, watched by local goalkeeping legend Alan Rogers, the current goalkeeping coach at Ryman Premier side Tonbridge Angels, broke the deadlock after 27 minutes when Perkins’ pass was latched onto by striker Millins, who calmly stabbed the ball past Reeves to find the bottom right-hand corner.

Bearsted goalkeeper Reeves was at the right place at the right time to prevent Burren powerfully heading home Gray’s cross, as the home side dominated.

Just past the half-hour mark, Ian Balmer was unlucky not to score, a delicate right-footed chip which sailed over the advancing Reeves but dropped agonisingly onto the roof of the net, with Stevens back-tracking on the goal-line.

Perkins, meanwhile, squandered a gilt-edged chance after 38 minutes.

Millins timed his run to perfection when Burren played him in behind the Bearsted back-four, but instead of going for glory himself, the striker squared the ball to Perkins, who stroked his right-footed shot agonisingly past the far post.

But left-sided midfielder Perkins made amends as Rusthall doubled their lead after 40 minutes.

Ian Balmer whipped in an excellent cross from the right and this was met by Perkins’ powerful header, which gave Reeves no chance as the ball flew across him to find the far corner.

A disappointing Bearsted side found Rusthall’s large, sloping, rock hard pitch, difficult to deal with and when Stevens left his goalkeeper flat-footed after Ian Balmer’s ball into the penalty area bounced off him and rolled into the bottom left-hand corner, the game was all but over after 51 minutes.

Bearsted’s one and only chance of the second half arrived just four minutes later, but Rusthall goalkeeper Phil Hawkins stuck out a strong right hand to beat away Gavin Venamore’s downward header.

And just before the hour-mark, a long clearance from Hawkins was headed back by blonde haired central defender James Etherington and Millins pounced on the ball and was desperately unlucky when his right-footed chip drifted wide.

But Rusthall wrapped up a comfortable victory after 73 minutes.

Right-back Karl Mitchell cut the ball back to Gray in space and yet another cross from the right was met by Burren’s glancing header, which dropped into the far corner.

Bearsted never looked like getting on the score sheet with Jamie McKenna solid at the heart of Rusthall’s defence - and Burren was given too much time to pull the strings.

Rusthall boss John Ronaldson, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards, was pleased with his side’s final-day display - their largest league win of the season.

“It’s a good way to finish, the boys played well,” he said. “It just shows what they can do. They worked hard, they played football to feet today.”

He added, “We played them off the park today, but to be honest we played better when we played them over there in January, when we beat them 3-1 on their patch.

“Some of the football we played that day was outstanding.”

But he admitted his side have under-achieved in the Kent County League this season.

“Really our league position is probably a false position for us, we probably should be in the top five or six,” he said.

“We had a cup semi-final, a cup final and we’ve played half our season in the last five or six weeks and we’re having (to play) three games a week.

“To get players, who work in London, back for games, at Milton, Sheerness and Hollands & Blair, is just impossible, especially when it’s a 6:30pm kick-off.

“It’s hard work, but playing against Bearsted, who are one of the better footballing teams in the league, it shows what we can do when we have the right players available.

“It’s been enjoyable this year, we’ve done well in the cups, but the league’s disappointing. In the end we should do a lot better.”

Ronaldson added, “We can do it we want to, it’s just having the people available.”

Rusthall: Phil Hawkins, Karl Mitchell, Stuart Hunter, Nick Coxon, Jamie McKenna, Ian Balmer, Rob Perkins, Stuart Gray, Martin Millins, Dave Burren (Neil Whitaker 74) Wayne Balmer.

Subs: John Ronaldson, Dan Hawkins, Gary Stock.

Goals: Martin Millins 27, Rob Perkins 40, Ricky Stevens (og) 51, Dave Burren 73

Bearsted: Jason Reeves, Scott McLeod, Ricky Stevens, James Etherington, Alan Budden, Robbie Hayward (John Brook 53), Garry Easty, Gavin Venamore (Alan Swift 71), Russ McLeish, Joe Smith, Lewis Smith.

Sub: Lee Fincham.

Attendance: 70

Referee: Mr Paul Yates (Maidstone)

Assistants: Mr Steve Bale (Paddock Wood) & Mr Steve Brown (Ashford)