Rusthall 4-1 Sheerwater - I'm sure Punjab will be deemed the favourites and that's fine, we can live with that but we need to turn up and grab the game like we can, says Rusthall boss Jimmy Anderson

Rusthall 4 – 1 Sheerwater
Location	Jockey Farm Stadium, Nellington Road, Rusthall, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 8SH
Kickoff	06/08/2024 19:45

RUSTHALL  4-1  SHEERWATER
The Emirates FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round Replay
Tuesday 6 August 2024
Stephen McCartney reports from Jockey Farm Stadium

RUSTHALL manager Jimmy Anderson says his players’ put in a really good performance after claiming their record FA Cup victory.

The Rustics finished in the bottom three in the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division last season after picking up 23 points from their 40 league games, finishing five points clear of relegated side Welling Town.

Sheerwater finished in the bottom two in the Combined Counties League Premier Division South with 29 points from their 38 games, finishing three points clear of relegated side Colliers Wood United.

Rusthall lost 2-1 at home to newly-promoted side Larkfield & New Hythe on the opening day of the new season and are in sixteenth-place in the table, while Tony Barbato’s side opened their campaign with a 1-1 home draw over Rusthall in The FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round at the weekend.

Rusthall restored parity with Robbie Bissett’s late goal in Woking - but a hat-trick from Steadman Callender and one from his strike partner Charlie Clover gave Rusthall a commanding four-goal lead before Sheerwater scored a late consolation through substitute central midfielder Zac Jervis, watched by a crowd of 248 at Jockey Farm Stadium.

“Really good performance by my team, well-deserved. If I’m going to be critical to my team, I felt we probably could’ve scored a few more,” said Anderson.

“The boys showed me a lot more confidence on the ball today. We’ve worked a lot in pre-season.  The boys grabbed moments, grabbed the game, accountability to take the ball on in tight areas and they showed that today.

“I felt we were a lot better. We’ve grown in pre-season. We done really well. It’s a new squad. There’s a lot of boys that we’ve kept on from last season and that was always what we wanted to do, even though we struggled, it doesn’t mean they’re bad players. It just meant we were in a situation where confidence was low and you’re struggling to get a result.

“We knew the quality was there within the players and we just needed to recruit well and add to that squad.”

Winning the corner count by 10-5, Rusthall recalled Jack Lyons – who played behind the front two – and he swung in their first corner in from the right towards the near post, which was steered wide by Callendar after only 67 seconds.

Sheerwater striker Elliott York looped in a long throw from the right, which was cleared back towards him and he stung the fingers of Serine Sanneh, who gathered at the second attempt (07:55).

Sheerwater threatened on the counter-attack with attacking midfielder Jack Tomlinson playing a swift one-two with George Mackie but his shot was comfortably saved by the Rusthall goalkeeper.

Lyons picked up a loose ball inside the Sheerwater half and drove forward before unleashing a low left-footed drive which forced impressive Sheerwater keeper Fabio Suarez to dive to his left to push the ball around the right-hand post from 30-yards.

“The keeper made a good save. The keeper was really good on Saturday to force this replay,” added Anderson.

“I thought Jack Lyons played really well today. He missed a lot of pre-season because he’s obviously been away on some Academy tours but Jack loves the club and we love Jack and he played really well.”

Rusthall opened the scoring with 16 minutes and 23 seconds on the clock.

Suarez’s clearance was met by a bullet header from Rusthall holding midfielder Ben Branch in midfield and this bounced in behind Sheerwater’s right-back Javaughny Waugh and Steadman took a touch which took him wide but he held composed to sweep his left-footed shot across the keeper to find the far corner from 15-yards.

“From my angle, I thought the angle where he pushed it, it’s a tight angle to score but I felt like he connected really well,” said Anderson.

“It’s great for him for his confidence.  He had a difficult season (failing to score for us in nine games). We wanted him to stay with us because I believe he can be a very good number nine.  He loves the club and I’m just delighted for him that he’s gone on and got a hat-trick tonight and fully deserved.”

Sheerwater missed a glorious chance to grab an equaliser just 113 seconds later.

High left-back Callum Mackie was in space and he floated a cross towards the back post where Tomlinson sent his free-header bouncing across the keeper and past the far post.

“I’ll be honest with you, they’re good on the counter-attack. I felt like we controlled the game really well, possession wise but when they break they break with a real threat.  They’re a good side and we performed really well tonight,” added Anderson.

Sheerwater were denied an equaliser in the 22^nd minute, following their first corner kick of the game.

Attacking midfielder Luke Dunn swung the ball in from the left and centre-half Michael Leech and holding midfielder Liam Avery had a couple of bites of the cherry before Michael Leech smashed a hooked left-footed volley through a crowd of players, forcing Sanneh to dive full-length to his right to push toward safety with both hands.

Anderson explained why Sanneh wears the number 98 shirt for the ninth-tier club.

“He is my number one but he wears number 98 because that means something to him – that was his squad number at West Ham.  He was given that as a kid and when we said that we’re going to do squad numbers, we spoke to him and he said he wanted to stay and we wanted to keep him.

“He asked whether he could wear 98 and we said 100%. If that means something to you then we want this moment to give something to you as well.

“We want to try to put him back on a platform where he wants to go. It was a great save. I’ll be honest with you, I hold him very high, very high as a keeper. I didn’t expect him to make it but it was a very good save by him.”

Rusthall doubled their lead with 33 minutes and 15 seconds on the clock.

Left-wing-back Tarik Ibrahim released Clover in behind Sheerwater centre-half Joshua Fitzgerald-Smith before unselfishly putting it on a plate for Callendar to slide his left-footed shot into the bottom left-hand corner of an open goal.

Anderson said: “Charlie and Steadman are best mates so the link-up is going to be very good this season and it’s great by Charlie. It’s not selfish and Steadman puts it in – it’s fantastic!

“I feel like we should’ve been more. I felt like we got into the final third and we just didn’t really pull the trigger. We were trying to score the perfect goal.

“Two-nil is a bit of a horrible scenario to be in because if you come out and they nick a goal, then you’re up against it and you’re panicking but yes I felt like we should’ve been more goals to the good but happy with the 2-0.”

Sheerwater goalkeeper Suarez was called into making a fine near-post save to prevent Rusthall rattling in their third goal, just two minutes and 47 seconds in.

Bissett launched a long ball out of Rusthall’s three-man defence, which released Ibrahim in behind and he cut into the box and set up Clover, who drilled his right-footed shot towards the bottom near corner, forcing Suarez to dive to his left to push behind for a corner.

“Their keeper is really good. They’ve got some really good players in their team.  I felt their captain (Avery), he missed the game on Saturday and he came in and controlled the tempo of their game (sitting in front of their defence).  Their keeper was good and made some really good saves and Charlie was unlucky not to score,” added Anderson.

Sheerwater produced a well-worked move with York (who scored their goal on Saturday) and Tomlinson linking up in the middle before holding midfielder Nathan Pooley poked his shot across the keeper and trickled harmlessly wide of the far post.

Rusthall’s central midfielder Jack Kirby took a touch before unleashing a right-footed drive towards goal from 30-yards, which forced Suarez to dive low to his right to make a comfortable save to prevent the ball nestling inside the bottom left-hand corner.

Rusthall raced into a 3-0 lead with nine minutes and 45 seconds on the clock.

Sheerwater’s half-time substitute George Sellick was penalised by referee Matthew Pollington for fouling substitute winger Kalani Barton.

Lyons stabbed a short free-kick into Barton, who whipped in a low cross from within the right channel, and the ball was half-cleared out to Callendar, who swept his left-footed shot on the turn into the bottom near corner – despite Suarez diving to his left and getting a hand to the shot – he couldn’t prevent Callendar notching his hat-trick from a tight angle.

“Delighted for him, hopefully he scores many more this season,” said the Rusthall manager.

“He’s a great, I can’t say kid because he’s the oldest player in my team but he’s fantastic in the changing room, humble guy, quiet but just fallen in love with the club and all the players appreciate him here, so hopeful the goalscoring can continue and he can have a really good season.”

York looped a third long throw into the Rusthall penalty area from the right and the ball fell to George Mackie, but his right-footed drive flashed across Sanneh and past the far post.

Lyons split the Sheerwater defence to put Barton through on goal but the impressive Suarez rushed off his line and made himself big to deny impressive Rusthall.

But Rusthall scored their fourth goal of the night with 22 minutes and 23 seconds on the clock.

Bissett started the devastating counter-attack move by releasing the electrifying pace of Lyons sprinting down the left, before he played the ball into Barton, who put it on a plate for Clover and the former Corinthian striker drilled his first-time right-footed shot into the bottom right-hand corner.

“It was probably our best goal, our build-up play,” said Anderson.

“I’m delighted for Charlie. I wanted him to score tonight. He wanted to score tonight. He wanted to get off the mark.  He’s had a really good pre-season with us.

“I’m delighted to have him back with me. I felt he was good at the time when he was with us before. We had a chat. I get on really well with Charlie. We went our separate ways and he’s gone and experienced some really good things at Erith Town and Corinthian and to have him back now, he’s a different animal and Steadman and Charlie will be a handful for a lot of teams this season.”

Sheerwater kept plugging away and Tomlinson cracked a left-footed drive from 25-yards, which screamed across the keeper and past the top of the far post.

Sheerwater scored a consolation goal with 38:55 on the clock, with Sanneh at fault for being beaten by a 30-yard drive from Jervis.

Jervis cracked a right-footed shot which bounced in front of the diving keeper, the ball looping up and clipping the crossbar, before bouncing apologetically over the goal-line.

Anderson said: “But it was our sloppy play. Anthony Mepham tried to play Kalani Barton, the ball’s been cut out and he’s hit and hoped and it’s bounced in front of Serine, Serine’s saved it, pushed it onto the bar and then the rebound’s trickled into the goal.

“That’s the disappointing thing because the clean-sheet would’ve been massive for the performance that we’ve just given, a clean-sheet would’ve been the icing on the cake.

“But I’m pleased it’s happened when we were 4-0 up because it’s a learning curve for the boys. They’re a young group and hopefully we can cut out those mistakes moving forward.

There was almost time for the home side to score a fifth. Clover cut in from the left and reached the by-line before Suarez narrowed the angle at his near-post to tip the ball around the post (40:37).

Rusthall will face much tougher tests with a league trip to Whitstable Town on Saturday before a home tie against league rivals Punjab United in The FA Cup Preliminary Round on Saturday 17 August.

“The SCEFL is the strongest Step Five league up and down the country so Punjab are not going to be easy and whoever you play is never an easy game,” said Anderson.

“The great thing about it is we have them at home. It’s another round of The FA Cup.  I’m sure they will probably be deemed the favourites and that’s fine. We can live with that but we need to turn up and we need to grab the game like we can and it should be a really good game.”

Jamie Coyle’s Whitstable Town opened their league campaign with a 3-3 draw at Sutton Athletic and were knocked out of The FA Cup by losing 2-1 at Sevenoaks Town at the weekend.

“Tough. It’s going to be really tough.  It’s their first game at home this season. I know their management and they’ll have them well-drilled, well set-up, so they want to put on a show for their crowd, so our boys need to be up for that.

“Anyone can beat anyone on their day in the SCEFL. It’s the hardest league. We will go there full of confidence and try and perform the best we possibly can.  We don’t fear no one but like the same with Punjab, Whitstable are one of the favourites to win the league with Faversham, so they’ll be deemed the favourites, they will feel like they need to beat little old Rusthall – so bring it on!”

Anderson, who turns 39 next week, was asked what Rusthall’s aspirations are for the season ahead.

“To have a better season than last year. I think that’s clear and obvious.  We’re not going to speak too soon but we want to have a better season than last year, secure safety as quick as possible and just enjoy it.”

Acknowledging that he never guides his Rusthall team towards the safe waters of midtable, Anderson added: “Last season was hard. I’ve been at Rusthall for, I don’t know, five or six years now. It’s either very enjoyable or very stressful, so let’s hope it’s enjoyable!”

Rusthall: Serine Sanneh, Daniel Blunn (Jeffrey Njuguna 63), Tarik Ibrahim (Kalani Barton 51), Robbie Bissett, Mustafa Hashemi (Joshua Oluwafola 67), Frank Griffin, Ben Branch, Jack Kirby (Anthony Mepham 80), Charlie Clover, Steadman Callendar, Jack Lyons.
Subs: Matthew Blendall, Louis Anderson, Jack Smith

Goals: Steadman Callendar 17, 34, 55, Charlie Clover 68

Booked: Jack Kirby 13, Ben Branch 65, Kalani Barton 76

Sheerwater: Fabio Suarez, Javaughny Waugh, Callum Mackie, Nathan Pooley (Zac Jervis 61), Joshua Fitzgerald-Smith (Roje Grant 40), Liam Avery, Michael Leech, George Mackie, Elliott York (Harvey Valter 61), Luke Dunn (George Sellick 46), Jack Tomlinson (Brooklyn Hyseni 61).

Goal: Zac Jervis 84

Attendance: 248
Referee:  Mr Matthew Pollington
Assistants: Mr Steve Roots & Ms Rosemary Scott