Rusthall secured an ultimately dominant 3-1 victory over Glebe which propelled them to third place in the table with six games remaining of an astonishing season. This was a victory which showcased all that has made Rusthall successful since beginning a remarkable climb up the table back in October, and was all the more impressive given that key players, Serine Sanneh and Jack Lyons, were watching on from the sidelines.

Also watching on were the Rusthall faithful who were in excellent voice all night, if not, one suspects, the next morning. Their eye was immediately drawn by the addition of new signing, Nodiribek Boromurodov, newly acquired on a dual registration from Littlehampton Town. A familiar face to some long-serving fans, ‘Nodi’ immediately took it upon himself to impose himself on the right wing, giving former Rustic, Callum Flynn, a torrid evening.

The game began with Rusthall keen to open the scoring as early as possible- both Bobomurodov and Yassin Fares tried their luck from distance in the opening stages but neither threatened Nathan Edwards in goal for Glebe. Bobomurodov was the main threat from the off, his pace, control and trickery too much for all in the red and black of the away side. While Rusthall were in control- Frank Griffin ensuring that was the case throughout the evening- the vocal home support were grateful for stand-in keeper Joe Roberts who despite an otherwise trouble-free evening, was forced to pull off an incredible reflex save low down to his left to flick the ball past the post when it looked for all the world Glebe had taken the lead. Roberts excelled later when he came for a corner with great power and confidence and from this came what would have been one of the most memorable moments in over 40 years of football at The Jockey Farm Stadium. When Dan Blunn picked the ball up in his own area from Roberts’ dominant take, he saw space open up in front of him and galloped forward, legs pumping, powering past all who came near. Within seconds, he was in the other box having beaten 5 or 6 challenges and it seemed, with the hard work done, he would have a chance to roll the ball past Edwards to score a goal of the season contender. As it was, Yassin Fares’ strike against Lydd Town surely remains on course for that award as Blunn’s shot did not match the quality of the run and the ball was cleared.

Jack Kirby spent the first half warming up for the main event- his performance in the second half of the game which caught the attention of all in attendance- those unfamiliar with his work spoke of the excellence of ‘the 14’- those who know what he is capable of were not surprised by the way he glided past players, picked the ball out of the air with composure, and found the right pass time and again. Indeed, the scoring was opened not long into the second period as a result of a pin-point cross from Kirby which left Edwards panicking and hoping a defender would get him out of jail.

Unfortunately for him, Yassin Fares was lurking- more unfortunately for him, Fares’ effort hit him and rebounded back off the Italian magician and into the back of the net. Any thoughts of Glebe rallying were put to bed by a display of pure dominance from all in green and white. The imposing duo of Blunn and Bissett once again stayed strong under a modicum of pressure from Jamie Philpot, Griffin and Adeyemi were in charge in the middle, while Jack Kirby continued to quietly and efficiently give Glebe the absolute run around. The second goal arrived from a strong interception from Griffin which fell at the feet of Kirby who floated forward with menace- he picked out Bobomuradov who could easily have elected to shoot. Instead, he rolled the ball across to Charlie Clover who finished confidently over Edwards for goal number 28 of an excellent season. It was a moment of joy for all to see the popular number 9 score after a couple of games without a goal- his own biggest critic, Charlie Clover knows how highly he is regarded at Rusthall and it was clear how much it means to him personally.

Another player looking to make a difference was Yassin Fares who was sent off at the reverse fixture not long ago. While Glebe may have been tempted to look for a reaction from Rusthall’s 99, they would have had to get a little closer to him than they managed as each time Fares got on the ball, theysimply had no answer. Glebe bagged a goal through a well-taken header from the always-dangerous Philpot, but Rusthall’s third arrived soon after from a wonderfully delivered freekick which was headed home by Robbie Bissett for his 6th of the season.
Rusthall saw the game out comfortably from there on in and looked good for third place in a congested top section of the SCEFL table. With an incredibly strong bench, new players signed, and with Yassin Fares working his way back to his best following his suspension, Rusthall go into the final six games with great confidence.

Next up, a trip to somewhere that is neither Erith nor Belvedere to play Erith and Belvedere on Saturday- another three points the target for Jimmy Anderson and his talented team.

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