Rusthall 1 Sevenoaks Town 3

Match 01/12/954 - Saturday, 7 July 2012 - Pre-Season Friendly

Rusthall (0) 1
Sevenoaks Town (2) 3 Johnson 9, Balogun 35, Akosa 42
Att. 60

Entrance: Free
Programme: None produced
Mileage: 36/36
New Ground: 250

Match Report

Appetite firmly whetted by an enjoyable, if not from an England perspective, Euro 2012 and without club football for nine weeks, an early to start to pre-season at Kent Invicta League Rusthall’s Jockey Farm was too tempting to turn down. Sevenoaks Town provided the opposition, whilst the home club provided free admission for the afternoon’s entertainment. This was my first visit to Jockey Farm, a ground that could be seen from the lounge on the upper floor of Rusthall Lodge where my Dad had been a resident. This was my 250th ground visited and a first whereby you enter the ground to be faced with horses hanging their heads over their stable doors. The drive to the car park takes you through the covered spectator enclosure to a parking space pitchside. Once parked, there is a nice clubhouse where the welcome was a warm one. There were few groundhoppers in evidence who took pictures of the Rusthall crest carved into the bar counter and although no actual match programme was produced the gentleman behind the bar, who might well have been the chairman of the club, handed out old programmes, of which I was a grateful recipient.

The match itself was played on the home club’s second pitch to save the playing surface of the main ground. As this was only my second dip into Kent Invicta League grounds I don’t know the standard of pitches in use, but this second pitch looked a bit of a cabbage patch. The game was played in three 30 minute periods with unlimited substitutions. The ending of the first period was met with confusion, not least from the referee who was unaware of the timing agreement. Indicative of the summer we have experienced, several brisk rain showers were endured.

Sevenoaks Town, under the returning management of Simon Jones, were much the better side for the first two periods as their higher status would suggest. A near post header and an angled drive from 20 yards had them in charge of the game before a fabulous hit from 25 yards into the top corner provided the outstanding moment of the game. Rusthall scored a consolation goal before the end that was well deserved for their competitive nature.

So season 2012-13 gets underway with what was almost a social gathering of a few old faces exchanging news of departing and incoming players of our local clubs in front of a couple of teams that served up some decent entertainment.