Rusthall 1 Beckenham 3

Match 48/17/1498 - Wednesday, 25th October 2017 - SCEFL

Rusthall (1) 1 Waterman 5
Beckenham (1) 3 Johnson 9,57 Wadmore 60
Attendance: 128

Entrance: £4 Senior
Programme: £1.50
Mileage: 38/3,246

Cliche alert! A league season is a marathon not a sprint but, using marathon parlance, Rusthall appeared to have hit the wall. The previous two games that I have seen them this season I can away impressed and feeling they were a little unlucky with the scoreline in both games, but, on this occasion, they were well beaten by a decent Beckenham side.

Rusthall owed their band of supporters a performance following a harrowing weekend FA Vase defeat at the hands of Epsom and Ewell with the soul destroying margin of 7-2 and they looked to have set themselves on course to achieve this when they took the lead after just five minutes when Ryan Waterman shot in, off the inside of a post, after some great work from Stephen Harper.

The game was very open, I would imagine to both benches despair, and the visitors were level four minutes later when a poorly cleared corner was met with a looping header from full back Archie Johnson that was helped into the goal by the Rusthall goalkeeper, Joe Cullip.

The Rustics might have bounced back immediately when Beckenham’s goalkeeper, Santiago Tuilan, spilt an effort from Stephen Smith but Calum Gallie lashed the follow-up over the crossbar from six-yards.

Enjoying the benefit of the slope, Rusthall just about edged the first period but there was little between the teams.

Second half was a different story as Beckenham stormed out of the traps, wasted a good early chance before taking the lead after 58 minutes with a 30 yard effort into the top corner from Johnson.

After 65 minutes the visitors were well in control as a clever free kick routine that saw a dummy leave Adam Wadmore to score from close range.

Rusthall’s bad night was completed when the influential Dan Mitchell collected a second yellow for a foul.

For Rusthall, this is a rough patch, but many marathon runners make it through the wall to complete the course.