Rusthall (1) 1 Bissett 40
Tunbridge Wells (0) 3 Stratford (o.g.) 42,81 Tudor-Pole 85
Attendance: 325
Admission: £4 Senior
Programme: £1.50
Mileage: 38/1,580
Times-are-a-changing at Culverden Stadium. A new board with joint-chairman was put in place at the AGM with, among others, Martin Larkin returning to the fold. The new hierarchy will be as relieved as any of those supporters as the first points of the new season were put on the board.
The game got off to a controversial start when Rusthall’s goalkeeper, Jake Cornish, cleaning out Danny Powell outside of the penalty area. There were calls for a red card, but in truth, the position of the offence on the field, the first minute, a goalkeeper involved was always going to lead to a yellow.
Rusthall made the majority of the early running with a shot that was deflected for a corner and a free kick from Robbie Bissett that was turned away, low to his left, for a corner by Cameron Hall.
After 20 minutes the Wells started to get a foothold in the game with Josh Biddlecombe sending a pass across the face of the goal that begged a touch and a header from Ollie Cook that was cleared from the line.
A robust challenge saw Tommy Lawrence stretchered away from the game to be replaced by Alfie Hall after 25 minutes.
The game had become evenly balanced when Rusthall took the lead after 37 minutes when Cameron Hall came for a cross that was only cleared to the edge of the box from where Bissett drove into the bottom corner.
The lead was only to last three minutes when a Tunbridge Wells free kick into the box was inexplicably headed past his corner by Luke Stratford under no real pressure.
The early part of the second period once more saw the home side in the ascendancy. Regan Corke shot wide, Joe Fuller saw his shot deflected safely into Cameron Hall’s hands and Stratford saw his effort to make amends sail over.
But it was the Wells that got their noses in front when a cross to the far post was turned back into the danger area from where Jeremy Tudor-Pole, or a defender, got the final touch that saw the ball crawl across the line through a mass of bodies.
There was no doubt whose goal it was when the game was sealed. Tudor-Pole picked up a loose ball 40 yards from goal and slalomed his way through the Rusthall defence before drawing the goalkeeper and slotting it home. In truth, it was a moment of quality that was out of keeping with the game.
This was a good night for the Royalists who have suffered much in the opening weeks, perhaps the times they are a changing.
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