Having rattled up sixteen goals in the previous rounds, Rusthall scored another four to win the Southern Counties East Football League Challenge Cup final against Bearsted.

Although the Rustics finished the game comfortably, the tie was competitive for the first seventy minutes.

Josh Reid scuffed an early shot that almost fell into the path of Louie Clarke but Bearsted’s goalkeeper Leighton Fanshawe was out quickly to snuff out the danger. Then the Bears came close when a Sam Flisher long throw was flicked on by Ryan Blake to Sam Stace at the far post and his close range shot was saved brilliantly by Serine Sanneh.

James Bessey slung in a free kick from wide left and it caught in the wind and drifted just beyond Sanneh’s far post before a big scramble in the Bearsted penalty area resulted in it coming out to Clark. His shot was blocked out as far as Reid who shot wide of the near post.

In the twenty-seventh minute, Rusthall went ahead. Reid got in behind the defence down the left hand side, eased in from the wing, and fired beyond Fanshawe and inside the far post. 

Reid continued to cause problems and hit a long shot that was saved comfortably. Then he sent Charlie Clover away for a one on one with Fanshawe and it was the goalkeeper who won that duel with a great block save. At the other end, Flisher shot well over from twenty five yards before James Bessey’s shot was saved easily by Sanneh.

Early in the second period, Jack Kirby was sent clear and he went round Fanshawe only to be denied brilliantly by a Jack Palmby’s last ditch tackle as the striker was about to pull the trigger.

Twenty-four minutes into the second period, Rusthall scored their crucial second goal. Having just come back on to the field of play following a lengthy spell of treatment, Rahman Kareem went on a long diagonal cross-field run before his clever reverse pass sent Reid clear. The lively wide man made no mistake when finishing with aplomb. That proved to be the end of Kareem’s participation as he had to be helped off and replaced by Thompson Adeyemi.

Clover had a low cross shot blocked by Fanshawe and the Bears’ custodian was again busy when saving from Clarke at the near post.

Nathan Light slipped Jake Embery in behind for Bearsted and Sanneh was called into making a good save before Rusthall added a third. Daniel Bluun’s defence splitting pass sent Clover clear and he finished ruthlessly.

Sonny Jackson shot wide from the edge of the penalty area in an effort to reduce the arrears, however, it was the Rustics who scored again with a minute remaining. Time was running out for Clark to complete his run of scoring in every game when he was sent clear. Although Fanshawe got his left hand to Clark’s drive, he could not stop it from crossing the line before it was hacked away.

Bearsted finished the match with ten men when Conrad Lee had too much to say to the referee and was sin-binned four minutes into stoppage time. Although Josh Wisson fired well over for the short handed side, the referee ended the proceedings shortly afterwards and Rusthall’s celebrations began.

Bearsted: Fanshawe; Flisher, Jackson (Nurden 83), Blake, Lee; Palmby (Wisson 79); Bessey, Clark (Light 72), Stace (Headley 79), Mitford (Trespaderne 79); Embery.

Subs not used: None.

Goalscorers: None

Yellow cards: None 

Sin Bin: Lee (90+4)

Rusthall: Sanneh; Kareem (Adeyemi 71), Blunn, Griffin, Bissett; Njuguna; Clover (Owoeye 82), Hammond (Anderson 21); Clarke, Reid (Fares 82); Kirby.

Sub not used: Hobbs. 

Goal scorers: Reid (27), (69), Clover (78), Clark (89)

Yellow card: Adeyemi (90 delay of restart)

Referee: Byron Beard

Assistants: Matthew Jackson and Liam Broom

Fourth Official: Grant Steele

Attendance: 735