Flamingo Park, Cray Wanderers’ stadium, is the venue for the South Eastern Counties Football League Challenge Cup Final when Bearsted play Rusthall in a battle of the comeback kings.

Both teams are in the Premier Division play-off places at present, vying to join Whitstable Town in gaining promotion to the Isthmian League South East division next season. However, both may enjoy a break to their campaign as they hunt for silverware.

To get this far, both were given byes in the first round before starting their runs in round two. Bearsted stunned Whitstable by winning three-two away after being two goals and a player down. Ashton Mitford, Richard Jimoh and Mark Boruk scored the goals that turned the game around. There was an even higher scoring match at SC Thamesmead when Rusthall won by the odd goal in seven after also being two down at half time. Thompson Adeyemi and Louie Clarke both scored braces to see them through.

In the third round, Rusthall hammered Chessington and Hook United six-nil at home. Ayodeji Owoeye, Jack Low, Louis Anderson, Josh Reid (two), and Clarke were on target. The Bears had to work much harder when winning four-two on penalties after being held to a one apiece home draw by Hollands and Blair. Luka Radojevic scored their equaliser on the half hour mark, four minutes after going behind.

They both had high scoring tight home games in the quarter finals. Bearsted beat Hythe Town three-two with Mitford and Jimoh (two) scoring their goals while the Rustics had another seven goal thriller when defeating Tunbridge Wells four-three in a local derby. They again went two goals behind before Jack Kirby, Charlie Cover (two), and Clarke turned it around.

Away ties greeted both in the semi-finals and Kirby and Clarke scored for Rusthall as they came back to win two-one at Larkfield and New Hythe. Bearsted took their turn to have a four-three victory when they visited AFC Greenwich Borough. They found themselves three-one down, however, Jordan Ababio scored along with a double from Nathan Light and a late winner by Jake Embery.

In the league meeting between the two finalists, the Bears took the honours at home in December when Jimoh scored twice in three minutes just before half time. Clarke pulled one back in the second period but they couldn’t find an equaliser. The return game is due on the penultimate Saturday of the season.

This match could be repeated in a few weeks time as the promotion decider, however, there are some other ambitious clubs who might have something to say about that.

Image courtesy of David Anderson