Monday night football returns to the Masher Brothers Community Stadium when SC Thamesmead host Rusthall in the Presence & Co. Southern Counties East Football League Challenge Cup second round.

Currently fifteenth in the Division One table, the Acre have struggled for league wins with just one to their name so far. However, they have picked up five draws so if they can start converting their tight games into victories, they should be able to pull away from the bottom three.

Their most recent outing was at Banstead Athletic and was one of the draws that they might have won. Jamie Williams and Wale Odedoyin twice put them ahead in the first half and they were two-one ahead at the break. Nine minutes after the restart, the hosts again levelled but James Ryan gave them the lead for the third time which they held until three minutes into stoppage time when Banstead scored to nick a point.

Meanwhile, Rusthall suffered an even later blow in their Premier Division match at Kennington. They went behind in the fifteenth minute but Jack Kirby equalised just after the half hour mark. Kennington went back ahead in the second half before having a player dismissed. Kirby levelled with nine minutes remaining and they looked good for a point until conceding in the seventh minute of stoppage time.

They dropped from third to fifth in the congested Premier Division table as a result of their loss but have played fewer games than anyone else and are still in great shape.

Although the Rustics will start as strong favourites by virtue of playing in a higher league, results last week showed that the cup ties don’t always go in the way expected and should they take anything for granted, Thamesmead will be ready to pounce.