FIRST TEAM MATCH REPORT

Rustington   1 - 0    Midhurst & Easebourne

Rustington continued their push for a strong finish at the top of Division 2 after scraping through diverse conditions and resolute opponents for their second successive league win. Richie Hellen started in the place of Simon Clayton still recovering from his late knock against Westfield and Ryan Morten kept his place at right back leaving Sean Duffy on the substitute bench.

The Blues started nervously, on a pitch that before kickoff had a patch of rain to soften the surface, were struggling to complete passes; Midhurst reflected the same type of football in a dull opening passage of play – albeit in strong winds and spats of hailstone downpours. As the weather improved after twenty minutes of the half, Rustington began to gel – a decent Lee Gibbs cross to the back post just missed the head and Andy Smart. Midhurst reply with threatening consecutive corners and a shot from Midhurst’s Steve Turner flies over the top of the bar. A similar move from Gibbs to Smart occurs on the half hour mark and three minutes later James Butt, Joe Lewis Cumber and Smart contributed to a fine move, ending with Butt’s parried shot almost finding the feet of an advancing Cumber. Richie Hellen belted was an entrepreneur in the midfield, supplying a quickly taken free kick into the path of Andy Boxall – a one-two with Andy Smart was well cut out by Midhurst keeper Lillywhite. Midhurst’s woeful football continued but were able to keep the Blues out of their goal.

The second half started in the same vain as the first, both teams failing to settle early, it was Rustington that progressively found their feet quicker. Another intelligent free kick from Hellen found James Butt who obliged with an excellent touch to Lee Gibbs, his pass just missing the target of a well positioned Cumber. Davies throws his first card in by replacing Andy Boxall for Steve Kirkham. Ryan Morten allows him into the game early with a well weighted ball down the right, his run towards goal is taken off course and the acute angle of the shot was never going to trouble the Midhurst goal.

Sean Duffy replaced Lee Gibbs just after the hour mark, with Joey Cumber switching to the left of the park. Duffy sees an effort goes way wide as he tries to make a mark on the game as the Blues management bring on Craig Cox for Andy Smart and again starts well, a scurrying run sees his shot well blocked. Ryan Morten saw a long range effort go over after industrial play from Cumber and Butt in the middle of the pitch before Brett Neal stepped up from defence to nod home the winner, aided by the Westfield defender. An altercation 30 yards out lead to free kick awarded to the Blues, and a well flighted cross was helped in by Neal to find the top right corner of the net.

Kirkham and Cox continued to take their opportunity well, Cox supplying a sweet channel-opening pass, with Kirkham searching for glory, a soft shot should have been a cross into the area into an unmarked Cox. Rustington continued to press their opponents further on the back foot, almost to fall to disastrous recoil. Lewis Hamilton taking advantage from a bad clearance from Andy McCarthy – the resulting shot not troubling the Rustington goal as the final whistle sounded.

Another win carries the momentum onto Rustington’s last away match at Crawley Down, themselves having a decent finish to the season. With only champions East Grinstead to play at home in the league and Peacehaven in the Divisional cup final, there is still plenty to play for in an exciting finish for all concerned at Jubilee Avenue.

Goalscorers