Rusthall 4-3 Tunbridge Wells - Rusthall issue bans to vile culprits who made my derby day hell, while assistant boss Lee Chambers praises Rusthall players' belief and character for comeback Quarter-Final Cup win

Rusthall 4 – 3 Tunbridge Wells
Location	Jockey Farm Stadium, Nellington Road, Rusthall, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 8SH
Kickoff	20/01/2026 19:45

RUSTHALL  4-3  TUNBRIDGE WELLS
Presence & Co Southern Counties East Football League Challenge Cup Quarter-Final
Tuesday 20 January 2026
Stephen McCartney reports from Jockey Farm Stadium

RUSTHALL assistant manager Lee Chambers praised his players’ belief and character after their impressive comeback win sealed their place in the Southern Counties East Football League Challenge Cup Semi-Finals for the very first time – amid a shameful night of intimidation.

The Rustics’ joined Larkfield & New Hythe (who defeated Fisher 3-1 tonight) in the Semi-Finals, after fighting back from being two-goals down inside the opening 13 minutes against their local rivals Tunbridge Wells.

Tunbridge Wells raced into the driving seat, courtesy of a clinical strike from the impressive D’Armando Lawrence, who drilled in his 12^th goal of the season and a header from centre-half Ryan Hine following a corner.

However, The Wells capitulated in embarrassing fashion as ruthless Rusthall scored four goals in the space of 22 second half minutes, with Jack Kirby punishing a goalkeeper mistake, Charlie Clover scoring a quick-fire brace to take his account to 15 for the season, before Louie Clarke notched his 22^nd goal.

Tunbridge Wells pulled a goal back inside stoppage time through substitute Deshon Carty, scoring his second goal in a week.

“I think it was always going to be a tough game tonight,” said Chambers.

“We played Tunbridge Wells in the League previously and with no game for us on Saturday, I had the opportunity to go to Bearsted and taking a look at Tunbridge Wells.

“The weather conditions played a big part in both halves of the game tonight and we proved that in the result.”

Tunbridge Wells manager Steve Ives added: “I think we had a very good grip on the game in the first half.  I thought we were very good value for the 2-0 lead. I think, if anything, when we look back at the chances we probably should’ve extended those two but credit where credit’s due.

“As they’ve done in previous game, I think they did it against Sporting Club Thamesmead, they’ve just come out and a combination of hapless defending and good finishing, they’ve completely turned the tie and I guess that’s why they are where they are in the League.

“I still think over the course of the game, we’ve had another five or six good, good chances. It’s very disappointing because I thought it was a cup we could win. I felt we had an opportunity and that’s gone through our fingers now.”

Whitstable Town look set to claim the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division title, having picked up 56 points from their 22 games, while the four play-off sides ahead of kick-off were Tony Reid/Fraser Walker’s Larkfield & New Hythe (46 points from 23 games), Jimmy Anderson’s Rusthall (40 points – 12 wins, four draws and three defeats), Kevin Stevens’ Bearsted (38 points from 21 games) and Sutton Athletic (34 points from 23 games).

Tunbridge Wells – who came away from Bearsted with 2-2 draw at the weekend - made the short trek to the green and white side of the town sitting in fourteenth-place in the table with 27 points (eight wins, three draws and nine defeats).

Rusthall – who also made three changes to their side, although they last took to the field on 10 January, a 3-1 home win over Kennington – started the game on the front foot.

Tunbridge Wells still remain the only side to win at Jockey Farm in all competitions this season, claiming a 1-0 win in The FA Vase First Round in October, while Rusthall claimed the league points with a 2-0 win in front of a record crowd on 27 December.

Tunbridge Wells grabbed the lead, courtesy of a clinical strike, with three minutes and 51 seconds on the clock.

Left-back Muiz Alaka played a left-footed diagonal long ball from the half-way line to release Lawrence, who stabbed his first time left-footed shot past Reece Hobbs, rolling the ball into the bottom left-hand corner from 16-yards.

“D’Armando’s our top goalscorier. The way that we chose to set up today, it was kind of trying to exploit the space in those sort of wide defensive areas and Muiz’s hit a great diag and D’Armando’s done well there, so it was a fantastic start,” said Ives.

Chambers added: “I think we were just saying after the game, I think because of the weather conditions, we were trying to overhit everything and try to play percentages and try to play the ball up in their half.

“Louis Anderson’s got caught out playing a long ball that’s got intercepted and that’s put us on the back foot and then got threaded through and just he (Lawrence) just got a little toe to it and put it past Reece in the end.”

Rusthall holding midfielder Frank Griffin (who was withdrawn late on with a tight hamstring) was pulling the strings for the home side and he played the ball out to dangerous left-winger Yassin Fares, who cut into the box but lacked composure and his shot rolled comfortably into George Bentley’s gloves.

Chambers was asked the injury sustained to Fares tonight and gave an update on goalkeeper Serine Sanneh, who dislocated his thumb while playing in the Baller League last month.

“I think it was just an impact to Yassin’s knee, nothing major but just impact and couldn’t really run it off,” revealed Chambers.

“Serine’s just seeing how it goes at the moment. There’s no time scale on when he'll be back at the moment but we’re constantly in touch with him.”

Tunbridge Wells, meanwhile, were without Lewis Allan (cup-tied), Tommy Penfold (hamstring) and Jonathan Shea (hip flexor), not forgetting longer-term ACL injuries for Jacob Feasey and Nathan Moseley.

Rusthall were denied an equaliser (7:44), courtesy of a brilliant left-handed stop from Bentley.

Griffin’s right-footed pass released Clarke down the right channel and he cut the ball onto his left foot before putting in a great cross towards the unmarked Clover, whose free downward header was kept out by Bentley, low to his left.

“I was right behind it. It was a great ball in, just needed a little bit more on it, Charlie. I thought it had enough to beat Bentley but obviously just needed a little bit more on it to get it past him but it turned out to be a great save,” said Chambers.

Ives added: “I recall that and I remember thinking how the flipping heck is he unmarked between our two posts?  I think our centre-halves (Hine and Michael Samson) have possibly switched off there to be quite honest.

“I guess it was a little bit like Yassin’s goal when we came here on the 27^th December. It’s sort of unforgivable to have anyone unmarked on the goal posts so Bents has got us out of jail on that one.”

Bentley launched a big kick upfield with his right-boot and the ball bounced in front of the Rusthall keeper Hobbs, on loan from Margate of the Isthmian League South East Division and he raised his arm to flick it behind for a corner.

Tunbridge Wells equalised from the resulting flag-kick, timed at 12 minutes and 25 seconds on the clock.

Holding midfielder, Christian Lawal swung the ball in with quality from the right towards the near-post where Hine rose to bury his header into the top near-corner from within the six-yard box to score his first goal of the campaign.

“In our pre-match team-talk we’ve put Chris on to taking a lot of our dead ball recently and we’ve seen a big increase in our quality,” said Ives.

“Muiz (Alaka) scored a cracking header on Saturday from a good delivery and with the greatest respect, I feel like when you look at Rusthall physically, I felt we could have quite a big influence in dead ball because we probably had the bigger side. It was a good delivery, a good header.”

Chambers added: “I mean Robbie (Bissett, centre-half) put his hands up. He lost his man. No excuses on that one. It was a good header but poor defending on our part.”

Rusthall were lacklustre during the first half, while Tunbridge Wells were showing plenty of desire and hunger in key areas of the pitch, with Lawrence an impressive threat in attack.

Hobbs was suffering with the swirling wind during the first half and his poor clearance went straight to Lawrence some 35-yards from goal but his first time right-footed shot was swept past the foot of the near-post (34:25).

Chambers explained: “We were against the wind first half, really struggling with it as well.

“We said to the boys at half-time, we felt like we were trying to do things against the wind that weren’t really coming off and we should’ve get back to the way that we were playing initially with having better movement, playing out a little bit shorter but we were causing ourselves a few problems by the way we were playing in the first half.”

Ives admitted it was another chance missed during a good spell from his side.

“I thought if I’m honest, D could possibly have another touch on that but yes we were aware of the wind was coming on in this bottom end and we were aware it could be a big influencing factor.

“I thought their goalkeeper struggled a lot more actually than Bents did. I think he (Hobbs) kicked four or five straight out of play in the first half and he struggled a little bit, hence why we were trying to put him under as much pressure as we could, all the time the ball went back to him.

“I actually didn’t think Bents struggled with that too much. He was making the halfway line most of the time, at least.”

Tunbridge Wells’ right-back Joshua McCarthur-Nolan received a switch pass from Hine and then fed Corke, who put in a cross from the right, which was cleared out to striker Rhys Bartlett, who placed his left-footed drive just past the foot of the right-hand post from 20-yards.

Tunbridge Wells kept knocking on the door and Lawrence drove at the Rusthall defence, cut inside Griffin, before flashing a low right-footed drive past the diving keeper and just past the foot of the left-hand post from 25-yards.

Tunbridge Wells midfielder Rory Ward – back after serving his two-match suspension atter being sent off in the FA Vase exit to Windsor & Eton - chested the ball down before cracking a left-footed volley over the crossbar from similar distance, as the visitors’ were full value of their commanding two-goal lead going into the interval.

“I think the only disappointing thing about half-time was the fact that we were only two goals in front,” admitted Ives.

“We talked at half-time about some of our angles of pressing. Obviously pulled out the cliché of the next goal being vitally important.

“I actually thought we started the (second) half ok.  The boys were saying we had a couple of good chances before the sort of landslide turned on us.

“If the next goal is vitally important, you don’t want to let it in, let alone four. I suggest there was about 22 minutes between their four goals and it just feels like a bit of a capitulation from us.”

Chambers admitted: “We said to the boys, it did look like it was a Cup Quarter-Final and it didn’t look like that it was a local derby. 

“Tunbridge Wells seemed to have a little bit grit between their teeth and at half-time we stressed ‘you don’t get to a final without winning your quarter-finals’ – don’t think about things like that!

“It wasn’t pretty on the eye first half but at half-time we still felt like if we kicked into gear, we could get ourselves back into the game.

“It’s funny, we seem to play better shooting towards the clubhouse and tunnel in the second half.  As soon as we got one, I felt we would kick on and go and get another and equalising on 64 minutes, it gave us enough time to win the game.”

The heavens opened (on a chilly and windy January night) as soon as the second half kicked off and Lawrence missed a glorious chance to kill the game after only 46 seconds.

Lawal played the ball along the deck out to winger Corke within the right channel and he fizzed in a low cross, which evaded the three-goal striker Bartlett in the middle and found Lawrence in space at the back post and his first-time right-footed drive was superbly kept out by Hobbs, low to his left.

ives admitted:  “That’s got to go in!  You’re right, it is a good save from the keeper but it’s straight at him.

“I think if we get the third, I think all of their belief, well, we’ll never know, will we? But I  think a lot of their belief and a lot of the momentum they’ve been given in the dressing room, starts to fade away.

“But the keeper’s done his job and they’ve then turned the tide on us.”

Chambers added: “As you said, 2-0 us a difficult scoreline and suddenly if they go 3-0 up, you’d say the game’s wrapped up. A bit of a disappointing finish but a great save from Reece, a great reaction.”

Rusthall then ramped up their desire levels and peppered the Tunbridge Wells goal with their usual attacking play.

Substitute winger, Joshua Reid, cut the ball back and debutant midfielder Finlay Lovatt whipped in a teasing cross, which Bentley did well to prevent sailing into his net.

Bentley was at fault for Rusthall’s opening goal, timed at 11 minutes and 18 seconds on the clock.

Clarke cut the ball back from within the right-channel to Rahman Kareem, who floated in a cross with his right-foot towards the near-post.  It appeared that Bentley should have caught the ball but opted to use both gloves to punch the ball away, straight to Kirby, who drilled his first time right-footed drive into the top right-hand corner from 25-yards.

Chambers said: “Jack had to re-adjust his body pretty quickly but got a good enough connection on it. I felt the same, I felt Bentley could’ve caught it and probably put his team under a bit of pressure with the punch to be fair.”

Ives added: “I mean it’s easy for us to say. I mean, it’s difficult conditions out there with the strong wind and the rain but from where I was standing it looked like Bents could’ve caught it but he’s opted to punch it.

“He hasn’t got much elevation on it and in fairness to Jack, without too much time, he’s hit the target, so you could see the sort of lift that gave them, where as we kind of looked like we shrunk a bit, didn’t we?”

Bentley’s poor clearance went straight to Reid, who took a touch and cut on to his right-foot and his shot sailed over the keeper’s head and clipped the top of the crossbar and over for a goal-kick (12:07).

It was no surprise when dominant Rusthall notched their equalising goal, with 18 minutes and 2 seconds on the click, when Kirby fed Clover, who got in behind Hine and swept his right-footed shot across the keeper to find the bottom far corner with a clinical shot.

“It was Jack Kirby that played a great ball into Charlie that created the space himself and opened his body up and put it in the far corner,” said Chambers.

“These competitions, there’s no Extra Time, is it going to go to penalties and that becomes a lottery or do you find another gear? I think once we got it back to two-all, if anyone was going to win it, I felt it was going to be us.

“I felt like we had another gear. Again, the weather conditions were playing their part in that but I felt that we could go on and win the game.”

Ives added: “I was just feeling like our defence, the gaps were too big. A ball can go in behind someone but that’s when the rest of the team are meant to be there to cover.

“I just don’t think we’ve covered ourselves in glory at all. I’ve got to be honest and say at that point in time I felt they had all the momentum and they’ve got to the belief that they can turn us over and you’re just kind of hoping we can stand up and try to turn the tide, which I think we did in the end but unfortunately it was 4-2 before we offered any sort of comeback.”

Rusthall didn’t take long to take the lead for the first time, scoring their third goal with 20 minutes and 16 seconds on the clock.

Kirby’s through ball split open Hine, and put through Clover, who beat the offside trap and Bentley tried in vain to dive and grab the ball at the striker’s feet, who cut in towards the goalmouth and almost walked the ball in, placing the ball into the back of the empty goal.

“Good movement, great weight of pass, beat the offside trap and a nice, calm and composed finish in front of goal to put us 3-2 up,” added Chambers.

Ives admitted: “It just seemed a bit too easy, didn’t it?  There was a sort of half-token appeal for offside.  The way that we seemed to stop I assumed maybe there was an offside. We’ll never know until we play it back.

“I just think there was a little bit of an element of the boys being shell-shocked at that point, which is completely unacceptable by the way! I’m not defending it but I don’t really know how to explain it.

“It wasn’t tactical. It was just rabbit in headlights for 22 minutes, wasn’t it?”

McCarthur-Nolan released Lawrence who reached the by-line and cut the ball back for Ward, whose left-footed shot from 20-yards was comfortable gathered by Hobbs down on his knees.

Every chance that Rusthall were having during the second half was finding the back of the net and their fourth goal arrived with 33 minutes and 9 seconds on the clock.

Lovatt’s reverse pass played in Clarke in behind the statuesque Tunbridge Wells defence and with Bentley to beat, he clinically drilled his left-footed shot into the bottom left-hand corner, as Hine opened the gate once more.

“Louie, he’s a finisher, natural finisher and showed great composure just to place it in the bottom corner around Bentley and looked to them seal the tie but there was still time for Tunbridge Wells to put us under more pressure and grab another goal,” said Chambers, who was asked about former Hastings United man Lovatt’s debut.

“He joined us last week, trained with u last week and it was a difficult game, a hard game for him to come straight in but he showed a few bits of quality, especially with that pass for Louie Clark in the last goal, so hopefully a sign of good things to come.”

Ives added: “You’re getting grief (see below), it’s started p***ing it down and we absolutely folded like a pack of cards.

“The only thing I could say as a token positive was that I feel like the subs that came on and did everything they could. We changed the shape, tried to get a few more bodies forward and actually make a bit of a game of it.

“We kind of got a little bit of momentum back but at that point in time, we’ve got to score two goals to even take it to penalties.”

Ives threw on four of his substitutes and two of them combined to help score their third goal of the game, timed 21 minutes into stoppage time.

Matthew Dunmall played in a low cross from the right where Carty took a touch and placed his left-footed shot across Hobbs to find the bottom far corner but time had run out to take the game straight to penalties.

“Deshon’s managed to get one of them.  Two of the boys that have had to sit on the bench and watch it, have at least come on and sort of made a point and made a contribution,” said Ives.

“I feel like they all did that and maybe made it a little bit interesting but even then a lot of the time our quality on the ball and our decision making, it just stopped us really building a head of steam.

“You can’t let in four goals in a half of football and expect to get anything out of it really.

“It’s massively disappointing. I’ve never lost to Rusthall up until four weeks ago and now I’ve lost two in a row. I think particularly tonight, even though there were no League points at stake, it was a cup competition, it was a chance to try and give the fans a little bit of something to look forward to and the manner of the swing is really disheartening.

“We know Rusthall have got a lot of goals in their locker. I don’t think we had thought the game was done and dusted at half-time. But to stand there in the p***ing rain and watch the side let four goals in as well as miss a handful of chances, it’s not one of my favourite evenings.”

Chambers added: “It was probably not cleared in and around the 18-yard box and gave them that opportunity – but the boys stood up and made sure that they managed the last few minutes to get ourselves over the line.

“The character that the boys showed, I mean we’ve been in this situation before where we could be one or two nil down at half-time and certainly at the beginning of last season, we probably wouldn’t have shown the same character to come back and win games.

“The belief that we have in the squad and the character that we have in the squad, if we are one down at half-time, we’ve got enough belief and character to turn games round.

“I think the pleasing point was that it was a local derby, it was a quarter-final of the cup and the boys knew at half-time, they weren’t beat and came out second half and proved it only takes 45 minutes to win a game of football.”

Only Tunbridge Wells have won here this season (the FA Vase tie) and Rusthall are still involved in three competitions – and travel to Hextable a Kent Senior Trophy Quarter-Final on Saturday.

Chambers said: “Today, we’ve had to find a way to win the game and it’s not just us winning at home, we’re scoring quite a few goals as well. There’s plenty of goals in the team and if someone’s having an off day, then somebody else steps up and that’s the beauty with the squads that we’ve got at the moment.

“We said to the boys, it’s a big week for us. A quarter-final tonight and another quarter-final on Saturday away to Sutton and we’ve got to look forward to the next game (Challenge Cup) and once we find out who that is, we’ll plan and we’ll prepare and look forward to it.

“It will be another tough game on Saturday – we’ve still got to play them twice in the League. The boys have got a few days to recover now and it’ll be another one that we’re looking forward to and one that we hope to progress a step further in that competition.

“Anyone will say your priorities lies within the League and that’s no different for us. We want to be in the play-offs and we’re pushing as hard as we can and taking each game, game-by-game for that.

“When you’ve got cup competitions that fall in and around the League, it means that you’ve got more games to play, so it’s just making sure that we deal with the 19 man squad that we’ve got and hopefully in all three competitions that we’ve got left to play for, we manage that correctly to give us the best chance of having success in all three competitions that we’re still involved in.”

Tunbridge Wells travel to bottom side Stansfeld (13 points from 21 games) on Saturday.

“They’re fighting for their lives. I know Joe Minter over there, he’s a good guy. Whenever we’ve played Stansfeld, they absolutely work their socks off. I don’t think if you’re playing a team bottom of the League or top of the League, in terms of expecting an easy game.  You’re not going to get one off anyone,” said Ives.

“If they’ve got anyone here watching that tonight, they’ll be fancying in their chances of getting at us. 

“That said, we’ve scored three goals, which not that many teams have done against Rusthall and we’ve also created at least another five or six, so it’s a pretty old adage but you take your chances and you don’t give too many gifts.

“We’re not a million miles away but I think there’s a little question of mentality really because you shouldn’t be folding like that!

“Rusthall have come back from losing situations in the past and once they got their first goal, which we pretty much gift wrapped there, they’ve smelt blood and I think that’s what we’ve got to be careful of teams will start to think that we’re a bit of a soft touch if they can get at us and that really is for the boys to start standing up and being counted a little bit.

“It needs (a positive reaction on Saturday). Yes, regardless of who we’re playing and the circumstances.  I think for the people who gave up their time and their money to come and support us, we’ve all got an obligation to serve up something better than that!”

Rusthall: Reece Hobbs, Louis Anderson, Rahman Kareem, Frank Griffin (Thompson Adeyemi 83) Robbie Bissett, Daniel Blunn, Yassin Fares (Joshua Reid 44), Finlay Lovatt (Jack Low 89), Charlie Clover (Jesse Hammond 88), Jack Kirby, Louie Clarke (Ayodeji Owoeye 83).

Goals: Jack Kirby 57, Charlie Clover 64, 66, Louie Clarke 79

Booked: Reece Hobbs 90

Tunbridge Wells: George Bentley, Joshua McCarthur-Nolan, Muiz Alaka, Christopher Lawal, Ryan Hine, Michael Sampson, Jack Gallagher (Deshon Carty 74), Rory Ward (Matthew Dunmall 83), Rhys Bartlett (Leo Vowles 83), D’Armando Lawrence (Bradley Austin 88), Regan Corke.
Sub: Toby Crampton

Goals: D’Armando Lawrence 4, Ryan Hine 13, Deshon Carty 90

Booked: Ryan Hine 38

Attendance: 324
Referee: Mr Alex Gordon
Assistants: Mr Christopher Clarke & Mr Michael Donnelly

TONIGHT WAS MY WORST EXPERIENCE IN NEARLY 23 YEARS’ OF FOOTBALL REPORTING – SAYS YOUR EDITOR, STEPHEN McCARTNEY, 48.

I do not usually write about my experiences while out reporting on non-league football – as an unpaid volunteer - running this website since June 2003, but tonight’s game goes down as my WORST EVER experience out on the circuit.

I announced via this website of my autism diagnoses in November 2024 and find life a struggle, going out two or three times a week, talking to people about my favourite subject, I also suffer from depression and anxiety and struggle with social interactions with people that I haven’t been introduced to and the need for repetition. 

For example, in football terms, standing or sitting in the same spot at the same ground, asking the managers the same post-match questions in the same order, the list goes on and on.

In the opening paragraph to this match report, I have used the word ‘intimidation.’

These incidents didn’t happen towards any footballer playing for Rusthall FC or Tunbridge Wells FC – two football clubs that I have huge respect for, especially living in Tunbridge Wells and this is a fixture in the calendar that I feel that I have to attend and report on.

That sadly was aimed towards ME at Jockey Farm this evening for a good two hours.

After getting the official team sheets from representatives of both clubs and finding out which official was on the dug-out side – one of my many pre-match football match routines, I made my way to my usual spot on the half way line of the stadium, between the two covered stands.

This is an area where the vocal Rusthall fans congregate, where they bang their drum (something that I find painful to listen to being on the Autism spectrum), waving their green and white flags, etc.

For the previous two derby games, I stood on tip-toes behind the away dug-out looking through the gap behind the dug-out.  There is no designated press seating at Jockey Farm Stadium.

But I knew (by checking the Met Office website during the past two days) that it was going to lash down with rain in Tunbridge Wells at nine o’clock in the evening so knew I had to be under cover for the entire game.

Standing in front of around four young men, who were seated on the bench seating behind me, they took offence to me standing up in my usual position, ready to report on the game.

I tend to ignore comments from fans’ around me during games – this after all is a local derby – but tend to respond to stupid comments from fans during the games if their comments are false, for example, offside calls that are on, etc, etc and Tunbridge Wells’ left-back Muiz Alaka got an earful as he stood in front of the home fans standing either side to me – as did Tunbridge Wells midfielder Rory Ward later on in the game.

Tunbridge Wells were 2-0 up at the break and the heavens opened as soon as the second half started.

Despite standing under cover, my notes started to get drenched and this brought comments from the group of young men standing to my left.

My experience got worse the longer the game went on. Cold, wet, my notes drenched and not enjoying my Tuesday night, just your usual grim weather conditions during this horrible part of the season.

I counted (out loud) a group of 12 (twice, to ensure clarity).  There was a man who said (during the first half to his mate that) he was from Southport, another shorter man with glasses and a another with black curly hair, they were the three ring-leaders who made tonight my worst ever experience in football.

It appeared to me that the man who banged the drum literally to my left was doing so on purpose, to get a reaction out of me and make my evening even more stressful.  

Rusthall started their comeback, two of the goals, one of the mob shouted “put that in your report!” as they celebrated scoring against their local rivals.  Why did he bark that out while celebrating two of their goals, is just baffling.

I guess it was an example of the aggression this mob within the bear-pit showed towards me, as I wrote down into my sodden notes what had happened, like any other reporter would during a key moment of a football match.

I usually write down the move, including two other players, but I was so stressed out, I had to ask Lee Chambers during the interviews about the build-up because my experience here had made me lose the plot! It’s called a meltdown.

The comments started to get personal. The male with the black curly hair got out his phone, started to take photos of me and started making personal comments about my appearance.

He took photos of me without my permission.  The longer the game went on and the intimidation, I just didn’t want to be there. The final whistle just couldn’t come quickly enough!

The curly hair man (standing beside me to my left) looked down at his phone in his right hand. Then he started to show his gang the photos of me that he took and the gang were joking and laughing and commenting.

I faced him told him to look at my website and the fixture list (to read about my autism statement).  Remember, people with autism are very different with different traits, etc. I do not like personal confrontation. It was like he was being egged on by his mates and feeling like he was the big man among his peers.

During the first half, one of the mob, talking to his mate, mentioned the word ‘line’ during a conversation.  It wouldn’t surprise me if illegal substances had been taken during the course of the day. Otherwise, who else would behave in this manner at a ninth-tier Cup tie?

Thank you to one older Rusthall supporter who confronted the mob.  ‘He comes here every week,’ I can’t remember the remaining words of his sentence towards the mob but got the impression he had witnessed what I was subjected to and wanted them to stop.

With my head exploded under the immense stress, swear words started to come out of my mouth (I hardly ever swear, unless I’m under severe stress).  Again, I'm experiencing a meltdown. I heard the final whistle and barged my way through this 12 male mob, towards the tunnel and asked to speak to Rusthall’s chairman, who was standing on the pitch side to pull out the players’ tunnel.

I verbally warned the mob that I was going to report their behaviour to the Rusthall chairman.  I’m true to my word. 

Before the post-match interviews, I told the chairman (who I always speak to off the record before games) about my experiences. He apologised  and hoped ‘I will return to report on their games as they appreciated my coverage’ - but the club need to look at who comes into their home games and the way that their followers behave.

I also had a conversation with the home club’s media official in and around the players tunnel, who had witnessed what I was subjected to during the game and was going to confront the mob and was going to warn them that such behaviour isn’t welcomed here and issue bans.

I was visibly shaken – almost close to tears – and then conducted my post-match interviews.  The chairman said I could interview Steve Ives inside a storage room and I then interviewed Lee Chambers up in the empty hospitality suite (thank you), especially as it was still lashing down with rain.

I run this website as a hobby – to publicise my beloved non-league football in my beloved Kent.  Your local newspaper doesn’t even report on these derby games! Or any other games. Remember that!

This was my 66^th game of the season – costing me £1,115 (travel expenses) of my own money to publicise football in this county.

I do not expect to report on a ninth-tier Cup tie to be mocked about my appearance, intimated and discriminated against just because I look and act differently to a mob who want to act big and tough among their peers. To show photographs of me tomorrow morning on their smartphones - as they come down from the drugs that they have taken the day before.

Many people with autism ‘mask’. They put on a mask to deal with day-to-day issues that come their way. It’s very stressful ‘masking’ it wears you out and when you get home you’re mentally and physically drained.  I can never sleep after properly after a midweek football match.

The lady behind the bar always serves me with a welcoming warm cup of tea before the game (thank you). I get on well with the committee at Rusthall and their management team, who are doing an excellent job as they challenge for promotion in what is another gripping promotion race.

Now feeling composed and with my two interviews on tape, I then walked four miles (80 minutes) in the rain home to type up this piece.  I usually write up my manager interviews and then publish the report, usually at three o’clock in the morning.  Apologies, that will not happen tonight. I will do that later on Wednesday.

‘Put that in your report!’ I have and I hope this is your last ever football match either at Jockey Farm or Culverden Stadium.  Your type are not welcome at local non-league football.

Thank you to those that have reached out to me on Wednesday morning, very much appreciated.

Autism is protected under the UK’s Equality Act 2010, which prohibits discrimination…. requiring ‘reasonable adjustments’ for autistic individuals, who meet the legal definition of disability, focusing on the substantial, long-term impact on daily life, not just diagnoses.

Rusthall Football Club issued the following statement at 09:30 on Wednesday morning.

“We have been made aware of an isolated incident of intimidating behaviour from a group of spectators who made a valued guest understandably upset during last night’s victory over Tunbridge Wells.

“At Rusthall FC, we pride ourselves on the welcoming atmosphere we have created, our brilliant fans, and the quality feedback we normally receive from our visitors.

“The behaviour from the people involved in this incident last night has no place at The Jockey Farm Stadium.

“We want all our visitors to feel safe, welcome, and able to enjoy the game they love.

“Those who made that impossible for some last night will be identified and dealt with immediately.”

RUSTHALL CHAIRMAN ISSUES BANS FOR VILE CULPRITS THAT MADE DERBY DAY HELL:

A further statement from Rusthall’s chairman:

“Just writing to check how you are this morning after last night’s disappointing episode at our club?  As I expressed last night, I can only apologise for the experience you had.

“I have read your article and obviously it’s a very disappointing read.  We believe we have identified two of the three main culprits and are working on the third name.  I can assure you that we will be banning these people from future matches.

“Going forward, if you decide to return to our ground to report on matches……

“The club have put an article out on social media also expressing our disappointment of the incident on what should have been a night of celebration.”

Stephen McCartney Statement – Wednesday 21 January 19:00:

I am satisfied with the actions taken by Rusthall Football Club and pleased that these vile individuals will not step foot inside Jockey Farm Stadium ever again.  No one has the right to pay their entrance fee and stand there for two hours and hurl abuse at part-time footballers, match officials and volunteer football reporters, thinking they are the tough guys and will get away with it.

I would like to thank the club for their professionalism in this upsetting situation. Today (Wednesday) has been a very tough day for me personally. I hope I receive a much friendlier welcome from ‘Jimmy Anderson’s Green and White Army’, upon my next visit.