By Matt Blomeley

Old Rutlishians opened their Kingston & District League Division Three campaign with an excellent win at Wandle.

Although the first half produced no goals it was the Ruts who enjoyed a large percentage of possession and chances with their best effort coming from Steve Berry, who saw his tidy lob come back off the woodwork.

Despite Berry and James Fenton looking good up front, a lack of service from the wide areas meant the Ruts weren't threatening enough.

Although Wandle were defending well they didn’t have much in the way of attack either and never really looked like scoring. This was made even more difficult for Wandle with 30 minutes remaining when Matt Blomeley replaced Yilmaz at left back, but with a licence to go forward.

The breakthrough came on 70 minutes when a neat move started by Blomeley down the left ended with Paul Beaumont unleashing a fierce right foot drive which moved away from the goalkeeper and into the far corner.

The Ruts were subjected to an onslaught from Wandle for the remainder of the match as they chased the equaliser, but the back four and midfield managed to hold out and claim three hard-earned points.

By Scott Hawley

Old Rutlishians made it two wins in a row thanks to a lot of hard work and good team spirit.

They started well and it looked like they wouldn't have to wait too long until they made the break through, and sure enough Simon Minihane shot from thirty yards out straight into the top corner, an effort which he said reminded him of Marco van Basten in his prime.

James Fenton added another in the second half with a neatly worked goal. A few good saves from keeper Roland Heal and some good defending by Darren Noonan and Tom Hughes made sure of the win.

By Scott Hawley

Old Rutlishians started the game well in some very tricky weather conditions, putting MMB on the back foot from the start. Kevin Foster came close on several occasions with a couple of good efforts and a couple of unbelievable misses from the young lad. With special mention to his miss from three yards.

The breakthrough came midway through the first half when a long throw from Darren Noonan from the halfway line found Scott Hawley with yards of space behind the back four. He brought the ball down onto his trusty left peg and slotted the ball past the hapless keeper into the bottom right hand corner.

The Ruts came close on several other occasions in the first half with an effort from Steve Berry which produced a good save from there keeper and several other efforts from Russell Nixon and Paul Beaumont that went just wide.

The second goal came late in the game from a corner from the right hand side by Hawley. He knocked it into the front post where James Fenton slotted the ball home with great ease with his right foot, which is more than I can say for the effort that Noonan put in from the same situation minutes earlier, when he swung, missed and ended up on his arse.

The second half was very hard on both sets of players with the wind picking up which led to a couple of headed efforts not quite going where they should have.

A couple of other attempts narrowly missed in the second half - Beaumont's shot from fifteen yards whistled the wrong side of the upright and Tom Hughes, who put in a good performance in defence, came up for a corner and headed just wide.

Matt Bramley pulled off a couple of good saves to make sure he was the third keeper to play for the third team and keep a clean sheet this season.

Player manager Erol Yilmaz said: "I am very happy with the way that the team played their football on a very windy day, my only grievance being that we should have won by more goals".

By Roland Heal

On a day that lent itself more to water polo than football, Old Rutlishians 'A' put in a solid display to edge this competitive game.

The Ruts started well, moving the ball around nicely and closing the opposition down giving them little or no options. The Ruts just shaded a tight first half but failed to break down Chessington's stubborn defence and it was 0-0 going into the break.

The second period saw the Ruts pour on the pressure and they were rewarded with a goal which lent itself to luck rather than clinical finishing. James Fenton made a great run down the right and put in a quality cross which had Chessington in all kinds of trouble. Eventually the ball hit player manager Erol Yilmaz on the knee and went in.

The Ruts proceeded to make several good chances after going ahead and but for some fine saves from the Chessington keeper would have increased their lead.

As the game drew to a close Chessington started to pour men forward and would have equalised but for a magnificent one-handed save at close range from Ruts keeper Steve Shaw, which I'm sure we will be hearing about for some time to come.

The Ruts held on though, keeping yet another clean sheet, and take their place in the next round thanks to a great team performance.

--- NOTE: Ruts later had to forfeit this match for fielding an ineligible player ---

By Darren Noonan

A strong wind and heavy rain could not stop a much changed (again!) Old Rutlishians 'A' team notching up a convincing win at Surbiton Eagles.

The game was always going to be about who coped better playing into the wind and the Ruts battled very hard in the first half with the defence looking solid and composed. Surbiton rarely threatened as the Ruts started to play the better football and almost took the lead when Darren Noonan's 30 yard volley just cleared the bar.

Minutes later a James Fenton corner caused confusion and the ball landed on Matt Bramley's cool head as he looped a header over the stranded keeper and into the net to give the Ruts a deserved half time lead.

The second period was much easier for the Ruts as tough tackling from Russell Nixon and Noonan in the first half had lead to three of the better Surbiton players injured and therefore substituted at the interval. On 50 minutes another Surbiton player hobbled to the sidelines and the Ruts soon took firm control.

Matt Payne broke up an attack and released hard working Simon Minihane, who combined well with Erol Yilmaz before Yilmaz placed the ball in the bottom right with a good strike from 18 yards for 2-0.

Surbiton were forced to shoot from long range with keeper Roland Heal watching many efforts sail high and wide from 30 yards out until one player (after 25 'sighters') sent one towards the top corner which Heal palmed away very well.

A long ball midway through the second half saw Yilmaz win his first header of the day and knock it to Minihane who sent a volley flashing past the Surbiton 'keeper to put the game to bed.

Surbiton had no 'bounce-backability' and it could have been more as Minihane comically slipped two yards out with the goal at his mercy, explaining in the bar later that "when you travel at my speed it is hard to get your feet right". Classic stuff Simon!

A late sub saw the return of 'shower gel' and a typical run from him led to a good cross which a defender put into his own net under pressure from Minihane to wrap up the match 4-0.

Overall a very good team performance with everyone working hard for each other, especially Russell Nixon who (in this reporter's humble opinion) won his fourth man of the match award from five games!

Special mention to the defence and keepers who have yet to concede this season despite FOURTEEN different players filling the five positions so far!

By Darren Noonan

Old Rutlishians 'A' were breached for the first, second, third and fourth time this season in a disappointing cup performance against a team one league above them.

The scoreline flattered Summerstown but the Rut's defence - which has been so good all season - had an absolute nightmare in the first half as the visitors looked like scoring every time they broke forward.

The Ruts played some good football of their own in the first half with Simon 'the greyhound' Minihane beating his marker regularly on the left as Summerstown insisted on playing a dodgy offside trap (helped by an equally dodgy linesman!) but the final ball was nowhere to be found.

However good the Ruts looked going forward (excluding Darren Noonan's air shot) the defending was criminal at times and they were 3-0 down within half an hour as mistakes were punished. Two of the three goals were from set pieces as poor marking and an uncharacteristic mistake from keeper Roland Heal let the opposition take a commanding lead.

The Ruts knew, however, that chances were coming at the other end with Russell Nixon and Noonan both wasting shots from the edge of the box before a free kick from Steve Rowlands was headed down to Erol 'the gaffer' Yilmaz who volleyed into the top corner with his right foot in fine style.

3-1 down and this reporter/captain/waste of space hobbled off to be replaced by Seb Senior ten minutes before half time (oh how I wished I had stayed on - continue reading!)

The gaffer let us know at half time just how poor we were and made two changes to the back four, introducing Jamie Shawki and the happily retired Danny Poulter to steady the ship. The Ruts looked better as the opposition's offside trap was broken on numerous occasions in the second half but 'shower gel' Senior failed with at least three one-on-ones before a rush of blood by Heal lead to number four being scored at the other end. There were more chances to follow but the words banjo and barn door spring to mind!

The only plus from a poor display was the return from Danny 'two pumps' Poulter and the wonder strike from Erol - neither of which will be seen again all season.

By Darren Noonan

After last week's poor performance a solid 2-0 win away from home at third placed NPL Reserves was a good return to league football for Old Rutlishians 'A'.

'A new week, a new back five' seems to be the motto this year as a complete change of personnel in the back four protected this week's guest goalkeeper Steve Shaw in a professional, although not amazing performance.

The Ruts started the better team and it looked like an easy day was on the cards as the midfield four of Simon 'Gappy' Hithersay, Steve Rowlands, Graham 'Bernie' Winter and Russell Nixon controlled the play and looked like breaking through at any time. Seb Senior had a good volley from 30 yards go just wide and Bernie looked like he had scored on his debut performance back at the team he likes to call 'home' but it wasn't to be!

Despite having most of the play and numerous corners in the first half the Ruts could not break through and a Rowlands effort cleared off the line was as close as it got as poor finishing and some good defending meant that it stayed 0-0 until half time.

The second half saw NPL start the brighter with reluctant left back Simon Minihane getting caught out twice in the first five minutes by the opponent's busy winger but cover was always on hand in the form of man of the match Rowlands.

Despite the slow start the Ruts began dominating again and a superb through ball from that man Rowlands saw Nixon beat his man and the keeper to the ball to prod home.

NPL now had to add to their one man up front and their substitution meant that the fresh legs of James Fenton and the pacy Nixon now had more space to exploit on the counter as NPL pushed forward. Despite the extra pressure the only way that NPL looked like troubling the Ruts goal was from a corner or one of the many free-kicks from the Tom Hughes file! (a rough estimate from a concerned spectator was a record breaking 12 fouls in the second half!)

As NPL pushed forward a good move saw the impressive Fenton clean through before a nudge, a stumble then an outrageous dive convinced the referee to award a penalty. Fenton dusted himself down and placed the ball himself before hitting the weakest penalty in Ruts history to the right of the smallest goalkeeper in the Kingston and District league! Desperate to make amends minutes later young James decided to pull out one of his showboat tricks and promptly kicked the ball straight into his own face in an attempt to put the onrushing Minihane in on goal. However a good bit of recovery work by Bernie in front of his 'folks' forced a corner which the dazed Fenton flashed in and Nixon poached his second goal with a brave header to finish off the game.

Overall not the best performance of the league campaign but another clean sheet and a couple of Nixon strikes with the combined distance of six yards meant that the 'A' team has now beaten both their closest rivals and have still not conceded in the League this season.

A special thanks to the boy Hughes for turning up and then racing off to watch Palace scrape a draw against some team called Arsenal - hope it was worth it!

By Simon Hithersay

With two defeats in our previous two cup outings this season, gaffer Erol Yilmaz's main objective was to work out how to transfer league form into a cup run. Unfortunately it seemed he had put little thought into the game as his initial team talk consisted of: 'I don't care who plays where, you can play where you like.'

However, Yilmaz soon realised this may be the wrong approach when Darren Noonan declared that he would neglect his centre half duties, where he has been so masterful this season, and take up residence in midfield. So on the way from the changing room to the pitch Yilmaz came up with the inspired idea to play a new formation which gave wing-back roles to Simon Minihane and Graham Winter, with 'Noons' slotting in at sweeper.

The system worked well as the Ruts took control from the outset and even when the injured Russell Nixon was replaced by Jamie Shawki as the attacking midfielder it seemed only a matter of time before the Ruts would take the lead.

With twenty minutes gone Yilmaz outpaced the Ashford centre half and sent a delightful lob over the keeper and into the far corner of the net for 1-0. There then followed a period of play which saw the Ruts create a number of openings, especially from Noonan's long throws, but the Ruts attackers were just as incompetent as the Ashford defence when the ball was coming in from the wing.

Finally the constant pressure paid off when James Fenton's scuffed shot from a yard out just managed to cross the line.

From this point the game should have been wrapped up but the team's play became rather casual and allowed Ashford to build in confidence and put pressure on Matt Bramley who was deputising between the sticks.

It therefore came as no surprise that, with five minutes of the first half remaining, Ashford pulled a goal back with a sweetly struck volley from the edge of the area.

With a somewhat disappointing scoreline of 2-1 at half time it was essential that the Ruts started the second half in the same way they had the first and press for a third goal. However, for all the possession the Ruts had, chances were few and far between and it seemed the second half would remain goalless.

But with the game entering its final fifteen minutes, Steve Rowlands latched on to Minihane's long ball and calmly lobbed the keeper from twenty five yards out.

The rest of the match was played out without incident apart from 'break yer legs' Minihane's attempt to snap Ashford's centre half's shin bone in two.

The 3-1 scoreline was a fair reflection of the game, although there is little doubt Ruts should have put the result beyond doubt much earlier on... but then that would be a bit boring!

Old Rutlishians 'A' team's unbeaten league run, which had stretched back to December 2003, came to a disappointing end on Saturday with this defeat at Chessington.

On a bitterly cold and wet afternoon the Ruts threatened to lift the November gloom with passages of play that were sharp and inventive and that put the Chessington goal under constant pressure in the opening period. On the twenty minute mark Steve Rowlands' ball over the top caught the Chessington defence flat and allowed Darren Noonan a free run on goal before calmly slotting the ball past the opposing keeper.

The Ruts were in confident mood and continued to pass the ball well. With Rob Goldsmith on the right and Graham Winter and Simon Minihane on the left providing danger on the flanks, they pressed for a second. Erol Yilmaz was unlucky to have two close range efforts blocked while Noonan's long throws - which were causing havoc in the Chessington area - were again not capitalised upon.

With a second goal not forthcoming the home side started to claw their way back into the game but the Ruts defence stayed solid and gave little opportunity to the opposition forwards.

With ten minutes of the first half remaining a fumble by the Chessington keeper saw the ball rebound to a surprised Winter who, with a gaping goal at his mercy, managed to put the ball agonisingly wide. Moments later Chessington were unlucky not to draw level when they had the ball in the back of the net only for the goal to be harshly ruled offside.

The second half started in a similar fashion as the first and following some neat work by the midfield Noonan was on hand to score his and the team's second. With an hour gone, two nil up and in control the Ruts were in a commanding position.

However, with the introduction of their substitutes Chessington increased the tempo of the game and it wasn't long before they had pulled a goal back.

The Ruts now started to look disjointed and despite still having their fair share of possession it was too often surrendered far too easily. Chessington pressed for the equaliser and were finding space and time easy to come by. It therefore came as no surprise when, with twenty minutes remaining, they drew level.

Having conceded their first goals of this season's league campaign the Ruts were in danger of surrendering their first points as well - and Chessington sensed this. Stewart Little, making his debut in goal, made several fine saves to keep his team in the game but was powerless to stop Chessington scoring their third inside the final ten minutes.

Piers Capper was pushed up to support the forward line in the hope of grabbing a point and in the dying moments he almost succeeded but his header was deflected over by the back of a defender's head.

As the final whistle blew the Ruts were left to reflect on a game in which for an hour they had played some of their best football of the season, and yet by the end of the match were lucky not to lose by more than the one goal.

Report to follow...

Report by Darren Noonan

A good team performance and goals from Piers Capper and Simon Mini-man saw Old Rutlishians through in this hard fought affair at the fortress that is Nursery Road.

The Ruts started the brighter team and forced Walton onto the back foot with numerous corners and long throws throughout the first half. Yet again, however, we failed to turn the pressure into goals as Walton defended stubbornly.

The Ruts finally got the breakthrough when Minihane raced down the left (against a full back slower than Graham Clayton!) and won yet another throw in the corner which Piers Capper met with a good header giving the keeper no chance.

The second half was a strange affair as Walton did not look like scoring and it felt like the Ruts were more than the one goal in front. The game really opened up though when a Walton midfielder, frustrated by the lack of possesion, decided to have a shot from Tooting which Matt Bramley ducked effortlessly between the sticks!! 1-1.

This acted as a wake up call for the Ruts and with James Fenton on for the out-of-puff gaffer it looked like we wouldn't be level for long as he regularly got goalside of the Walton backline.

The winner eventually came via a great goal from Minihane as he took a Darren Noonan through ball confidently and stroked home to the amazement of his team mates many of whom were already preparing for a goal kick!

The expected Walton onslaught never materialised as Capper and Tom Hughes looked solid at the heart of the defence protected well by Simon 'The Hobo' Hithersay to ensure Old Ruts 'A' are in the hat for the next round.

Bring on the old enemy next week as we travel to last year's runners-up Oxshott Royals in the league.

Report by Roland Heal

A somewhat thrown together Old Ruts side took on Oxshott after a number of players dropped out at the last minute.

The first half started evenly with the Ruts defence in control keeping most of Oxshott's attacks at bay, thanks to the welcome return of Danny Poulter and keeper Peter Day proving hard to beat and making a couple of fine saves

The Ruts had many chances, particularly from Darren Noonan's long throws which put Oxshott in all kinds of trouble, and paid off when - following one of those long throws - Darren Knott latched onto a loose ball and put the Ruts 1-0 up.

Oxshott came back at the Ruts and looked certain to equalise, only for one of their players to have a "TAXI!" moment and hit the post from six inches out with an open goal in front of him.

The second half started much the same as the first with the Ruts forcing some fine saves from the Oxshott keeper, one in particular when he made a double save from Knott.

This inspired Oxshott and they now showed the greater passion for a result and following a magnificent strike from 25 yards which dipped under the bar leaving Day with no chance, they started to look the better team.

But the Ruts kept chasing a winning goal which failed to come, and then.... disaster.

With 10 minutes to go, Oxshott went 2-1 ahead following some poor Ruts defending which left Day totally exposed.

The Ruts poured forward in search of an equaliser, but even with the addition of Steve Shaw to the attack they could not get the all important goal.

So a bad day at the office and not a good way to go into the Christmas break, hopefully all the players will keep themselves in tip-top shape and make amends in the New Year.

Report to follow...

By Steve Nicola

A good performance enabled Old Rutlishians 'A' to see off a determined Nork side and take their place in the Surrey Cup quarter finals for the first time.

Although the final scoreline was bolstered by two late headers from substitute Tom Hughes and therefore a little flattering, the Ruts were well worth the win and started brightly when Steve Nicola hit a 25 yard volley just wide after a neat lay-off from Erol Yilmaz.

Simon Hithersay, who dominated midfield with his effective tackling and aerial ability, then had a chance with a header which was blocked.

Nork had their moments too and went close on a couple of occasions before the Ruts scored a superb team goal on the half hour mark. James Fenton picked the ball up on halfway and hit a glorious pass to Graham Winter on the left wing. He made space for himself before playing an inch-perfect low cross for Nicola to tap home the important opener.

The tie was still keenly contested and in the balance but a good period straight after halftime saw the Ruts stamp their authority on the game. Yilmaz burst clean through but shot at the keeper before hitting another chance wide moments later.

But he made amends on 55 minutes when his delicate flick created space for Nicola to shoot and although the keeper did well to palm the ball away, Fenton was on hand to tap into the empty net.

At the other end Ruts keeper Stuart Bedford made a couple of smart one on one saves to stop Nork getting back in it before the Ruts killed the game in controversial circumstances.

Nicola ran at the defence before releasing Craig Lyle down the right. Although Graham Winter was standing offside on the opposite wing he wasn't interfering and play was waved on. Lyle then sent a great ball across the face of the area and Winter knocked it in at the far post. Despite Nork protestations that he'd now become active the referee waved their claims away and the goal stood. At 3-0 the tie was all over.

Tom Hughes came on for Yilmaz and helped himself to a couple of goals as Nork tired. On 85 minutes he headed in Fenton's corner before stooping to nod home another excellent Fenton cross in injury time to seal a terrific result for the Ruts.

Report to follow...

By Steve Nicola

A terrific second half performance enabled Old Rutlishians to claw back a two goal deficit and take all three points.

The Ruts started sluggishly but still created the best chance of the opening exchanges when Simon Minihane put strike partner Erol Yilmaz clean through, but he dwelt too long on the ball and allowed the keeper to block his shot before skying the rebound.

Wandle were battling well and took the lead when a couple of missed tackles allowed their striker to score from an acute angle after rounding keeper Stuart Bedford.

After 30 minutes it was 2-0 and to compound matters for the Ruts, Yilmaz had to go off injured (well, semi-injured, semi-hungover!)

His replacement James Fenton had an immediate impact though, flighting over an excellent corner for Simon Hithersay to nod home from close range.

So 2-1 down at the break having not played well, assistant manager Roland Heal laid into the Ruts for not wanting it enough and his pep talk had the desired effect. The Ruts chased and harried from the 46th minute until the final whistle and they were soon on level terms.

John 'Knotty' Gee nodded down in the area for Fenton to lash home the equaliser and the Ruts now had the momentum.

On 70 minutes they won a free kick in the 'D' and with Steve Nicola causing havoc in the Wandle wall, Knotty took advantage to curl his effort into the top corner for 3-2.

The Ruts had chances to score a fourth and make the game safe but Fenton lobbed over when clean through and Knotty flashed a volley just wide.

Wandle finally exerted some pressure in the closing stages as the Ruts dropped deeper and deeper to preserve their lead. Bedford got down smartly to his right to keep out a low drive. Then a shot hit the underside of the bar and just as a Wandle striker was rushing in to tap the ball over the line, Bedford made a superb lunge to fist the ball to safety.

In injury time the Ruts had one last scare when a looping shot beat Bedford but hit the bar once more and was scrambled to safety. The Ruts then went up the other end and Graham Winter outjumped a defender and the keeper but unluckily headed just over.

But no matter, the final whistle went and the Ruts had picked up their first league win in four games thanks to an excellent spirit and attitude in the second half which, if repeated for the rest of the season, will surely see them challenging for the title.

By Steve Nicola

Old Rutlishians 'A' produced a determined second half performance to battle back from the brink of elimination and reach the Surrey Cup semi final for the first time in their history.

They just about shaded a keenly contested match which was played in a good spirit throughout and well marshalled by a strict but fair referee.

The Ruts began the game very slowly and were stunned by two goals in the opening 15 minutes as poor defending allowed Shalford simple finishes. Manager Erol Yilmaz had made changes to the side and the Ruts looked ill at ease to begin with. This relaxed the visitors and Shalford played with confidence, knocking the ball around well on a bumpy surface and not allowing the Ruts any clear sights of goal.

2-0 did not flatter Shalford at the break and some harsh words were meted out to the Ruts by unhappy assistant manager Roland Heal. He moved Steve Nicola out to right midfield while Darren Noonan joined Simon Hithersay in the centre and this was to work very well, giving the Ruts a better physical presence in centre midfield and allowing Nicola to attack the Shalford full back.

Realising they had to up the work rate and aggression, the Ruts were much better in the second half and started to turn the tide. Striker James Fenton had come on at halftime and his pace and willing running was crucial as the Ruts slowly gained the upper hand. Shalford were perhaps guilty of trying to hold on to what they had as time wore on, further handing the initiative to the Ruts and by the 80th minute it was one way traffic.

However, the Ruts still hadn't seriously troubled the Shalford keeper despite having plenty of corners and not taking advantage of Noonan's dangerous long throw-ins.

Sub Russell Nixon started the comeback though when he swivelled and hit a tremendous shot into the top corner with 10 minutes left. Starting to believe once more, the Ruts threw Danny Poulter on up front as they went 4-3-3 looking for the equaliser.

And on 85 minutes it arrived when Poulter controlled a good ball into the box and knocked it past the advancing keeper to send the Ruts into raptures and the tie into extra time.

By now the momentum was with the Ruts and there looked only one likely winner as shell-shocked Shalford seemed content to wait for penalties.

Having used all three subs the Ruts couldn't replace Poulter or Nicola who were now carrying knocks, but they still took the game to Shalford in extra time.

Ruts keeper Stuart Bedford made a quality save at full stretch to keep out a long range effort but that aside Shalford rarely threatened thanks largely to the excellent centre backs Tom Hughes and Piers Capper.

On 115 minutes and with a penalty shootout looming, Nixon got clear on the left and sent over a pinpoint cross for Poulter to stoop and head goalwards. Although the keeper got his hands to the ball it squirmed over the line for 3-2 and the Ruts were finally ahead.

The last five minutes were nailbiting but the tired Ruts hung on and now play Hersham on April 2nd for a place in the final.

Report to follow...

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By Steve Nicola

Old Rutlishians 'A' reached the Surrey Lower Junior Cup final in dramatic circumstances thanks to Russell Nixon's late winner just as the tie seemed destined for penalties.

The game should have been won much earlier though as the Ruts dominated the first hour without making the crucial breakthrough. They played a 4-5-1 formation that saw striker Erol Yilmaz drop deep to help the central midfield pairing of Graham Winter and Steve Nicola. This worked well as the three of them dominated midfield and were able to release wingers Simon Minihane and Russell Nixon.

Minihane in particular was enjoying good possession down the right and he nearly opened the scoring with the Ruts best chance on 15 minutes. A defender on the line tried to clear his goalbound shot but only succeeded in slicing it upwards and against his hand. It looked accidental but was on its way in before striking his hand and the ref waved play on despite Ruts protests.

Yilmaz then squandered a good chance when he headed tamely at the keeper despite having time and space to control the ball and get a shot in.

At the other end Hersham didn't threaten until the 40th minute when their midfielder headed a near post corner narrowly over.

Despite having most of the play the Ruts weren't creating many chances. Striker Reece Smith did a lot of unselfish running in his lone role up front but lacked support.

Just after halftime Minihane shot over an open goal after Smith's shot was parried but the linesman's flag was up anyway.

On 60 minutes Smith had to go off injured and Yilmaz had to go off knackered and James Fenton and Simon Hithersay replaced them as the Ruts switched to 4-4-2.

This formation was less effective and, allied to the fact that the young Hersham side were still reasonably fresh while the Ruts were starting to tire, the game swung and Hersham had the better of the closing half hour.

Indeed they opened the Ruts up on three seperate occasions but keeper Matt Bramley made brave blocks when a goal looked certain each time. The defence were playing well though, with Pete Day and Tom Hughes outstanding as Hersham put them under increasing pressure

Extra time was needed and by now the Ruts' resources were stretched to the limit. Sub Danny Poulter was still feeling the after effects of flu but had to come on as emergency centre-back for Piers Capper, who'd done brilliantly to get through the 90 minutes despite being injured early on. Nicola had been carrying an ankle knock since half time and could hardly run in the later stages but he too had to soldier on (what a hero!)

So a young, fit Hersham side seemed favourites as extra time started and their striker hit a rasping drive just over as they enjoyed most of the play. The Ruts responded when Nixon got into a shooting position on the left but hit his effort over too.

Bramley then made another superb save as Hersham pressed for the winner but the game turned with five minutes remaining when the Ruts won a free kick 30 yards out on the left touchline.

The big guns were sent forward as Poulter brought out the wand and flighted a glorious ball into the Hersham danger area where Nixon ghosted in and got the slightest touch with his head to help the ball into the far corner of the net. The Ruts jumped on him in jubilation while manager Yilmaz did a 'Brian Kidd' on the touchline as he sank to his knees and clenched his fists in delight. The tie was surely won.

In injury time the Ruts had the ball near the Hersham penalty area and with his manager screaming for him to run it into the corner, Nicola instead beat his man and struck a shot at goal which the keeper caught and immediately booted upfield. The ball was flicked on and a Hersham striker got the wrong side of Poulter in the area and he clumsily brought him down for a penalty. Yilmaz was more upset with Nicola for giving the ball away than he was at Poulter's schoolboy challenge!

The pressure on the Hersham captain was immense as he stepped up to shoulder the responsibility. Unfortunately for him he sent a nervy effort two feet wide and the Ruts were off the hook. Bramley hoofed the resultant goalkick upfield and the ref blew for time provoking much celebration from the Ruts players and supporters who can now look forward to a final against Weston Green on Monday 9th May.

By Steve Nicola

A brace from striker James Fenton enabled Old Rutlishians to win the first match of their crucial double header against fellow title challengers Spartak Molesey.

Fenton headed in just moments after a defensive mix-up had gifted Spartak the lead. He was giving his markers all sorts of problems with his good running off the ball and in the second half of an otherwise uneventful game he struck the winner with a well placed shot.

Keeper Roland Heal marked his return after a long injury absence with a diving save to his left to keep the Ruts ahead but that apart they had few scares thanks largely to a commanding defensive performance from Tom Hughes.

By Steve Nicola

Old Rutlishians went top of the league and all but ended Spartak's title challenge as they won a hard fought second game of their double header.

The first half passed with little incident before livening up after the break when Spartak pushed men forward knowing they had to win after losing the first match. They hit a couple of efforts wide as the game became more stretched but the Ruts were looking dangerous on the break.

Russell Nixon shot straight at the keeper twice when clean through on each occasion, before Simon Minihane skied a shot after breaking clear of what was by now a two man Spartak defence.

A goal was surely likely given the open nature of the match and it arrived five minutes from time when Darren Knott ran onto a bouncing through ball and calmly lobbed the keeper as he came racing from his goal.

So six vital points for the Ruts who didn't play as well as they can do and Spartak can feel unfortunate to have got nothing from their afternoon's work. But the results are the most important thing at this stage of the season and the Ruts need five points from their remaining three games to clinch the title.

By Steve Nicola

Old Rutlishians shook off a lethargic first half performance to claim all three points against a spirited Oxshott side.

The visitors dominated the first period with the Ruts resorting to quick breaks. Russell Nixon and Darren Knott both missed the target with long range volleys but that apart the Ruts didn't look like scoring.

Oxshott were controlling midfield and creating chances but poor finishing let them down until the 30th minute, when a miscued clearance from keeper Stuart Bedford landed straight at the feet of an Oxshott striker and he cooly lobbed home for 1-0.

Harsh words were meted out by player manager Erol Yilmaz during the interval and he brought himself on to shore up the midfield, moving Steve Nicola alongside him, Simon Minihane wide right and Knott up front.

This worked well and the Ruts slowly gained control in the second half. On 55 minutes Piers Capper rose highest to head in a free kick and the momentum was now with the Ruts.

Minihane was proving a handful on the right and his pace meant he was a good outlet, and on 65 minutes he had a decent shot blocked. Just before James Fenton swung in the resulting corner, Yilmaz instructed Nicola to attack the ball while he held the edge of the area and it proved a good decision when Nicola leapt high to nod in from six yards for 2-1.

Yilmaz and Nicola had wrestled control of the midfield from the Oxshott pairing and with Knott and Fenton looking lively up front, a third goal looked more likely than an Oxshott equaliser.

On 75 minutes Yilmaz won yet another header in the middle of the park, nodding it down to Nicola who played a first time through ball over the defence for Fenton to run onto. His marker was trying to let the ball run through to the keeper but Fenton stretched out a leg before the advancing keeper could clear and knocked the ball in for 3-1.

At the back Steve Rowlands and Craig Lyle were having magnificent games, ably assisted by Graham Winter and Capper, and it didn't look like Oxshott would find a way back into the match.

But keeper Bedford handed them a lifeline when he brought down a striker in the box and a nervy last five minutes looked on the cards. However, he made amends by plunging low to his right to parry the penalty and Minihane was on hand to deal with the rebound.

The Ruts comfortably saw out the last few minutes to seal a victory that had looked unlikely at half time, and they now know a win at MMB next week will see them crowned KDFL Division 3 champions.

By Steve Nicola

Old Rutlishians made hard work of getting the three points they needed to win KDFL Division Three.

MMB had to start the match with 10 men and the Ruts took full advantage, going ahead after just two minutes. Steve Nicola fed Darren Knott on the left and his cross was turned in at the far post by Simon Minihane.

Minutes later Minihane robbed the last defender but shot straight at the keeper, before Steve Rowlands and Nicola both headed over as the Ruts dominated.

But the expected cricket score never materialised as MMB got to grips with their task and, as often happens when a man short, the 10 men worked hard to make up for their shortcoming while the Ruts eased off thinking the match was won already.

They were woken up on the half hour when the nippy MMB forward stole in to nod a free kick in for 1-1 and then the same player found himself clean through only for Ruts keeper Stuart Bedford to stand firm and block with his legs.

Player manager Erol Yilmaz brought himself on at halftime and the Ruts started playing a bit more football rather than just hoofing it up to the front men.

Yilmaz immediately set up Rowlands but his shot whistled wide before Yilmaz himself shot wide. Soon after Rowlands got himself one-on-one with the keeper but his effort was blocked.

Nicola then beat two men on the right and put a cross on Minihane's head but the winger headed just over.

A goal was surely on its way and on 60 minutes Tom Hughes' goalbound header was blocked by an MMB hand and Knott stepped up to take the spot kick. He was denied though by a great save.

Ten minutes later Hughes was tripped in the area and Knott again assumed penalty duties only to see a poor effort kicked away by the keeper.

With 15 minutes to go the breakthrough finally arrived when Graham Winter's speculative cross was fumbled by the previously outstanding keeper and the ball squirmed into the net.

The floodgates now opened and the Ruts could've had four or five more. Knott had only the keeper to beat and with Nicola calling for a square pass and an easy tap in Knott inexplicably shot wide.

On 85 minutes Yilmaz tapped in before Minihane latched onto Matt Payne's long clearance in injury time and shot home to seal a 4-1 win that really should've been 14-1.

But the victory was the most important thing and the complacency that crept into the Ruts game after the first five minutes will not be there for the Surrey Cup final on May 9th.

By Steve Nicola

Old Rutlishians 'A' showed tremendous character and desire to battle back from a goal down and win the Surrey Lower Junior Cup.

Erol Yilmaz's troops were determined to become the first Ruts side to win a Surrey Cup but they got off to a terrible start when a mis-hit cross deceived keeper Stuart Bedford and flew into the net after just five minutes.

Weston Green naturally had their tails up and had a couple of half chances to add a second as they rained crosses into the Ruts penalty area.

Teams with less self belief and heart than the Ruts would've folded but they soon put the goal out of their minds and got to grips with their task, matching their physically superior opponents with as much gusto as they could muster as they fought and battled for every ball.

James Fenton was playing as a lone striker and his hard work and non-stop running gave the Weston back line a torrid time and the Ruts a good outlet. On 20 minutes he ran at the defence before slipping a clever square pass to Yilmaz who drew the keeper and slotted home the equaliser.

The game was back in the melting pot and on a rock hard pitch impossible to play attractive football on it was going to come down to who wanted it most.

The Ruts were now in the ascendency but their plans took a hit when Yilmaz was the recipient of a diabolical challenge which fractured his ankle. Darren Knott was an able replacement however and almost scored with his first touch when he hit a left foot volley over.

Piers Capper then connected well with a volley from a corner but his effort flew wide.

Moments before the break the Ruts had a glorious chance. Knott played a ball to Fenton who allowed it to run onto Steve Nicola on the edge of the area. He cut onto his right and played a superb pass across the six yard box for a lunging Fenton who was inches away from connecting and surely giving the Ruts a halftime lead.

The second period followed the same pattern as the first as every tackle was keenly contested and a few tasty challenges were being meted out by both sides. The ref was strict but fair and generally did well in testing conditions as both sets of players queried every decision vehemently.

Ruts centre back Tom Hughes had to be alert to clear off the line before Weston had their best chance of the match when their striker found himself clean through only to shoot over the bar when he should've at least tested Bedford.

The Ruts had opportunities too as Fenton and Russell Nixon shot wide before Nicola struck a low drive which the keeper kept out.

However this tight game turned on 70 minutes when a Weston player stamped on Hughes and was shown the red card. Despite the extra man and space the Ruts found it hard to break down Weston until the 87th minute. Steve Rowlands - who was rock solid in central midfield before moving into the back four - played the ball up the left wing to Knott in acres of space. He cut onto his right foot and floated a wonderful cross to the back post where Minihane arrived just ahead of Fenton to nod home for 2-1 and send the Ruts players and supporters wild.

By now the wise old head of Simon Hithersay was on the pitch and he played a crucial part in organising the Ruts as Weston threw everyone forward. Unfortunately Weston lost their discipline and had a man sent off for kicking the ball at the Ruts dugout in an incident in which Ruts sub Matt Payne also saw red for his angry reaction.

And in the dying moments of the seven minutes injury time another Weston player got his marching orders as the ref finally lost patience with his persistent moaning.

The Ruts came through the nervy closing stages unscathed though to claim a famous victory that owed everything to character, determination and an excellent team spirit that has earnt them a deserved place in Old Ruts history.