Swans 4 Molesey 0

Saturday 25th September 2021.   Cherry Red Combined Counties League Premier Division South.

Walton & Hersham 4    Molesey 0.

Swans met their near neighbours for the first time in a competitive match for over five years, and were never seriously threatened from picking up another win. That last meeting saw a fine Molesey side complete a league double over a Swans’ side who were already resigned to relegation to the Combined Counties League. Swans have yet to regain their previous status, but they are making positive strides to do so, and they did not have to show their full qualities to see off the challenge of a game Molesey side that is struggling without a point at the bottom of the division. Although it did not turn out to be the goal-fest some were predicting, with the home side never quite hitting top form, there were enough further chances, including a saved penalty-kick, to have made the result even more convincing.

With Dominic Ogun still not fit, and Tom Cursons having started university, Swans had to field a side lacking a specialist central striker, midfielder Alex Kelly taking over the number 9 shirt. Kelly’s fellow influential midfielder Jacob Munting was absent unwell, along with Louis Collins, but both Reece Brewster and Harry Mills were able to return, while Alec Fiddes made his first start.

Swans would have been looking for an early goal to stamp their authority on the match, but it wasn’t until the eighth minute that they had an opportunity, the opening coming from an error by the visitors. A miscued pass in defence allowed Fiddes to get into space on the right, but his cross into the box was cleared away. Swans soon went closer when Kelly laid the ball back on the right to Brewster, who cut inside before striking a left-foot shot that Molesey goalkeeper Theo Bromley did well to push away, diving to his right.

Palace Francis just failed to get to the ball in the box after Max Hustwick had found Fiddes on the right to drive in a low cross, before Swans were awarded a rare penalty with just under twenty minutes played. There was no controversy this time about the decision, as Francis was clearly tripped as he got just inside the box on the left. Mills was the nominated taker, but Bromley dived to his right to push the ball wide of the post as the kick was struck at a relatively comfortable height for the keeper.

Molesey soon had a rare opportunity when a free-kick was awarded for handball just outside the right corner of the box, but Ade Owolana’s delivery was cleared away. Swans soon had a free-kick opportunity of their own, but Joe Hicks put his header over the goal when Brewster sent the ball into the box from the right.

The breakthrough came after 25 minutes, this time Molesey being punished for more defensive slackness. The ball was lost to Mills in midfield, and he was able to drive forward into the left of the box, but instead of shooting he found Fiddes on the right, who slotted home from a tight angle.

Swans continued to dominate, forcing a couple of corners without seriously threatening to add to their lead, and the visitors had another free-kick opportunity in a similar positon as previously, and again following handball, the ball having struck Hicks’ arm from a driven right-side cross. This time Kissi Williams-Junior got his head to Harry Boxall’s kick, but the ball went over the goal.

Swans finally doubled their lead after 37 minutes, and it came from a terrific goal. Francis got the ball ten yards outside the box, and he made room before striking a tremendous shot that the keeper got a hand on, but found carried too much power to keep out of the top of his net.

Swans were hoping for a second penalty when a fine ball from Hustwick sent Darryl Siaw on a run into the right of the box, but Twumasi’s challenge that sent the right-back tumbling was judged to be fair by the referee, with no protests to the contrary. Kelly was played into the box, and Zach Dainkeh did the same for Francis on the left, but on both occasions determined defending by Molesey enabled them to block the ball away. In the final minute of the half Dainkeh stole the ball and put Fiddes away on the right, but his cross into the box was just too high to find the head of Mills.

Soon after the resumption Swans put together a fine build-up on the right, resulting in Mills laying the ball back to Kelly on the edge of the box, but after working the opening his shot was blocked on the line by keeper Bromley. A fine piece of counter-attacking soon followed when Swans broke from a Molesey attack and Fiddes found Mills on the right, who set up Kelly in the box, but after his shot was again blocked the flag went up for offside.

The visitors’ best hopes of getting on the goal-sheet looked to be from a set-piece, and they had an opportunity with a free-kick outside the right of the box following a foul by Hicks that earnt the Swans’ skipper a yellow card, but Boxall’s delivery was headed away at the far-post by Siaw.

Swans almost made it 3-0 when a poor clearance allowed Kelly to get into the right of the box, but his attempt to slip the ball into the far, bottom corner was just inches wide of the post. With the hour mark coming up Kelly was at the far-post to get his head to Fiddes’s left-side corner, but the ball was headed away from under the crossbar and behind for another kick on the left.

Swans’ keeper Liam Allen had seen little action against his former club, but he was almost caught out when he was spotted off his line by Antonio Officer on the right, but the Molesey number 9’s lob dipped over the goal. The visitors were hoping to capitalise on a spell of slack play by the home side, Boxall sending a free-kick into the box, the same player then taking a corner needlessly given away on the left, but neither came to anything. Francis was shown a yellow card for a foul on the right, but he made amends by being in the right place to head clear from Boxall’s free-kick.

Swans made it 3-0 after 72 minutes with their second penalty of the match. Successive corners were won on the right, and from the second taken by Mills the ball was kept off the head of Hicks by a Molesey hand. This time Kelly stepped up for the kick, and made no mistake, slipping the ball past the keeper.

Kelly soon had the chance to make it 4-0 and score his second of the afternoon, but after being sent clear and taking the ball round the keeper he failed to find the target.

Molesey had another set-piece opportunity with a free-kick outside the left corner of the box, but Boxall’s kick again failed to produce, the ball being sent over the goal. Kristian Campbell then sent in a shot from the edge of the box, but it carried little power and Allen had the easiest of saves.

With five minutes of normal-time remaining Mills set up a chance for substitute Onur Bakici, playing him clear into the right of the box, but he drove the ball over the bar.

Allen then saw his first serious piece of action, the Swans’ keeper diving to his right to push the ball round the post when Williams-Junior got in a shot from the left edge of the box.

Allen’s opposite number Bromley almost gifted Swans a fourth goal when he cleared the ball straight to Will Kouadio, but after getting to the edge of the box the substitute’s shot was blocked by the keeper. But with the match entering stoppage-time Bakici was played down the right, and his low ball into the 6 yard-box was turned past his own keeper by Dan Choules to make the final score 4-0.

Swans’ Team: Liam Allen, Darryl Siaw (Dan Taylor 86’), Jordayne Henry, Reece Brewster, Max Hustwick (Harry Pointing 77’), Joe Hicks, Alec Fiddes (Darren Simpson 68’), Zach Dainkeh (Onur Bakici 77’), Alex Kelly, Harry Mills, Palace Francis (Will Kouadio 79’). Scorers: Fiddes (25’), Francis (37’), Kelly, penalty (72’), Choules, own goal (90+1’). Cautions: Hicks, foul (51’), Francis, foul (70’).

Molesey Team: Bromley, Gjoshe, Twumasi, Choules, Smith, Thomas (Owolami 14’), Robinson (Evans 82’), Boxall, Officer (Barnett 79’), Williams-Junior, Campbell.  Caution: Twumasi, foul (52’).