Tuesday 18th October 2022. Velocity Cup, 2nd Round.
Walton & Hersham 1 Northwood 0.
Swans met the Division leaders for the second time in three weeks, and edged another win to go through to a 3rd Round meeting at home to Southall on the 15th of November. A penalty shoot-out was looming until Jordan Adeyemi scored a fine goal with less than ten minutes remaining to settle the tie.
With fixtures coming thick and fast, the opportunity was taken to make changes, a number of regular starters being rested. Max Blackmore, John Gilbert and Harry Mills all dropped to the bench, while Taurean Roberts, Dominic Ogun and Alex Kelly were omitted from the squad altogether. Devan Tanton was unavailable, while Ollie Twum was injured. Recent signing Dom Pires came in for his debut.
Swans had two chances to take the lead in the opening two minutes. Arsen Ujkaj and Eddie Simon combined on the left, and Ujkaj got in on the byline to drive the ball low across to Josh Millo at the far-post, but he drove the chance over. Simon then set up a chance on the edge of the box for Ujkaj, but again the shot cleared the crossbar.
The visitors soon had a chance when Oluwajuwon Akintunde got free on the right, and he set up Rahim Jude-Boyd in front of goal, but he could not sort his feet out and the ball was cleared. They went even closer with a quarter of an hour played when Carl Stewart’s shot from the edge of the box was deflected onto the right post and the ball went behind.
Swans built up a fine move that got Joe Pratley-Jones free on the right, but his cross went over the goal and behind. Northwood had an opportunity to deliver a free-kick from deep on the right, but when Stewart sent the ball into the box the referee blew up for a foul. Swans threatened again with some excellent play by Adeyemi on the right, but his low ball across the box was cleared. Pratley-Jones won a corner on the right after being found by Ujkaj, and when Millo played it short to Flynn Bolton, his cross was cut out by Northwood goalkeeper Andy McCorkell.
The visitors again went close when they were awarded a free-kick level with the edge of the box on the right. Former Swan Andy Lomas swung the ball in, and it was tipped onto the bar by keeper Liam Allen, before being driven wide of the right post.
Millo again drove a shot over for Swans when Bolton’s fine through ball got him to the right edge of the box, and a Pratley-Jones’ long throw from the right was headed behind for a corner, but Millo’s kick went behind. Swans continued to make a strong finish to the half, and when Adeyemi was set-up in the right of the box he had a shot blocked. In the final minute Simon went down after getting into the box, and Millo crossed from the left for Ujkaj to head over from close to the penalty-spot.
Northwood began the second-half with Jude-Boyd driving in a shot from 25 yards that Allen got behind on his line.
Blackmore had started the second-half, replacing Ujkaj, and he got into the right of the box to get in a shot from a tight angle that was deflected for a corner on the right. From Millo’s kick Joe Hicks put a header over.
The visitors’ skipper Luke Tingey had put in several long throws into Swans’ box, and just before the hour a header was put over when he launched one from the right.
Northwood keeper McCorkell went down to make a save at the right post following Millo’s corner from the left, and Adeyemi made a clever run on the right leading to Blackmore just being denied at the near-post. Mills had come on for Maliq Morris, and he had an opportunity to deliver a free-kick from the right, but it went wide of the far-post.
At the other end Akintunde got clear, but Allen was out to make a fine save at his feet.
With a quarter of an hour remaining Blackmore did well in the right of the box before laying off to Simon, who turned to have a shot deflected wide. Gilbert was Swans’ fourth substitution, having replaced Bolton, and he got in a shot that McCorkell just put wide of the right post following a fine run on the right by Adeyemi.
Swans had hit a good spell, and with just under ten minutes remaining they made the breakthrough. Jude Molloy, who earlier had come on for Pires, found Adeyemi on the right, and he cut inside to drive a fine left foot shot low into the far corner.
Swans could immediately have had a chance to make it 2-0 when a long ball out of defence sent Millo clear and into the box, where he was clearly pushed over, but the referee saw no offence. As the match entered the final five minutes Pratley-Jones won the ball on the right and got Millo to the byline, but his driven cross went low across the goal-face. Simon then drove in a terrific shot from 30 yards that flew just wide of the left post. In the final minute of normal-time Northwood almost gifted Swans a second goal. Brandon Kalu passed the ball back from deep out on his right touchline, not realising McCorkell had left his goal, and the keeper just managed to get back and clear it off the goal-line and put it behind at the right-post.
Northwood had a last chance to force a penalty shoot-out when they won a corner on the right deep into stoppage-time. Keeper McCorkell came up as the visitors put everyone onto the box, but Allen was able to punch clear.
Swans’ Team: Liam Allen, Joe Pratley-Jones, Dom Pires (Jude Molloy 55’), Maliq Morris (Harry Mills 61’), Charlie Nicholas, Joe Hicks, Josh Millo, Arsen Ujkaj (Max Blackmore 46’), Eddie Simon, Flynn Bolton (John Gilbert 67’), Jordan Adeyemi. Sub. not used: Sam Mead. Scorer: Adeyemi (81’). Caution: Morris, foul (38’).
Northwood Team: McCorkell, Kalu, Lomas, Pepaj (Jenkins 87’), Tingey, Gurteen, Hutchins (Helmore 69’), Jude-Boyd, Akintunde (Reade 84’), Tabor (Costa Dias Fernandes 46’), Stewart. Sub. not used: Daggett. Caution: Akintunde, kicked ball away (20’).
