Saturday 17th August 2024. Southern League, Premier Division South.

Walton & Hersham 5 Merthyr Town 2.

Swans made it two home wins on the trot by a three goal margin with a terrific performance against a very good Merthyr Town side. Their Welsh visitors had begun the new season in fine style, winning their opening two matches and scoring eight goals with none conceded, but after being well in the game at the break, trailing just 1-0, they were blown away in the second-half. The big contributor to the goal fest was Nana Owusu, who scored a magnificent first hat-trick for Swans, after only being back at the club for less than a week. The left-side wide player will rightly grab the headlines, but there were many excellent performances in an overall commanding display. The only sour note for Swans was an injury to skipper Joey Jones early in the second-half that could see him side-lined for a while. Jones was replaced by Josh Tobin, who was available again following a suspension carried over from last season and was named on the bench, the only change to the starting line-up being Elliott Bolton coming in for Eoin Bolger, who was carrying an injury.
The visitors started strongly, soon forcing a corner on the left, and when it was played short Keiran Evans was on the left edge of the box to put a shot wide of the near-post.
Mason Obeng was soon delivering a fine cross from the right for Swans, but Owusu just failed to get on the end of it at the far-post. The home side did not have to wait long before taking the lead however, doing so after just four minutes. Lucas Defise’s ball down the left led to Merthyr being pinned by their right corner-flag by Owusu and Bolton, and the tracking-back Evans in trying to clear could only see the ball deflect off Bolton to Dawid Rogalski in the left of the box. Rogalski laid the ball across to the penalty-spot for Obeng to get in front of Noah Smerdon and clip the ball with his left-foot past Martyrs’ goalkeeper Jaimie Cogman for his first Swans’ goal.
Merthyr continued to look impressive coming forward, and after they got into the left of the box Kane Simpson had a close-in shot that took a deflection, and the ball went behind for a corner on the right.
Obeng made a clever run into the right of the box for Swans, and after a neat one-two with Rogalski he was just blocked at the near-post.
Merthyr’s Alex John made space 25 yards out before sending a low shot wide of the left post.
Both sides had settled well, and when Rogalski picked the ball up just inside the visitors’ half he spotted Cogman off his line and sent a shot on target, but the Martyrs’ keeper just got back to prevent the ball going over his head.
Despite being behind, Merthyr continued to show their qualities, and when they built up a move on the right Lee Lucas drove a shot just wide of the far-post from the corner of the box.
Defise forced a corner on the left for Swans, and following the kick Bolton sent in a fine cross that Johl Powell got a touch on at the near-post, and Cogman had to tip the ball over his crossbar. From Owusu’s right-side corner Rogalski planted a header wide at the far-post. Swans had begun to dominate, and with half an hour played Jaden Crowhurst made a fine run into the right of the box, but no-one could get on the end of his high ball across the 6 yard-box. Swans soon went close to doubling their lead when Powell found Obeng on the right, and he laid the ball off to Crowhurst. Powell had got to the right edge of the box to pick up Crowhurst’s lay inside, and he drove in a right foot shot that Cogman superbly tipped onto the bar and over.
Merthyr began to threaten again, and Smerdon’s cross from the left led to the ball being scrambled away at the near-post. Lucas then got to the byeline on the left to cross low to the near-post, where Smerdon put wide under pressure.
Swans responded with Bolton driving in a strong, low shot from outside the left corner of the box that was blocked, and Powell winning a corner on the right with some fine play.
The visitors threatened again as the half entered the final five minutes, and Paul Field made a great block when Ricardo Rees got in at the left post.
Swans made a strong finish to the half, winning the ball and Rogalski getting into the box to have a shot blocked for a corner. A good move on the left led to the ball being switched to the right and Obeng laying back to Crowhurst 30 yards out, and his shot being beaten down by keeper Cogman. Swans went close to making it 2-0 in added-on time when the Martyrs’ Tom Handley under-hit a back-pass from deep on the left and Powell nipped in to collect and drive into the box, but his low, left foot shot was well blocked by Cogman on the corner of his 6 yard-box. The ball was headed out to Rogalski in the left corner of the box, but after turning he shot well over.
Swans made the ideal start to the second-half, doubling their lead just a minute in. Obeng got possession on halfway on the right before finding Rogalski and taking a terrific return pass to drive forward into the right of the box. Obeng crossed low across the box to pick out Owusu coming in unmarked on the left, and he slid the ball low inside the far-post from the corner of the 6 yard-box.
Merthyr’s Simpson was fouled 25 yards out on the right, but John’s free-kick into the box was headed away.
Swans’ dream start to the second-half continued as they went 3-0 up just six minutes in. Crowhurst played the ball through to Rogalski on the edge of the box, and when his shot was blocked he showed great strength to keep possession before clipping the ball to Owusu on the left. Owusu was faced by both Evans and Handley, but he nipped between them to drive into the 6 yard-box and send the ball low into the far corner.
Jones had been clattered by John in the centre-circle in the build-up and could not continue, with Tobin coming on.
The visitors soon made a quadruple substitution to try to change things. This almost reaped instant reward as they built up a good attack on the left, and when the ball was switched to Lewys Twamley on the right he laid the ball across to Lucas on the edge of the box, and he sent a great shot against the bar, the ball bouncing down in the 6 yard-box before it was cleared. Callum Ryan-Phillips then cut in from the right to send a shot wide of the far-post.
Swans immediately brought on Bolger for Crowhurst, followed shortly by Anis Nuur replacing Defise.
The visitors’ spell of pressure paid off with just over twenty minutes remaining when they reduced the deficit. A good ball from the centre-circle picked out Rees on the left, and he cut inside past Bolton to drive a fine shot in-off the far post.
Merthyr immediately went close to making it 3-2 when Rees played Cole Jarvis into the box, and his low shot was superbly blocked on the line by Swans’ keeper Jos Barker with his legs.
Swans immediately broke, with Obeng playing the ball through to Rogalski, who found Powell on the right. Powell drove into the box to send in a low shot that Cogman blocked with his legs at his near-post.
Merthyr had thrown men forward to try to get back into the game, and this proved their downfall. With just over a quarter of an hour remaining Swans played the ball around at the back before Bolton played the ball down the right to put Powell totally in the clear with Rogalski also breaking to his left. The Martyrs appealed for offside, but it looked like Nick Rhodes had been slow moving up, and Powell drove into the right of the box before laying across to Rogalski unmarked on the edge of the 6 yard-box, and he hooked the ball into the left corner.
Four minutes later it was 5-1 to Swans. A patient build-up led to Nuur finding Owusu on the left, and he drove past Ryan-Phillips and into the 6 yard-box to beat Cogman at his near-post with a low shot into the far corner to complete his hat-trick.
Swans immediately brought on Cam Thompson and Alex Body for Obeng and Powell, before they gifted Merthyr a second goal with just under ten minutes remaining. Archie Procter played the ball back to Barker in the left of Swans’ box, but the keeper failed to control it, and when Simpson nipped in to block it rebounded off the Martyrs’ striker and into the goal.
Swans almost hit back immediately as Nuur played Rogalski down the right, and when he laid the ball back to Bolton five yards outside the corner of the box he struck a great shot just past the far-post. Another good build-up led to Bolton playing the ball through to Thompson, and from 5 yards outside the right edge of the box he struck a left foot shot that clipped the top of the crossbar.
Jarvis went close for Merthyr when he was found in the left corner of the box and curled a shot wide of the far-post, but Swans should have added to their score in the final minute of normal-time. Nuur played the ball through to send Body clear for a one-on-one with the keeper, but after getting into the box he clipped the ball wide of the right post. There were still further chances in stoppage-time. Body shot just wide of the near-post after doing well in the right of the box, and Bolger got Rogalski in to make room and have a shot blocked by Cogman. The keeper then made another fine save as Nuur followed up..

Swans’ Team: Jos Barker, Paul Field, Elliott Bolton, Joey Jones (Josh Tobin 53’), Archie Procter, Lucas Defise (Anis Nuur 67’), Jaden Crowhurst (Eoin Bolger 64’), Mason Obeng (Cameron Thompson 78’), Dawid Rogalski, Johl Powell (Alex Body 78’), Nana Owusu. Scorers: Obeng (4’), Owusu (46’, 51’ & 78’), Rogalski (74’).
Merthyr Team: Cogman, Ryan-Phillips, Handley (Angel 57’), Thomas (Jarvis 57’), John (Twamley 57’), Simpson, Rees, Smerdon, Harris (Rhodes 57’), Lucas, Evans. Sub. not used: Fuller. Scorers: Rees (69’), Simpson (81’). Cautions: Angel, dissent (82’), Lucas, foul (86’).