Friday 30th August 2024.                      FA Cup, 1st Qualifying Round.

Hanworth Villa 3 Walton & Hersham 3.

With just over an hour played Swans looked to be well on their way to a place in the 2nd Qualifying Round draw as they led 2-0, but the home side quickly got a goal back and then scored twice more in eleven minutes to turn the tie on its head. A pulsating FA Cup match still had twists however, as Swans’ pressure paid off with the equaliser, and they then twice went desperately close to settling the tie at the first attempt.
With Cam Thompson having been injured against Chertsey Town and Johl Powell not fully fit, Josh Tobin made his first start of the season, with Adam Mekki and Anis Nuur also coming in.
Swans’ goalkeeper Jos Barker was immediately having to be quickly out to gather the ball, and Villa soon went close. George Wells won the ball in midfield and found Sam Merson in the right of the box to send a low shot just wide of the far-post.
Swans were soon forcing the first corner of the match when Dawid Rogalski was just denied in the right of the box. Tobin then made a good run forward before playing the ball through low into the box, and home keeper Mark Smith had to be quickly out to deny Mekki.
Merson launched a long throw into the box from the left for Villa, and Swans had some difficulty scrambling the ball clear. Barker then just got to the ball when a free-kick was delivered in from close to the left corner-flag.
Swans built up a good move that switched the ball from wing to wing, leading to Mekki sending a low shot wide of the far-post from the left edge of the box. Mekki again went close after he had sent Lucas Defise on a run down the left. Nuur laid the ball back to him two yards outside the box, and he sent a right foot shot curling over. Joey Jones had to head away another Merson long throw from the left, but Swans were soon building up another fine move that led to Mason Obeng sending a low shot wide of the right post from 25 yards out.
The home side got in a low shot from distance that Barker got well behind, before Swans went the closest so far to opening the scoring midway through the half. Jones found Obeng on the right with a fine diagonal ball, and he played a great through pass that sent Tobin driving clear to the right corner of the 6 yard-box, but his low shot was just inches the wrong side of the far-post. Nuur forced a corner on the right, and from Mekki’s kick Jones was at the near-post to glance a header across goal.
Villa were awarded a free-kick just ahead of the centre-circle for a foul by Jones, and when the ball was delivered into the box it was twice headed away before a shot came in that sent it bouncing through to Barker. With half an hour played another long throw by Merson from the left resulted in the ball finding the net, but the referee had spotted a foul.
More fine play by Swans on the right led to Obeng playing the ball inside to Rogalski on the edge of the box, and he let it run to Mekki, who sent a first-time shot just wide of the near-post. Villa could not get Jones off the ball as he got forward before sending Rogalski clear into the right of the box to drive in a shot that Smith kept out with a fine save at his near-post. Swans should have taken the lead with two minutes of normal-time left of the half when Tobin sent a superb ball over the top to send Obeng clear into the right of the box, but faced with a one-on-one with Smith he scuffed his shot and the Villa keeper just got his body behind the ball.
Swans were soon attacking in the second-half, and a good move led to Obeng getting down the right to have a low cross put behind for a corner. Another patient build-up then resulted in Rogalski sending a shot dipping over from 35 yards. Rogalski then played Defise into the right of the box to have a shot blocked for a corner.
Swans immediately brought on Tom Olyott on for Mekki, the 18 year-old making his debut after joining on loan from Fulham.
The home side appealed for a penalty when Finlay MacNab drove past Archie Procter on the left to get in on the byeline before going down, but the referee did not agree.
Swans immediately took the lead after 53 minutes. Tobin strode forward before slipping a great ball through to put Defise into the right of the box, and he shimmied to the right of keeper Smith to score inside the right post off MacNab and register his first goal for Swans.
Olyott got forward to get in a shot from 35 yards, but Smith made an easy save, before Swans doubled their lead after 62 minutes. A patient move led to Nuur clipping a fine ball down the left to get Obeng clear, and his low cross was side-footed in by Rogalski from the edge of the 6 yard-box for his fifth goal in as many games.
Swans were then guilty of switching off as they allowed Villa to hit back straightaway. A free-kick was conceded deep on the right, and Merson delivered the ball into the box for Barker to punch away. The ball was not cleared however, and after a scramble MacNab was free to drive it in.
Just four minutes later it was 2-2. Defise was caught in possession deep on Swans’ right, and Merson got into the left of the box before going down under an innocuous challenge from Paul Field, and the referee awarded a really soft penalty. Merson made no mistake from the spot, driving the ball to Barker’s left.
Swans were stunned with just over a quarter of an hour left as they found themselves trailing. Dylan Randall picked out the run of MacNab down the right, and when Elliott Bolton could not close him down he lobbed the ball over the advancing Barker from the corner of the box with Field just unable to keep it out.
Another long throw from the right by Merson led to him having a shot from the right corner of the box blocked at his near-post by Barker, while at the other end a run on the right by Swans’ substitute Jaden Crowhurst led to three successive corners for the visitors.
Swans turned up the pressure on the home goal, and with just under ten minutes of normal-time remaining they made it 3-3. Olyott played the ball in from the right to Rogalski, and he slipped a great, first-time pass through to Jones in the right of the box, and he tucked the ball inside the near-post for his first Swans’ goal.
Another long throw from Merson on the left had to be headed clear by Swans, before Nuur got forward to put a low shot wide of the left post. Then, with 88 minutes played, Rogalski found Obeng on the left, and he got to the corner of the box to send a tremendous shot dipping against the crossbar. Deep into added-on time Swans again went close to winning it when Bolton’s cross from wide on the left picked out Olyott in the right of the box, and he side-stepped Wells to drive in a shot that Smith superbly kept out at his near-post, turning the ball over with a one-handed save.

Swans’ Team: Jos Barker, Paul Field, Elliot Bolton, Joey Jones, Archie Procter, Lucas Defise (Jaden Crowhurst 73’), Adam Mekki (Tom Olyott 51’), Mason Obeng, Dawid Rogalski, Josh Tobin, Anis Nuur. Subs. not used: Eoin Bolger, Johl Powell, Alex Body, Will Davis. Scorers: Defise (53’), Rogalski (62’), Jones (81’).
Hanworth Villa Team: Smith, Mansaray, Nunn (Randall 56’), Mead, Parry, Wells, Crawford, MacNab (O’Neill 88’), Nicholas, S. Merson, Robertson-Tingle (Djouadj. 68’). Subs. not used: Knight, Millo, Mewes, Hathaway. Scorers: MacNab (63’ & 74’), S. Merson, penalty (67’). Caution: Mead, foul (56’).