Tuesday 3rd September 2024.                       FA Cup, 1st Qualifying Round Replay.

Walton & Hersham 4 Hanworth Villa 2 (after extra-time).

Swans finally made it through to the 2nd Qualifying Round, and a prize home tie against National League South Farnborough, but only after another epic struggle to see off a battling Hanworth Villa side. They had equalised with just nine minutes of normal-time remaining of the first match, and there was slightly less than that left when Elliott Bolton’s goal took the replay to extra-time after they had trailed 2-1. Nana Owusu then marked his return to the side with two goals in the extra half-hour to seal the tie. The two matches had seen a total of twelve goals scored and several swings of fortune to make it a classic cup tie.
As well as Owusu returning, there were three other changes to the starting line-up from the first match. Fulham loanee Tom Olyott came in for his first start, with Johl Powell and Eoin Bolger also returning. The not fully fit Mason Obeng, Adam Mekki, Bolton, and the suspended Dawid Rogalski were the players dropping out.
Some slack play by Swans straight from the kick-off allowed the visitors to get down the left and force a corner, but home goalkeeper Jos Barker made a good catch from the kick.
Swans’ first threat came when Joey Jones’ through ball almost got Owusu through, but Villa keeper Mark Smith was quickly out to gather. It was Owusu who had the first real chance to open the scoring after 13 minutes. Josh Tobin slid a great ball through to send Owusu clear into the right of the box, but his shot to the near-post was kept out by the outstretched left leg of keeper Smith. The visitors continued to sit back, with Swans probing for an opening, but midway through the half Paul Field got Olyott into the right of the box to send a shot over the near, top corner. A patient build-up then led to Tobin getting Olyott into the right of the box to play the ball low across. Owusu failed to make contact in the middle, but Lucas Defise followed up on the edge of the box to drive in a low shot that went straight to Smith on his line. Owusu then sent a low shot just wide of the far-post from the left edge of the box.
Swans had dominated play, but with half an hour played an attack was broken up deep in the visitors’ half and Villa were able to get Quincy Patterson driving forward to the edge of the box, and he drove in a low shot that Barker saved down to his right.
Swans soon went close at the other end when another patient build-up led to Olyott drifting into the ‘D’ on the edge of the box to strike a low, left foot half-volley that Smith did well to save down to his left, just getting the ball round the post.
Swans’ pressure finally bore fruit with ten minutes of normal-time remaining of the half when they scored a terrific goal. Tobin looked up to spot Powell’s forward run, before chipping a tremendous ball over the top and into his path. Powell got clear into the box to chest the ball down and tuck it past Smith and inside the right post.
In the final minute of the half Anis Nuur was fouled twelve yards outside the left of the box, but Owusu’s free-kick was blocked.
Swans started the second-half on the front foot, Bolger immediately forcing a corner on the left. Defise was then played into the left of the box, but Owusu was just prevented from turning in his low cross.
The visitors had an opportunity to create something when they had a free-kick just outside the left of the box, but the shot was blocked.
In the first match Villa had trailed 2-0, but turned that into a lead in the space of eleven minutes, and they were to stun Swans again. They had hardly been in the game as an attacking force, but twelve minutes into the second-half they equalised in bizarre fashion. Archie Procter played the ball back to Barker, but his attempted pass out to Jones was intercepted by Finlay MacNab, and he had the simplest of tasks in beating the Swans’ keeper.
Just five minutes later the tie was again turned on its head as Villa took the lead. They forced a corner on the right, and the kick was met at the far-post by a downward header from George Wells that Barker saved down on his line, but the ball slipped from his grasp and Guy Ansah-Palmer stabbed it over the line.
This had knocked Swans out of their stride, and Procter was booked for a foul outside the right edge of the box, but the free-kick was blocked. Villa then won the ball in midfield, and MacNab got forward to 25 yards out to hit a terrific shot that brought a fine save from Barker, diving to his right to turn the ball round the post.
Swans, having already replaced Olyott with Obeng, then made their second and third substitutions, with Bolton coming on for Procter and Jaden Crowhurst for Bolger, and with a quarter of an hour remaining they went close to equalising. Tobin drove forward from deep in his own half before finding Owusu on the left, and he made a fine run past Ali Mansaray that took him to the byeline. Owusu sent an excellent cross over to the far-post to pick out Obeng, but he headed a great chance wide.
Swans continued to concede free-kicks in dangerous positions, and Villa had one inside the ‘D’ on the edge of the box. Wells curled a left-foot shot over the wall that looked destined for the top, right corner, but Barker further atoned for his earlier errors by diving across and pushing the ball wide.
Swans brought on Alex Body for Defise, and with eight minutes of normal-time remaining they equalised. Powell forced a corner on the right, and from Obeng’s kick the ball was headed away. Body was found wide on the right, and when he crossed back into the box, the ball was again headed away. Bolton was on the edge of the box to strike the ball on the half-volley. He did not hit the ball at all cleanly, but Smith appeared to be unsighted as it bounced inside the right post.
Swans continued to live dangerously as they conceded a series of four free-kicks, plus a corner, allowing Villa to get the ball into their box. The third of the free-kicks resulted in a free header that was fortunately straight at Barker.
A tense five minutes of added-on time ended with Bolton forcing a corner on the left for Swans. Owusu played the kick short to Tobin, who played a neat one-two with Nuur to get into the left of the box, but after getting in at the near-post he was just closed out. The final whistle immediately blew, and the tie went to extra-time.
Swans started the extra 30 minutes well, Body almost getting in, with Smith coming out to the edge of his area to deny him. Tobin then sent another excellent ball through to send Owusu driving into the left of the box, but his low shot passed inches wide of the far-post.
Villa forced a corner on the right, and Ansah-Palmer was on the edge of the 6 yard-box to glance a header just wide.
Swans then went a long way to sealing the tie seven minutes into the first period. Crowhurst headed the ball forward to Body, who forced his way into the box under pressure from Mansaray. Body then got in front of the Villa defender just inside the box on the right, and was judged to have been pushed over. The penalty award looked somewhat contentious, but no more than the one awarded against Swans in the first match. It mattered little to Owusu however, who drove the ball unerringly past Smith to give Swans a 3-2 lead.
The visitors looked deflated, and Owusu broke clear into the left of the box to have his cross turned behind for a corner. Tobin then struck a fine shot from 30 yards that flew just wide of the right post. A free-kick was then awarded just outside the left corner of the box, and when Bolton swung the ball in Tobin got a slight touch at the near-post and it flew across goal and just wide.
Five minutes into the second period Bolton played a long ball over the top to send Nuur driving clear into the left of the box, but his shot to the far corner was just kept out by the outstretched left leg of Smith. The Villa keeper was soon making another fine save when Nuur sent Body driving from halfway and into the left of the box. Body turned inside Bruno Robertson-Tingle to shoot for the far, top corner, but Smith stuck out a strong left hand to paw the ball away.
Barker made a good take on his line when Villa drove the ball across from the left touchline, but Swans soon made the tie safe. Bolton played the ball from the centre-circle out to Owusu on the left, and he drove past Mansaray and into the box to slot low into the far corner.
Villa suffered a further blow in the 120th minute when Manny Parry was shown a straight red card, presumably for remarks made to the referee.
There was a lengthy period of added-on time before the final whistle blew to signal Swans’ passage.

Swans’ Team: Jos Barker, Paul Field, Eoin Bolger (Jaden Crowhurst 74’), Joey Jones, Archie Procter (Elliot Bolton 74’), Lucas Defise (Alex Body 79’), Tom Olyott (Mason Obeng 55’), Josh Tobin, Nana Owusu, Johl Powell (James Hall 119’), Anis Nuur. Sub. not used: Will Davis. Scorers: Powell (35’), Bolton (82’), Owusu (97’ [pen.] & 117’). Cautions: Jones, Procter, Powell, Crowhurst.
Hanworth Villa Team: Smith, Mansaray, Nunn (Millo 46’), Ansah-Palmer (Djouadj 106’), Parry, Wells, Crawford, Mead, S. Merson (Randall 31’), MacNab (Roberson-Tingle 105’), Patterson (Jolley 70’). Subs. not used: Knight, O’Neill. Scorers: MacNab (57’), Ansah-Palmer (62’). Cautions: Wells, Crawford, Millo. Dismissal: Parry.