Saturday 28th September 2024.                         FA Cup, 3rd Qualifying Round.

Tonbridge Angels 2 Walton & Hersham 1.

Swans’ FA Cup journey came to an end as they played strong Step 2 opposition for the second round running. National League South Angels are unbeaten this season, but they were pushed all the way by a Swans’ side that can consider themselves somewhat unfortunate that they did not force at least a replay. They were good value for a 1-0 half-time lead, but a contentious penalty awarded soon after the resumption, wiped out that advantage. This gave the Kent side the momentum to have a dominant spell, leading to them taking the lead. Swans were then unfortunate not to equalise as Dan Rowe’s shot struck the crossbar.
The home side applied early pressure, with several threatening attacks down the left. Jos Barker got to the ball when it was played in low from the left, and the Swans’ goalkeeper was again in action when Tonbridge broke from defence to attack. Sean Shields got down the left before laying off to Liam Vincent, whose cross picked out the run of Trevan Robinson to the near-post, but Eoin Bolger just prevented him from getting a touch, and Barker was able to fall on the ball. Vincent again got down the left to drive the ball low across the 6 yard-box. Shields again got joy down the left to cross to the right of the box, where Mason Obeng could not prevent Jason Adigun from getting past him on the byeline to cross low to the near-post, where Bolger put the ball behind for a corner.
Following the right-side kick the ball was headed across from the far-post, and when Lucas Defise cleared from the left of the box, this led to Swans creating a good opportunity to take the lead. Obeng stole the ball from Vincent on the left touchline and drove forward before finding Tom Olyott in space on the right. Olyott got to the edge of the box to guide a low, left foot shot wide of the far-post, with Nana Owusu unmarked to his left. Johl Powell then got the ball to Olyott on the left, but his cross dipped wide of the far-post. After an uncertain start Swans had begun to settle, and Obeng again won the ball just outside the left of the box, but the move broke down and Tonbridge were able to break.
The home side built up a fine move that again led to Vincent being found on the left, and his cross deflected off Josh Tobin to force a corner.
With 26 minutes played Swans had a great chance to take the lead. The move started with keeper Barker, and led to Tobin playing a terrific ball over the top from deep inside his own half that picked out the run of Powell down the right. Powell drove between Vincent and Ronny Nelson to get into the right of the box, but his low shot was saved by keeper Toby Steward at his near-post.
A similar run by Powell resulted in Swans taking the lead after 36 minutes. Clever play by Defise in the centre-circle led to him getting forward before sending Powell again driving between Nelson and Vincent and into the right of the box. This time the Swans’ player was brought down by Vincent, and the referee pointed to the penalty-spot. Owusu stepped up to drive the spot-kick into the bottom, right corner.
Straight from the restart a foul by Tobin gave Tonbridge a free-kick just outside the box on the left byeline. The delivery was met by the head of Nelson at the near-post, and Adigun was on the edge of the 6 yard-box to glance a header over.
Tobin played another fine ball down the right, and Powell just kept the ball in on the touchline, but after cutting into the box he was closed out.
In the final minute of the half Tonbridge played a corner short on the right that led to Adigun crossing to the far-post, where Nazir Bakrin sent a strong header straight at Barker.
Swans made a double change for the second-half, with Paul Field replacing Joey Jones, who was feeling an injury, and Dan Rowe coming on for Obeng.
Angels equalised almost immediately however, following their first attack that forced a corner on the left. Shields’ kick was punched away at the near-post by Barker, but the ball only reached Adigun on the left edge of the box, and his shot was judged to have struck the arm of Defise, which was close-in to his body just two yards away. The penalty award looked extremely harsh, but Vincent made it 1-1 with a shot into the bottom, left corner.
Barker looked to have been fouled when Tonbridge delivered a free-kick into the box from the left, but the ball was cleared as play was allowed to continue. The Swans’ keeper then made a good catch at the far-post from Jeremy Santos’s free-kick from the right touchline after Owusu had been booked following a foul. Elliott Bolton then headed away at the far-post when Santos delivered a dangerous, diagonal ball in from the right. Swans had struggled to get forward as the home side continued to apply pressure, and Shields set up Scott Wagstaff 25 yards out to get in a good strike that Barker got well behind on his line.
The pressure finally paid off after 69 minutes when Angels took the lead. They were allowed to build up a move around the edge of the box, leading to Santos finding Vincent on the left. Vincent drove the ball in low across the edge of the 6 yard-box, where Noel Leighton got in front of Archie Procter to tuck it past Barker and into the right corner.
Swans’ attacks had been rare, but just four minutes after falling behind they went desperately close to equalising. Tobin was in the centre-circle to deliver another fine pass to pick out the run of Rowe to the left edge of the box. Rowe got clear to the corner of the 6 yard-box to clip a left foot shot against the crossbar.
Swans made further substitutions, with Anis Nuur coming on for Bolger, and late-on Adam Mekki and Alex Body replacing Procter and Owusu, but they struggled to create further openings. As the tie entered added-on time a good build-up led to Olyott playing the ball in low from the right, but it was cleared. One last opportunity to force a replay presented itself, with a free-kick awarded just outside the right of the box. Mekki delivered the ball to the far-post, where Nuur looked to be pushed over as he tried to get on the end of it, but the referee saw no offence.

Swans: Jos Barker, Elliott Bolton, Eoin Bolger (Anis Nuur 78’), Joey Jones (Paul Field 46’), Archie Procter (Adam Mekki 86’), Lucas Defise, Tom Olyott, Josh Tobin, Nana Owusu (Alex Body 86’), Johl Powell, Mason Obeng (Dan Rowe 46’). Subs. not used: Jaden Crowhurst, Will Davis. Scorer: Owusu, penalty (36’). Cautions: Owusu (60’), Defise (89’).
Tonbridge Angels: Steward, Lema (Hinds 87’), Nelson, Robinson (Leighton 46’), Vincent, Bakrin, Santos (Maloney 90+2’), Wagstaff, Shields, Adigun (Hanson 80’), Sutcliffe. Subs. not used: Dabre, Norburn. Scorers: Vincent, penalty (48’), Leighton (69’). Cautions: Vincent (36’), Santos (84’).