Saturday 7th September 2024. Southern League, Premier Division South.

Plymouth Parkway 1 Walton & Hersham 2.

Having twice gone ahead before half-time, Swans then had to battle hard to preserve that lead in testing conditions before coming away with the three points that put them top of the League. The home side had made a poor start to the season, but they proved to be extremely tough opposition, putting Swans under long spells of pressure. Rain had started falling prior to kick-off, and it grew heavier to persist throughout the match, making conditions more and more challenging, but Swans dug deep, with Joey Jones marshalling the defence superbly and Jos Barker preserving the lead with excellent goalkeeping.
The long trip into deepest Devon had been made with a greatly reduced squad.
Adam Mekki, Alex Body, Cam Thompson and Tom Olyott, the latter having suffered concussion against Hanworth Villa, were all unfit to travel. Anis Nuur then suffered a muscle problem in the warm-up, meaning Paul Field was a late returnee to the starting line-up, after it was originally intended to rest a player who had played every minute of every game.
The home side looked threatening from the off, and Barker had to make a smart save at his near-post from a close-in glancing header from Joe Wright after Dylan Jones had sent Rio Garside driving in on the left byeline.
Swans almost created an opening when Dawid Rogalski won the ball just outside the box and he tried to play Nana Owusu in, but debutant home keeper Ewan Griffiths was out to block. Parkway continued to press, but they looked susceptible on the break, and a long ball from Archie Procter almost got Josh Tobin in on the left, but Griffiths was again alert and came out to kick clear. With ten minutes played Rogalski was fouled 15 yards outside the box to give Swans a free-kick in a promising position. Owusu sent a shot towards the top, right corner, but Griffiths got across to palm the ball away for a corner.
Jones sent a dangerous ball in from the left for Parkway, but his namesake Joey was in the 6 yard-box to head clear.
Swans should have taken the lead after 21 minutes following a superbly worked move. The build-up ended with Jaden Crowhurst finding Jones in the middle, and he played a terrific ball through to send Rogalski clear into the box. Rogalski took the ball to the right of keeper Griffiths, but with the goal beckoning he rolled it inches wide of the left post.
The home side’s Rio Garside sent over a cross from the right, and Mikey Williams was in the left of the box to send a looping header into the gloves of Barker.
Swans took the lead after 26 minutes. A patient build up led to Tobin sending a terrific cross-field ball from wide on the left to pick out Mason Obeng on the right, and he laid back to Crowhurst on the corner of the box. Crowhurst delivered the ball high to the far-post, and Griffiths just managed to prevent it going into the top corner, but Rogalski was there to collect and turn, and this time he made no mistake in finding the net.
Parkway’s Jones was played through to the left byline to play the ball in to the near-post where Swans’ Jones came across to make a fine block, putting behind for a corner. A foul on Jones then gave the home side a free-kick 10 yards outside the left of the box, and Tom Dean’s delivery to the far-post glanced off a Swans’ head for another corner. Dean wasted the kick however, by sending the ball too long and behind. The home side continued to press, and they forced another corner on the left, this time the kick being played short for a cross to be cleared in the box.
The pressure paid off with the equaliser with ten minutes left to the break. Jones was found on the left, and when his low ball inside picked out Dean by the penalty-spot, his shot struck the crossbar, with Barker possibly just getting fingertips to the ball. The ball was recycled on the right, and Mitch Beardmore was able to get in on the byline, where he was judged to have been brought down by Tobin. Shane White drove the penalty down the middle and into the top of the net.
Parkway got in another cross from the left, and a far-post header looped across goal before it was cleared. Another left-side cross led to another far-post downward header that Jones blocked on the line.
Swans had struggled to put attacks together, with the home side dominating, but as the half entered added-on time Parkway’s search for the lead was to prove their downfall when they were caught by the classic counter attack. Jones was able to break up an attack before sending Crowhurst on a run down the right, and he laid the ball inside to Johl Powell 45 yards out. Powell played a superb through ball to pick out the run of Rogalski to the edge of the box, and he held off the challenge of White before slotting a left foot shot low inside the right post to score for his sixth game in a row and his seventh goal of the season.
Swans forced an early corner in the second-half when Obeng got forward on the right to get Crowhurst away, but it continued to be mainly the home side pressing. Procter had to clear away from the line when the ball was driven in from the left byeline, and Beardmore had a clear shot from 25 yards that went straight through to Barker on his line. The Swans’ keeper continued to be kept busy, and he made a fine tip-over save when Dean laid the ball in from the right for Rio Garside to drive in a shot from the edge of the box.
With the pitch becoming more difficult Swans had struggled to create openings themselves, but with just over twenty minutes remaining they had a great chance to take a 3-1 lead. They were able to string a series of passes together, leading to Jones getting Lucas Defise, on for Tobin, into the left of the box. Defise side-stepped a couple of defenders before setting up Obeng in clear space in the right of the box, but he drove a great chance over.
Procter had to block behind at the near-post when a low ball came in from the right, leading to successive corners for Parkway. With ten minutes remaining a cross was blocked in the box, and a follow up shot brought another fine save from Barker. Swans continued to withstand the home side’s pressure, and in the final minute, following a corner on the left, James Watts-Barciela got in a shot from the right edge of the box that went straight into the gloves of Barker. Six minutes of added-on time were indicated, and deep into that Parkway again got forward, and Defise became the fifth Swans’ player to be booked by the over-officious referee for a foul on Jones 35 yards out on the left. The free-kick led to the ball being played into Swans’ box three times before Barker was able to gather.
Just as it looked as if Swans had seen out the six added minutes, Beardmore played Joe Wragg clean through to the right edge of the 6 yard-box, but Barker made a tremendous block to his right to preserve the win.
Parkway’s Williams immediately reacted with a rash challenge on Bolton and was sent off for picking up his second yellow card of the match. A late equaliser had denied Swans last season, but they held on this time to register their first win over the Devon club.

Swans’ Team: Jos Barker, Paul Field, Elliott Bolton, Joey Jones, Archie Procter, Josh Tobin (Lucas Defise 61’), Jaden Crowhurst, Mason Obeng (Eoin Bolger 86’), Dawid Rogalski, Johl Powell, Nana Owusu. Subs. not used: Anis Nuur, Darren Simpson. Scorer: Rogalski (26’ & 45+1’). Cautions: Powell, foul (39’), Bolton, kicked ball away (48’), Owusu, dissent (61’), Crowhurst, foul (74’), Defise, foul (90+4’).
Plymouth Parkway Team: Griffiths, Dean, Brett, Scarff, White, Williams, R. Garside (Wragg 70’), Jones, Beardmore, Wright (Watts-Barciela 76’), C. Garside. Subs. not used: Armstrong, Rose, Price. Scorer: White, penalty (36’). Cautions: Wright, dissent (66’). Dismissal: Williams, 2 cautions (81’ & 90+6’)