Tuesday 15th October 2024.              Southern League, Premier Division South.

Walton & Hersham 2 Gosport Borough 2.

Swans hoped to get back to winning ways in their first home match in over a month, but following a good start that saw them take the lead after a quarter of an hour, their game fell away against resilient opponents who had been reduced to ten men after 21 minutes. To their credit Borough made light of their numerical disadvantage and played well to take the lead with two goals scored minutes apart in the second-half, but after having a player sent off themselves Swans rescued a point with a last minute equaliser.
There was a change of goalkeeper for the first time this season, with Jos Barker having gone on-loan to Hartley Wintney and Jack West-Astuti coming in as a replacement after signing on dual-registration from National League South club Aveley. There was a welcome return for Dawid Rogalski after suspension, with Jordan Esprit making his home and league debuts to partner him up front. Junior Eccleston was not available after joining on a work experience loan from Sutton United.
Straight from the kick-off Esprit led a good attack, which the visitors managed to defend.
West-Astuti was soon brought into action, just getting out to gather as Borough’s Alfie Stanley almost got through.
It was Swans however who went desperately close to taking the lead after five minutes. They had a free-kick twelve yards outside the box on the left, and when Elliott Bolton swung the ball in to the edge of the 6 yard-box, Joey Jones sent a strong header looping against the crossbar and over. Swans forced successive corners on the left as they continued to press.
When Esprit forced another corner on the left, this led to them taking the lead. Bolton’s kick was cleared away to Paul Field close to the centre-circle, and he made a fine run forward that took him to the edge of the box. Field slipped the ball through to Jones on the left corner of the 6 yard-box, and he neatly sidestepped Finley Walsh-Smith before laying across to Esprit, who took one touch before driving in his first Swans’ goal.
Rogalski made a run on the right, but just failed to find Esprit in the box, and he was then fouled, giving his side a free-kick 40 yards out on the right Bolton delivered the kick to the far-post, but Rogalski headed wide.
Johl Powell then picked the ball up on the halfway line on the right, and was immediately brought down by a lunging, studs-up tackle by Dan Hollands, who was shown a straight red card.
Swans soon went close to doubling their lead with what would have been a stunning goal. Nana Owusu laid the ball back from the left to Jones, 35 yards out, and he drove in a tremendous shot that clipped the top, right angle of the goal-frame to go just wide.
Despite being a player short the visitors began to come more into the game, and West-Astuti had to come out and block when a long clearing kick down the left by his opposite number Ryan Gosney picked out Sam Faniyan, whose excellent first-touch took him into the box. With just under ten minutes left of the half Borough broke from a Swans’ attack and Bradley Tarbuck was fouled five yards outside the box by Eoin Bolger, whose yellow card was to prove expensive for the left-back later in the game. The free-kick was in a dangerous position, but Rory Williams drove the ball over.
Esprit was just blocked in the box when Mason Obeng crossed from the right, and as the half went into added-on time Swans had a chance to go in at the break 2-0 up. Esprit hooked the ball clear from a Borough attack, and Rogalski showed great control under pressure in the centre-circle before playing a clever pass out to the right to pick out the run of Powell. Powell drove past defenders and into the box, but his low, left foot drive could not beat keeper Gosney.
Swans brought on Tom Olyott for Obeng for the second-half, and he was soon making a good run to the right byeline, but his cross was cleared. The Fulham loanee then almost got Rogalski in. Esprit pressured Borough into a mistake at the back, and this led to Lucas Defise playing the ball across from the left to Rogalski in the right of the box, but he was going away from goal, and could only hook into the side-netting from a difficult angle.
The visitors had responded well however to being both a goal and a man down, and Tarbuck got in a good strike from distance that West-Astuti got behind on his line. The ball was then given away, and only a fine piece of covering by Jones prevented Borough getting through.
An equaliser looked to be on the cards, and it came with an hour played. Borough built up a move outside Swans’ box, and this led to Harry Kavanagh’s diagonal ball picking out Williams wide on the left. Williams crossed to the far-post, and with West-Astuti trying to get across Stanley was able to get between Jones and Bolger and nod the ball down to Faniyan, who hooked it home.
Swans soon had a free-kick 35 yards out, that led to both Walsh-Smith and Tarbuck being shown yellow cards for Borough, but Bolton sent the ball too long. Bolton soon picked up a yellow card of his own, conceding a free-kick on the left.
With a quarter of the game left Borough took the lead. Kavanagh’s fine ball from the centre-circle picked out Faniyan on the left, and he drove past Bolton before crossing low to the near-post, where both Powell and Jones could not prevent Cameron Murray side-footing past West-Astuti.
Swans soon had a chance to equalise when Field sent Olyott down the right. Olyott slipped a fine ball through to Powell in the right of the box, but his shot was just inches the wrong side of the near-post.
Swans task then became harder when a cross-field pass led to the ball bouncing in front of Bolger on the left, and when Tarbuck nipped in he was brought down by the home left-back. With Bolger already having been booked he was shown a second yellow card, followed by a red, to leave the teams with equal personnel for the remaining 21 minutes.
Archie Procter then replaced Bolton, followed by Dan Rowe coming on to face his former club, with Owusu going off.
With five minutes of normal-time remaining Jones’ long ball from deep picked out the run of Rowe on the left. Rowe held the ball up before laying it across to Powell in the ‘D’ on the edge of the box, and his first-time, left foot shot brought a good tip-over save from keeper Gosney.
With the match entering the final minute Swans forced a corner on the left. Rowe got to the near-post to meet Olyott’s kick, but the ball ran to Jones in the left corner of the 6 yard-box, and he somehow guided the ball in with the inside of his left-foot to make it 2-2.
Borough were not done however, and three minutes into added-on time, with Swans committed in the visitors’ half, Alex Barsa, Jake Cope and Asher Yearwood all broke, with only Anis Nuur back to cover. Indecision allowed Swans to get back however, and when Yearwood finally got a shot away from the edge of the box, West-Astuti was able to go down and save.

Swans’ Team: Jack West-Astuti, Paul Field, Eoin Bolger, Joey Jones (Anis Nuur 90+2’), Elliott Bolton (Archie Procter 71’), Lucas Defise, Mason Obeng (Tom Olyott 46’), Jordan Esprit, Dawid Rogalski, Johl Powell, Nana Owusu (Dan Rowe 78’). Sub. not used: Jaden Crowhurst. Scorers: Esprit (14’), Jones (89’). Caution: Bolton, foul (65’). Dismissal: Bolger, 2 cautions for fouls (36’ & 69’).
Gosport Borough Team: Gosney, Kavanagh (Lee 90+2’), Williams, Walsh-Smith (Wassmer 81’), Morrison, Tarbuck (Cope 77’), Yearwood, Faniyan (Agbeseyi 81’), Stanley (Barsa 73’), Hollands, Murray. Scorers: Faniyan (60’), Murray (67’). Cautions: Morrison, did not release ball (16’), Faniyan, dissent (46’), Walsh-Smith, foul (61’), Tarbuck, dissent (61’), Williams, foul (90+1’). Dismissal: Hollands, foul (21’).