Saturday 14th December 2024.                  Southern League, Premier Division South.

Walton & Hersham 2 Dorchester Town 2.

Swans’ supporters should by now have learnt not to leave The Hub early, as there have been some remarkable late comebacks by their team in recent times, and this season has certainly been no exception. The stoppage-time equaliser against Dorchester Town will certainly be up there in the list of moments not to have missed. If Swans were to have got anything from the game as they trailed 2-1, few would have foreseen it would be their goalkeeper Jos Barker who would make it happen. His team were in danger of going six points behind the Dorset club in the fight for a play-off spot until he headed home in the fourth minute of added-on time. In doing so he became the first keeper in 24 years to score for the club, but he is almost certainly the first to do so intentionally from open play. A draw was the least Swans deserved from a match in which they came up against a very good Magpies’ side that showed why they are up amongst the front runners. They were certainly good value for a half-time lead that could well have been greater had they not been denied a nailed-on penalty, or a shot that hit the post had gone in. Unfortunately a poor start to the second-half led to them going 2-1 down, and they never managed to regain their earlier dominance.
They went into the match without the services of the influential Josh Tobin, who had picked up an ankle injury in training, but fortunately Johl Powell was free to return after serving a one match ban.
Joey Jones was soon sending Anis Nuur on a run down the left, but his low ball across the box failed to find a teammate. Powell then won the ball in midfield before finding Jordan Esprit. Esprit laid the ball off to Nuur, who found Nana Owusu on the left, and he got just inside the box to drive in a strong, left foot shot that brought a fine save from the visitors’ keeper Gerard Benfield, who got a strong right hand to the ball down at his near-post. Swans had made a really good start, and they put together an excellent move that deserved more than the ball eventually going behind for a goal-kick.
The Magpies posed their first threat after a quarter of an hour when Jack Dickson crossed the ball into the box from the right, but Barker made a confident take.
Owusu forced another corner on the left for Swans, and from Mason Obeng’s kick the ball came out to Jones on the right. This led to a fine piece of interplay in the right of the box that resulted in Nuur having a shot blocked. The ball ran to Junior Eccleston in the left of the box, and he drove in a low, right foot shot that brought another good save from Benfield down at his near-post.
Swans had failed to get reward from their early dominance against opponents that had already shown flashes of why they lie in the play-off spots, and midway through the half Olaf Koszela won the ball on the right to drive into the box and get in a shot that Barker did well to get a right hand on to deflect away from his 6 yard-box. Swans were then guilty of giving the ball away and Shaquille Gwengwe was able to break forward and find Koszela in the left of the box, but excellent covering by Eccleston snuffed out the threat. The ball was not cleared however, and Corby Moore was set up on the edge of the box to strike a fine shot that brought a great save from Barker, diving away to his left.
With half an hour played Jones made a terrific run forward that took him from the centre-circle and into the visitors’ box. He then played a one-two with Owusu before driving in a right foot shot from the left edge of the box that brought another good save from Benfield, diving down to his left to push the ball away from his far corner. A corner resulted on the right, and Eoin Bolger’s kick almost sent the ball curling under the crossbar, but it landed on the top of the net.
With ten minutes remaining of the half Swans should have been given the opportunity of taking the lead, but they were denied a clear penalty. Eccleston was fouled deep on the right touchline to give Swans a free-kick. Bolger swung the ball to the far-post for Jones to head down to the edge of the 6 yard-box, where Esprit would surely have scored, but he was clearly pulled down from behind by his shirt by Ieuan Turner. Despite every Swans’ player appealing the referee saw no offence, his only decision being to show a yellow card to Eccleston for dissent.
Jones was also booked for a foul on the right, giving Dorchester a free-kick, but Moore’s delivery into the box was cleared away.
With five minutes of normal-time of the first-half remaining, Esprit’s run was ended by a poor challenge that surprisingly brought no other sanction than a free-kick awarded 30 yards out on the right. Esprit was injured, and after treatment could not continue, with Dawid Rogalski coming on to replace him.
Bolger eventually delivered the free-kick into the box to force a corner on the right, this leading to Swans taking the lead in unlikely fashion. Bolger swung the kick in, and the ball went over the upstretched arm of keeper Benfield to find the far, top corner of the goal.
With the half entering added-on time Swans went desperately close to making it 2-0 at the break. Clever play by Lucas Defise led to him finding Powell on the right, and he played a quick one-two with Obeng before driving past the challenge of Turner and into the box to send a low shot against the far-post, where the ball just eluded Rogalski. Owusu followed up, but was forced to shoot wide of the near-post.
Instead of being 2-0 up, eleven minutes into the second-half Swans found themselves behind. Seven minutes after the resumption the Magpies broke down the right to cross high to the far-post. Harry Hutchinson was there to collect, and he was allowed to get free on the byeline and play the ball low across to the right corner of the 6 yard-box, where Dickson slotted past Barker.
A mistake was soon being made at the back, resulting in Dorchester forcing a corner on the right. Following the kick the ball was laid back from the left to Dickson, and he got to two yards outside the box before driving a tremendous shot into near, top corner that Barker had no chance of keeping out.
The visitors soon had a free-kick 35 yards out on the right, and when the ball was delivered into the box a header went over.
With an hour played Swans brought on another forward, Joe Garcia, to replace Nuur.
Defise played a good ball through to get Powell driving forward to 25 yards out, where he was cynically brought down by the Magpies’ skipper Jordan Ngalo, who was shown a yellow card. Bolger drove in the free-kick, but the ball deflected off a defender’s head and looped over for a corner on the right. Swans were struggling to create openings, but with twenty minutes remaining they had an opportunity when Obeng was fouled just outside the ‘D’ on the edge of the box, only for Owusu to drive the free-kick over. Garcia made a good run on the right to drive the ball low across, but it took a deflection to pass just over the bar for a corner on the left. From the kick Jones got in to the far-post to head the ball down, and it broke to Garcia just inside the box, but it was on his left foot and he shot well over.
Swans made a double substitution, with Tom Olyott coming on for Eccleston, and Defise also going off for another 18 year-old, Thabo Kuaho, to make his senior debut.
Dorchester went close to extending their lead however, after forcing a corner on the right. From the kick Tom Bragg headed the ball down, and Koszela was in the 6 yard-box to clip it over the bar.
With the match entering the final five minutes Swans had an opportunity with a free-kick awarded 45 yards out. Olyott clipped the ball forward into the box, and when it came to Garcia just outside, he struck a first-time shot that took a deflection to go just wide of the right post and behind for a corner. Obeng then drove in a low shot from the edge of the box that Benfield went down to save on his line.
Swans then made their fifth and final substitution, with Elliott Bolton coming on for Paul Field.
In the final minute of normal-time Olyott had a shot deflected wide for a corner on the right. From Bolger’s kick Powell was bundled over at the far-post and the ball came off Bolton to go just wide with Swans appealing for a penalty.
Then, with the fourth minute of stoppage-time being played, Owusu was fouled out on the right touchline. With Barker coming up for the free-kick, Olyott delivered the ball to the far-post for Rogalski to get in a strong header that brought a fine, instinctive save from Benfield. The Magpies’ keeper could only push the ball up into the air however, and when it looped to Bolton in the left of the 6 yard-box he headed back across for Barker at the near-post to stoop and head in for a remarkable finish to the game.

Swans’ Team: Jos Barker, Paul Field (Elliott Bolton 88’), Eoin Bolger, Joey Jones, Junior Eccleston (Tom Olyott 76’), Lucas Defise (Thabo Kuaho 76’), Mason Obeng, Anis Nuur (Joe Garcia 60’), Jordan Esprit (Dawid Rogalski 43’), Johl Powell, Nana Owusu. Scorers: Bolger (43’), Barker (90+4’). Cautions: Field (34’), Eccleston (35’), Jones (39’), Bolger (85’).
Dorchester Town Team: Benfield, Dickson, Hutchinson, Turner, Ngalo, Bragg, Fogden (Buse 90’), Moore, Koszela, Gwengwe (Robinson 88’), Pardoe. Subs. not used: Daws, Samadi, Holmes. Scorer: Dickson (52’ & 56’). Cautions: Ngalo (64’), Fogden (86’), Gwengwe (88’).