Saturday 1st February 2025. Southern League, Premier Division South.
Walton & Hersham 4 Winchester City 2.
After taking a 2-0 lead after just 20 minutes, Swans needed a late goal to finally secure the win that moved them into the play-off spots. The visitors had proved tough opponents, wiping out that Swans’ lead in the second-half, but Ralph Vigrass’s second goal of the afternoon, scored after 79 minutes, sealed the three points. Swans’ two opening goals, both superbly taken, looked to be putting them on the way to a convincing win, but City proved to be resilient opposition, immediately halving the deficit, and then getting that second-half equaliser. The points were only made safe in the final minute of added-on time, when Dawid Rogalski made it 4-2.
Swans were able to field a side unchanged from the one that had won at Gosport Borough, with Junior Eccleston happily recovered from an injury picked up in that match.
Swans were soon threatening the visitors’ goal when Joey Jones found Vigrass on the right, and Rogalski was just prevented from getting on the end of his cross in the 6 yard-box.
The lead soon came with a terrific goal with just five minutes played. Eoin Bolger delivered a great ball from the halfway line on the left to pick out the run of Vigrass into the right of the box. Vigrass got behind City’s Josh McCormick to pull the ball down superbly, and lob it into the far, top corner over the advancing goalkeeper Luke Cairney from the corner of the 6 yard-box.
Swans were fortunate when Thabo Kuaho was dispossessed just inside the visitors’ half and City’s Simba Mlambo tried to pick out the forward run of Trevor Caborn. Jos Barker came out of his area, but could only knock the ball down, and Tommy Wright was able to follow up with a shot, but the Swans’ keeper recovered to get back and make a fine block. Ollie Griggs was soon being sent on a run to the right byeline, but when he played the ball across to Ik Hill just inside the box, he sent a left foot shot well over the goal.
Winchester had come well into the game, but Swans again went close just past the quarter of an hour mark. Vigrass made another terrific run into the box on the right, but was just blocked at the near-post, and the ball went behind for a corner. Bolger swung the kick in, but Cairney made a good catch at the far-post. McCormick was soon seeing the back of Vigrass’s shirt again on the right, but Rogalski just failed to get on the end of the low cross. The ball came out to Anis Nuur just outside the box, but his shot was blocked.
The visitors forced a corner on the right, but following the kick a wild shot went yards over.
Swans doubled their lead after 20 minutes with another super goal. Rogalski found Johl Powell 45 yards out, and he held off the challenge of Hill before driving forward to the edge of the ‘D’ and stroking the ball into the bottom, right corner.
City hit back within two minutes however. Griggs’ through ball sent Hill into the right of the box, and Tommy Wright drove into the box to meet his square pass. Vigrass just failed to prevent Wright getting his foot to the ball, which found the top, left corner after glancing off the head of the diving Eccleston on the goal-line.
It was almost 2-2 when Swans were guilty of losing the ball on halfway and Griggs played Caborn through to the right edge of the box, but with Barker closing him down he sent his low shot just wide of the far-post.
With half an hour played Swans forced a corner on the right, and from Bolger’s in-swinging kick the ball looked to be finding the far, top corner, but Cairney did superbly to get across and tip it behind. Swans had begun to dominate again, and Powell got through to the right byeline to play the ball across for Rogalski to turn and get in a shot that was just blocked away. Powell then combined superbly with Vigrass on the right, but he was just closed out after getting in to the near-post. With five minutes left of the half Powell was fouled 35 yards out on the right, but Elliott Bolton’s free-kick was just too high to find the head of Rogalski at the far-post. Another foul on Powell stopped his run in the centre-circle and led to the first yellow-card of the afternoon being shown to City’s Hill. With added-on time being played Rogalski turned 30 yards out to get in a good, low strike, but Cairney went down to make the save.
Ten minutes into the second-half Cairney got in an awful mix-up with one of his defenders and the ball ran loose in the box, but Rogalski just failed to capitalise. With an hour played Rogalski was fouled in the centre-circle and Caborn picked up his side’s second yellow card.
The visitors began to have a good attacking spell, forcing three corner-kicks in quick succession, and this bore fruit with them equalising after 65 minutes with a fine goal. They were allowed to build up an attack, leading to Hill being found in the left of the box, and he did really well to open up the chance before drilling a low shot into the far corner.
Caborn was soon getting free to the right edge of the box, but his attempt to lob Barker was safely cut out by the Swans’ keeper.
Vigrass was soon making another good run into the right of the box for Swans, but he couldn’t find Rogalski in the middle. Almost immediately Rogalski was just closed out in the box. Swans had responded well to losing their lead, and some fine play outside the right edge of the box led to Rogalski striking a low shot that Cairney again went down to save.
A double change was then made, with Lucas Defise and Mason Obeng coming on for Nuur and Nana Owusu. It didn’t take long for the substitutions to have the desired effect, with Swans re-taking the lead after 79 minutes. Jones found Defise in the middle, and he got forward before playing an excellent ball through to Powell in the right of the box. Powell was blocked on the edge of the 6 yard-box by Callum Buckley, but the ball ran to Vigrass on the right, and he met it first time, striking a low, left foot shot past Cairney.
Powell had a chance to make it 4-2, but was blocked after getting into the right of the box, followed by Vigrass forcing a corner on the right. Vigrass then drove in a shot from outside the box that took a deflection, and the ball went behind for another corner.
City had not given up however, and Barker made a good take when Caborn crossed from the left. Griggs then got forward before sending Caborn clear into the right of the box, and Eccleston just got in a great, last-ditch tackle, and the ball ran wide of the left post for a corner. Barker punched away as the kick came in. Then, with added-on time being played, McCormick’s long ball from the centre-circle picked out George Britton on the right corner of the box, and he drove a low, first-time shot just wide of the far-post.
Swans finally made the points safe in the fourth and final of the extra minutes. Cairney’s long clearing kick was met by the head of Jones, and the ball fell to Obeng on the halfway line on the left. Obeng drove past Alex Wilkie and into the left edge of the box, before squaring the ball across to Rogalski, totally unmarked by the penalty-spot, and he took one touch before placing a left foot shot inside the near-post. The final whistle blew as soon as the game restarted.
With Havant & Waterlooville losing, Swans moved above them in the table, setting up nicely the meeting between the two clubs next Saturday.
Swans’ Team: Jos Barker, Elliott Bolton, Thabo Kuaho, Joey Jones, Junior Eccleston, Eoin Bolger, Ralph Vigrass (Alex Body 90’), Anis Nuur (Lucas Defise 75’), Dawid Rogalski, Johl Powell, Nana Owusu (Mason Obeng 75). Subs. not used: Joe Garcia, Danny Ball. Scorers: Vigrass (5’ & 79’), Powell (20’), Rogalski (90+4’).
Winchester City Team: Cairney, Bradshaw, McCormick, Griggs, Buckley, Wilkie, Mlambo (Britton 70’), Barron (Smith 64’), Wright (Dotse 75’), Caborn, Hill. Subs. not used: Jamison, King. Scorers: Wright (22’), Hill (65’). Cautions: Hill, foul (43’), Caborn, foul (59’).
