Tuesday 22nd February 2025.          Southern League, Premier Division South.

Sholing 1 Walton & Hersham 2.

Swans moved up to 4th in the table with an excellent all-round performance at an in form Sholing, at the same time taking their unbeaten run to nine. The home side had won their last three games, and were unbeaten in four, so an already difficult task was made harder when Swans made a slow start and went behind to a penalty after a quarter of an hour. A team lacking the injured Dawid Rogalski came back superbly however, and two excellent goals in the space of four minutes from Kai Jennings, his first for the club, and Johl Powell, gave them a 2-1 lead inside half an hour. Swans then put on a well-controlled performance for the rest of the game that barely gave the home side a chance as the 100% record against them was maintained.
With Rogalski missing, Powell took up a more central role, while Anis Nuur and Thabo Kuaho returned to the starting line-up, with Mason Obeng and Ralph Vigrass dropping to the bench.
For the second season running there was a floodlight failure at the ground, fortunately this time before the game started, and not as previously during play when Swans were leading. This led to the kick-off being delayed by over a quarter of an hour. It is not known whether this was a contribution to Swans’ unsettled start, but they had an escape when they took a short goal-kick and two home players challenged goalkeeper Jos Barker and the ball ran loose in the 6 yard-box. The referee gave a free-kick to Swans however, presumably for encroachment.
It was eight minutes in before Swans broke the shackles, Bobby-Joe Taylor getting down the right to play the ball low across, but Nuur was closed out in the box.
The home side continued to have the best of the play however, and Barker had to cut out a high cross from the left.
Swans put together another promising move when Nuur got forward before finding Taylor on the right, leading to Nana Owusu making room in the left of the box to have a shot blocked.
Sholing’s good start paid off after a quarter of an hour when they took the lead. Blaise Riley-Snow found Joe Rabbett’s on the left, and he got into the box before going down, with Joey Jones judged to have tripped him. Michael Folivi added to his recent goal haul by driving the penalty to Barker’s right.
Sholing had a chance to extend their lead when Max Bustamante clipped a ball over the top to get Benny Read into the right of the box, but his shot was well saved at his near-post by Barker, and Eoin Bolger put the ball behind for a corner.
Swans threatened again with Taylor making a run to the byeline on the right before laying the ball back for both Powell and Nuur to have shots blocked.
The equaliser immediately came after 24 minutes. Taylor took a throw-in on the right to Nuur, who found Powell just inside the box. Powell laid the ball back to Kai Jennings, who curled a terrific right foot shot into the top, left corner for his first Swans’ goal.
Jennings was soon making a run into the left of the box before going down, but the referee waved play on. Jennings made another good run down the left, leading to Owusu getting in a low shot from the right of the box that home keeper Pat Nash saved at his near-post.
Swans immediately took the lead with another fine goal Nuur found Taylor on the right touchline, and he dummied past his marker to drive forward before laying the ball across to the edge of the 6 yard-box, where Powell guided it into the far corner on the half-volley with the inside of his left foot
Swans were now well on top, and when a fine move got Owusu into the left of the box, he sent Jennings to the byeline to get in a low cross that was cleared. Taylor played a fine cross-field ball from wide on the right to pick out Owusu on the left edge of the box, and he shimmied past Read to the byeline to drive in a low cross that Nash cut out down at his near-post.
Sholing responded with a cross into the box from the left that Kuaho cleared. They then forced a corner on the left, and this led to Swans twice scrambling the ball away in the box.
With the final minute of the half being played Swans had a chance to increase their lead. Sholing sent a free-kick from halfway into the box, and Swans broke with a long ball sending Bolger clear, but his attempted lob lacked the height to beat keeper Nash.
Swans were soon on the attack in the second-half, and Nuur drove in a low, left foot shot from 25 yards that Nash went down to save. Barker had to fall on the ball at his near-post when the home side made a run in on the left byeline, but Taylor was immediately delivering a long ball over the top from deep on the right to find Owusu on the left. Owusu sent Jennings on a run into the box, and when he was closed out the ball came to Nuur 25 yards out, and he sent a shot dipping over. With an hour played Swans broke from a Sholing attack, and Powell drove from halfway and into the home box, but he lost control as the ball stuck under his feet.
Sholing had an opportunity when they were awarded a free-kick just outside the edge of the box on the right, and when a shot came in the ball deflected at the near-post and went behind for a corner on the left.
Swans built up another fine move, and Nuur got Taylor in on the right byeline to force a corner as he was blocked at the near-post. Bolger’s kick was headed away at the near-post.
With 70 minutes played Swans made a double change, with Vigrass coming on for Taylor, and Alex Body replacing Powell.
Owusu was fouled on the left touchline, and when Jennings sent the kick into the 6 yard-box Bolger just failed to get his head to ball, and it ran through to the keeper. With two minutes of normal-time remaining Jones sent a free-kick from deep in Swans’ half over the top to pick out the run of Vigrass on the right. Vigrass got to the corner of the 6 yard-box, but he shot well over as Jake Flannigan and keeper Nash closed him down. With stoppage-time being played Body seized on a misplaced pass just inside the home half and drove clear into the left of the box, but Flannigan got across to just deny him with a fine tackle. The three minutes of added-on time were safely seen out to secure a deserved win.

Swans’ Team: Jos Barker, Elliott Bolton, Thabo Kuaho, Joey Jones, Junior Eccleston, Eoin Bolger, Bobby-Joe Taylor (Ralph Vigrass 70’), Anis Nuur, Kai Jennings, Johl Powell (Alex Body 70’), Nana Owusu. Subs. not used: Lucas Defise, Mason Obeng, Hakeem Sandah. Scorers: Jennings (24’), Powell (28’).
Sholing Team: Nash, Read, Rabbetts, Taylor, Lopes, B. Mason, Targett, Bustamante (D. Mason 68’), Riley-Snow, Wylie (Flannigan 46’), Folivi. Subs. not used: Searle, Colwill, Akinola. Scorer: Folivi, penalty (14’). Cautions: B. Mason, foul (73’), Flannigan, foul (75’).