Tuesday 4th March 2025. Southern League, Premier Division South.
Swindon Supermarine 0 Walton & Hersham 3.
Swans moved up to 3rd place in the table, going above Gloucester City on goal difference, following another excellent team performance against the Wiltshire club. They also took their unbeaten run to twelve games, with the last six away resulting in wins. The Webbswood Stadium.is never an easy place to come and get a result, but Swans never looked like coming away with anything less than a win, restricting the home side to few opportunities. They took a while to make their dominance pay, taking the lead after 34 minutes, having created numerous chances prior to that. Two further goals in the second-half then gave a score-line more reflective of the play.
There were three changes to the line-up that had started at Gloucester. Dawid Rogalski and Ralph Vigrass came in for Anis Nuur and Hakeem Sandah, while Laurie Shala made a debut in goal. 20 year-old Shala has joined on short-term loan from Wycombe Wanderers as Jos Barker had suffered mild concussion at Gloucester.
Swans should have taken the lead after just two minutes. Johl Powell sent Bobby-Joe Taylor down the right, and he drove forward before laying the ball across to Vigrass coming in to the penalty-spot, but he drove a clear chance over.
The home side then had a good spell of possession, forcing Swans into a couple of errors at the back, one leading to Anton Dworzak driving a low, left foot shot just wide of the right post from the edge of the box.
Swans had another great opportunity to go ahead however, and again the chance fell to Vigrass. A patient build up led to Taylor laying the ball in from the right to Elliott Bolton, who then set up Kai Jennings to clip the ball forward to the edge of the box. Rogalski nodded down to Vigrass, coming in on the left, but he sent his shot just wide of the far-post. Powell forced a corner on the right, and from Eoin Bolger’s kick the ball was put wide of the near-post, seemingly off a home player, but the referee surprisingly gave a goal-kick. Another controlled build up led to Junior Eccleston sending Taylor on another run on the right, and this time he cut inside across the edge of the box to drive in a low, left foot shot that home keeper Flachra Pagel went down to save on his line. Pagel was soon in action again when Jennings won the ball in the centre-circle and drove forward, leading to Powell getting in a left foot shot from just outside the box that the keeper did well to keep out, pushing the ball away down to his left, and Rogalski just being denied from following in. Swans were totally dominating, and a terrific cross-field ball by Taylor from deep on the right picked out Vigrass on the left touchline. Vigrass combined with Jennings before laying the ball across to Powell, who set up Taylor on the edge of the box, but he sent his shot over.
Midway through the half the home side made a rare incursion into Swans’ half with Ryan Campbell sending Gabe Reivers down the left. Reivers crossed the ball into the box, and when it ran loose Campbell followed in on the edge to strike a left foot, half-volley that was straight at Shala on his line, giving the debutant keeper his first piece of action.
Swans were soon attacking again, with Powell being put down the right to play the ball in low for Taylor to have a shot blocked. More clever play by Taylor 25 yards out led to him sending a low shot wide of the left post Bolger was soon threading a fine ball through to Powell, who drove forward to the edge of the box to strike a shot that brought another good save from Pagel down to his left. The keeper could only push the ball away, and Powell followed in on the right to hook it back across for Zack Kotwica to head behind at the far-post for a corner.
From Jennings’ left-side kick Taylor had a shot from outside the box blocked. Swans attacks were incessant, and when Bolton found Powell on halfway on the right he made a terrific run forward that took him into the right of the box to drive in a shot that Pagel punched round the near-post.
The corner on the right led to Swans finally taking the lead after 34 minutes. Bolger swung the kick in, and when Pagel punched the ball away from under his crossbar it fell to Jennings on the left. Jennings fed Joey Jones in the box, and he laid the ball across to the near-post, where Rogalski poked it over the line.
The home side posed a rare threat when they got in on the left byeline to drive the ball low across for Shala to push it away from his line.
Powell again drove forward for Swans and was blocked just inside the box. The referee judged Powell to have fouled the Marine defender, and he was shown a yellow card, having been warned for an earlier offence.
Five minutes into the second-half Swans put intense pressure on the home goal, with Marine struggling to clear their lines until Powell drove the ball over the goal. They could not prevent Swans doubling their lead after 56 minutes however. Taylor got down the right before laying the ball across to Jennings, who then found Vigrass on the left. Vigrass cut inside to drive in a shot, and the ball took a big deflection off the right leg of Jamie Edge to beat Pagel inside his right post.
A terrific piece of play soon almost led to a third Swans’ goal. The move was completed by Jennings playing the ball forward to Vigrass in the box, and when he laid off first time to Powell on his right his shot was blocked by Pagel at his near-post.
Swans then made their first change, with Mason Obeng coming on for Powell.
The home side were awarded a soft free-kick 45 yards out, but the attempted shot took a big deflection, and the ball looped through safely to Shala.
Midway through the half Swans made their second substitution, Rogalski going off to be replaced by Alex Body, and he was soon being played into the box by Jennings to have a shot blocked.
Marine thought they had got back into the game when they broke after Jennings had a shot blocked in their box, The ball was swung in from deep on the left touchline by Michael Fernandes for Harry Williams to volley past Shala from the edge of the 6 yard-box, but the flag went up for offside. The home side then had a free-kick outside the right corner of the box, but Henry Spalding’s ball in was headed clear.
Vigrass went off to be replaced by Nuur for Swans, who then went 3-0 up after 80 minutes with a fine goal. Taylor played an excellent ball out to Obeng on the left, and after linking up with Jennings he was played into the left of the box by Thabo Kuaho. Obeng then sidestepped Jake Lee before sending a superb, left foot shot into the top of the net from a tight angle close in on the byeline.
Swans then made their fourth and fifth substitutions, with Lucas Defise replacing Jennings, and Kyron Horsley-McKay coning on for his debut in place of Bolton. Taylor dragged a shot wide for Swans, followed immediately by the referee blowing for full-time to signal another fine win for them.
Swans’ Team: Laurie Shala, Elliott Bolton (Kyron Horsley-McKay 81’), Thabo Kuaho, Joey Jones, Junior Eccleston, Eoin Bolger, Bobby-Joe Taylor, Kai Jennings (Lucas Defise 81’), Dawid Rogalski (Alex Body 68’), Johl Powell (Mason Obeng 62’), Ralph Vigrass (Anis Nuur 77’). Scorers: Rogalski (34’), Vigrass (56’), Obeng (80’). Caution: Powell, foul (39’).
Swindon Supermarine Team: Pagel, Turl, Campbell, Lee, Edge, Dworzak, Kotwica, Reivers (Sims-Burgess 61’), Williams (Vine 81’), Fernandes (Sonoiki 84’). Spalding (Mehew 73’). Sub. not used: Peare.
