Saturday 16th August 2025.                         Southern League, Premier Division South.

Dorchester Town 3 Walton & Hersham 3.

Swans have staged some remarkable late comebacks in recent times, but none could possibly match that pulled off in Dorset. 3-0 down with added-on time being played, they looked to be facing a glum, long trip home, but they proceeded to score three excellent goals in the space of as many minutes to rescue an unlikely point and stun the home support into silence. The comeback was all the more remarkable as there had been little indication of one coming during the bulk of the preceding 92 odd minutes. There had been chances, but it was the home side that had made the best of their opportunities, as they scored from all their real openings. Swans will feel disappointed with the goals conceded, and their overall performance during normal-time, as their goalkeeper Jos Barker had been far less busy than his opposite number. Indecisive finishing and slack defending had cost them dearly however. ,
A couple of changes were made to the starting line-up, with Thabo Kuaho serving a one-match suspension, and Diamond Edwards dropping to the bench. Joey Jones returned, with the other inclusion being that of Riley Horan, who has joined for a second spell on-loan from AFC Wimbledon following that of last season. Zach Alfalahi was named amongst the substitutes, but unfortunately suffered a recurrence of his recent injury during the warm-up.
Swans looked to have an early opportunity when Dawid Rogalski stole the ball off Jack Dickson and got through, but the referee surprisingly blew for a foul against the striker.
Dorchester responded with Corby Moore sending a shot over from 25 yards on the left.
Lucas Defise then picked up an early yellow card for a foul 30 yards out on the right.
With just over ten minutes played Swans went close to taking the lead when Mason Obeng made a good break down the middle from deep in his own half before finding Jack Wood to his right. Wood drove between two defenders, and to the edge of the box, to drive in a low, left shot that home goalkeeper Josey Casa-Grande just turned round the left-post with a good save down to his right.
The referee seemed inclined not to allow any sort of strong challenge, and Dorchester were given another free-kick deep on the right, but Moore’s delivery into the box was cleared.
Swans again went close when Rogalski set up Wood in the right of the box, but his low shot was blocked away by the feet of Casa-Grande at the near-post. Swans continued to have the better of the play, and a fine move led to Obeng getting Johl Powell through to the left byeline, but his low cross was cleared. With just under ten minutes left of the half another fine move saw Rogalski play Wood into the right of the box to drive in a shot that clipped the outside of the right-post to rattle the side-netting.
It was the home side however that soon took the lead against the run of play. Elliott Bolton was clearly fouled outside the right edge of the home box, but the referee played advantage, and Wood got in a cross that was headed away. The referee’s decision to play-on did Swans no favours as, with Bolton out of position, the Magpies were able to play a long ball into space down the left to Joe Parker, who got ahead of Horan. Barker had seen little action up to then, but when the Swans’ keeper dashed out to the corner of his area Parker lifted the ball over him, and it bounced off the inside of the near-post and into the far corner.
Having had the best of the first-half play Swans would have had hopes of getting back into the game, but straight from the resumption after the break they went 2-0 down. Luke Pardoe made a long run down the right that took him past Eoin Bolger, and his cross picked out Tom Smith, who got in front of Bolton to head past Barker from 10 yards.
Swans should have pulled a goal back almost straight away when Defise sent Wood on a clear run down the right. Wood picked out Obeng in space on the edge of the 6 yard-box, but he failed to get any power on his header, and the ball bounced straight into the gloves of Casa-Grande.
Jones did well to get across and clear when Dorchester made a run in on the left to drive the ball into the box, but at the other end Rogalski and Bolton both had shots blocked following another right-side run by Wood. Pardoe could only find the side-netting after being played in on the right for the Magpies, before Rogalski had a shot blocked for a corner to Swans.
Dorchester looked to have sealed the win after 57 minutes when they made it 3-0. Luke Roberts laid the ball back on the left to Smith, who cut to his right across the edge of the box before driving a fine shot inside the right-post.
Rogalski played the ball through to Bolton on the right edge of the box, but he shot well over, before Swans made a triple substitution just past the hour.
Diamond Edwards, Anis Nuur and Stefan Parkes came on, with Wood, Defise and Bolger going off.
With 20 minutes remaining Edwards had a shot blocked for a corner after being found in the left of the box by Powell. Following Edwards’ right-side corner, Nuur headed the ball back in from the left, and Rogalski spun on the edge of the box to send a shot just over the top, right corner. Powell made a run on the right to force a corner as Swans tried to get something from the game, and they were unfortunate when Nuur sent the ball in from the left, and it glanced off the head of the Magpies’ Will Spetch on the edge of the 6 yard-box and straight into the gloves of the keeper on his line.
In the final minute of normal-time Swans brought on Danylo Hubynets for Rogalski.
A corner was then needlessly conceded, seemingly putting an end to any slim hopes Swans still held.
Then, with added-on time being eaten into, Hubynets found Parkes in space on the left, and after getting to the corner of the box he drove a tremendous shot into the far, top corner.
It looked to be a mere consolation for Swans, but almost straight from the restart Parkes picked out Jones’ run into the box, and he set up Powell on his right to slot the ball into the bottom, right corner and cut the deficit to one.
We were now 4 minutes into those added-on, but there was still time for Swans to build up a move that led to Bolton finding Edwards on the right. Edwards crossed into the box, where Powell touched on to Hubynets, coming in at the back-post, and the 18 year-old Ukrainian got in front of the Dorchester defender to guide the ball onto the top, left corner and tie the score up at 3-3.
There was barely time to restart the game before the referee brought an end to a remarkable passage of play.

Swans’ Team: Jos Barker, Elliott Bolton, Riley Horan, Joey Jones, Ethan Light, Eoin Bolger (Stefan Parkes 61’), Jack Wood (Diamond Edwards 61’), Lucas Defise (Anis Nuur 61’), Dawid Rogalski (Danylo Hubynets 89’), Johl Powell, Mason Obeng. Sub not used: Zach Alfalahi. Scorers: Parkes (90+2’), Powell (90+4’), Hubynets (90+5’). Cautions: Defise (6’), Rogalski (60’), Jones (68’), Parkes (80’), Bolton (90+2’).
Dorchester Town Team: Casa-Grande, Dickson (Genesini 77’), Spetch, Wright, Pardoe, Moore, Wooding, Roberts (Hutchinson 84’), Buse, Smith (Murray 90’), Parker (Robinson 88’). Sub. not used: Pitman. Scorers: Parker (35’), Smith (46’ & 57’). Cautions: Buse (42’), Wooding (45+2’).