Saturday 9th August 2025.             Southern League, Premier Division South.

Walton & Hersham 6 Plymouth Parkway 3.

The new season started on a high note for Swans with a nine goal bonanza, as they twice had to come from behind to pick up the three points, the final three goals coming after they had been reduced to ten men. New signing Jack Wood was the star, securing a place in the club’s record books by scoring four goals on debut, something not achieved before. Swans had been guilty of slack defending that had cost them three goals, but they had the firepower up-front to overcome the challenge of the Devon club.
Along with former Southend United winger Wood, central defender Ethan Light was another debutant in the starting line-up, having joined from Hemel Hempstead Town. Three other new recruits, Ben Acey, Jonathon Page, and Zach Alfalahi, were carrying injuries that ruled them out, while Lucas Defise was also unavailable.
Swans had already put together a couple of good attacks before they went close to taking the lead after nine minutes. Wood did well on the right, leading to Elliott Bolton crossing high to the far-post, where the ball was knocked down to Johl Powell, whose low shot brought a fine save with his legs from Parkway’s young goalkeeper Mack Allan, on-loan from AFC Bournemouth. The ball was cleared behind for a corner on the left, and when Bolton and Wood played it short, Bolton swung the ball to the far-post, where Joey Jones got in a strong header that forced another good save from Allan.
It was the visitors who took the lead however after twelve minutes. James Watts-Barciela was able to seize on a misplaced pass and find Rocky Neal in the left of the box, and he stroked the ball past Jos Barker and into the far corner.
It only took Swans three minutes to equalise, when Anis Nuur’s excellent pass found Wood just outside the right of the box. Wood cut inside to drive a terrific left-foot shot past Allan, and into the bottom, right corner.
Another three minutes and Swans were in the lead. Mason Obeng hooked the ball down the pitch for Wood to drive forward down the right. Wood forced Taylor Scarff to lose possession, before cutting inside across the edge of the box, seeing off the challenge of keeper Allan, and driving home a left-foot shot.
Obeng just failed to pick out Wood at the far-post with a cross from the left, while at the other end Barker made a good catch at his near-post from Jack Veale’s long throw from the right. The Swans’ keeper then had to be quickly out to deny Mikey Williams in the left of the 6 yard-box. Dawid Rogalski was just closed out when Obeng won the ball off Veale, and when Thabo Kuaho forced a corner on the left, Bolton’s kick was well cut out by Allan. Swans continued to press, and Nuur sent Rogalski on a run forward, but his low shot was comfortably taken by Allan. A fine move by Swans, starting from keeper Barker, got Powell driving down the left to find Nuur, and he made room 25 yards out to drive in a low shot that Allan did well to keep from going inside his right post.
Parkway equalised however with four minutes of normal-time remaining of the half. Williams won the ball deep on the left, and when he picked out the run of Neal into the left of the box, he lobbed the onrushing Barker to find the net. There was then a contentious moment when Barker tried to pick out Wood with a long clearance, and when Allan dashed out he appeared to handle the ball outside of his area, before Wood followed up to send a shot into the right side-netting. In first-half stoppage-time Nuur got through to lob over the advancing keeper, but the ball was falling just wide of the left-post before being put behind for a corner.
Swans were shocked just four minutes after the resumption as they went behind for a second time. Another loose pass led to Neal clipping the ball to Williams in the left of the box, and he struck a left-foot volley that Barker got hands on, but could not prevent finding the far corner.
Swans were then level again ten minutes into the second-half. Eoin Bolger sent a terrific diagonal ball from deep on the right to pick out Obeng on the left byeline. Obeng laid back for Kuaho to cross into the box, and the ball to come off Rogalski to Powell by the penalty-spot. Powell struck a left-foot shot that took a deflection before finding the top, left corner.
Two minutes later Swans went down to ten men when Kuaho picked up his second yellow card for a push on Watts-Barciela and was sent-off.
Swans responded immediately to the setback by making it 4-3. Following a Parkway long throw-in deep on Swans’ right, Obeng was able to set off on a surging run down the left, before getting Powell into the box. Powell laid the ball across to Wood, coming in on the right, and he drove a right-foot shot inside the near-post to complete a hat-trick on debut.
The visitors responded by driving the ball in low from the right, but Barker made a good take down at his near-post.
Swans forced a corner on the left, but Jones’ far-post header from Bolton’s kick went across goal and wide.
After 72 minutes Swans made their first changes, with new signings Stefan Parkes and Diamond Edwards coming on for Powell and Rogalski. Former Southampton and Port Vale winger Edwards was making his debut, while former Fulham U21 left-side player Parkes was adding to his single appearance on-loan of two seasons ago that was ended early due to injury.
Edwards made an almost instant impact, scoring just three minutes after coming on, and making it 5-3. Barker’s long kick found Edwards just inside the visitors’ half, and he showed superb control, before sending Wood into the left of the box. Wood was denied a 4th goal when his strong left-foot shot brought another fine save from Allan at the near-post, but Edwards followed in to slide the ball home.
The ball just ran through to Barker when Parkway played a dangerous looking ball through into the box from deep on the left, but Swans made it 6-3 after 82 minutes. Excellent play by Parkes deep on the left led to more clever play by Edwards that got Wood into the left of the box to lash a left-foot shot inside the near-post for his record-breaking 4th goal.
A late change for Swans saw Wood end his remarkable debut as he was replaced by another new signing in young Ukrainian Danylo Hubynets.

Swans’ Team: Jos Barker, Elliott Bolton, Thabo Kuaho, Joey Jones, Ethan Light, Eoin Bolger, Jack Wood (Danylo Hubynets 85’), Anis Nuur, Dawid Rogalski, (Diamond Edwards 72’), Johl Powell (Stefan Parkes 72’), Mason Obeng. Subs not used: Ryan Danso, Danny Ball. Scorers: Wood (15’, 18’, 58’ & 82’), Powell (55’), Edwards (75’). Cautions: Rogalski, dissent (53’), Light, time wasting (66’). Dismissal: Kuaho, 2 cautions for fouls (33’ & 57’).
Plymouth Parkway Team: Allan, Veale, Edgecombe, Scarff (Brett 59’), Williams, Hall (Nyadzayo 75’), Neal, R. Garside, Watts-Barciela (Sullivan 59’), Ireland, C. Garside (Smith 82’). Sub. not used: Simons. Scorers: Neal (12’ & 41’), Williams (49’). Cautions: Scarff, foul (36’), Veale, foul (56’).