Saturday 30th August 2025. FA Cup, 1st Qualifying Round.
Three Bridges 0 Walton & Hersham 2.
Swans progressed to the next round, negotiating a tricky tie at the Isthmian League South East club that has made a good start to the season. They had lost on all their four previous visits to Jubilee Field, but at last came out on top ten years following their previous visit. They withstood several spells of pressure from the home side, but following a tense first-half two goals in the second saw them through.
There was one change to the side that had started the previous two games, with Lucas Defise coming in for the unavailable skipper Joey Jones.
With a blustery wind blowing towards the home goal Swans had a great chance to take an early lead as, with just four minutes played, home goalkeeper Sam Roberts’ attempt to kick clear from a back-pass sent the ball straight to Dawid Rogalski just outside the box. With just the keeper to beat Rogalski chose to lob him, but the ball cleared the bar.
Three Bridges soon created an opening when Kevin Rivera played Reece Hallard into the box on the left, but Swans’ keeper Jos Barker made a good catch at his near-post when the ball was driven in.
Johl Powell immediately forced a corner on the right for Swans, and when Jack Wood sent the kick in, Rogalski headed just wide at the far-post. Excellent play by Anis Nuur deep in the middle of the pitch led to Mason Obeng playing a long ball to send Wood chasing the ball to the right byeline. Wood did well to keep the ball in and lay back to Powell, coming into the right of the box. Powell drove in a shot that brought a fine save from Roberts at his near-post, and Obeng followed up to have a shot blocked. A ball down the left sent Obeng clear, but his low cross just failed to find Rogalski in the middle. Three Bridges conceded a needless corner on the right, and Roberts did well to punch away from Wood’s kick. A long throw by Obeng then led to the ball being scrambled away in the box.
With 25 minutes played Wood picked up the first yellow card of the afternoon when he stopped a Three Bridges’ break on the left with a trip, but the free-kick went straight through to Barker. Swans were fortunate when a long pass down the left sent Rivera away, and when Riley Horan went down he got in on the byeline. Rivera drove the ball low across goal, with Charlie Bennett just failing to get a touch.
A Three Bridges’ long throw from the right caused problems for Swans, but they were able to break, and Obeng won the ball off Billy Irving on halfway to drive clear down the left. Obeng drove into the box to sidestep Dan Ferreira and get in a shot that brought a fine save from Roberts at his near-post.
With the half entering the final five minutes the home side got in on the left to force a corner, but Barker collected safely when the ball was headed back at the far-post. The Swans’ keeper then made a good catch when a free-kick was delivered from close to the byeline on the left. Three Bridges continued to have a good finish to the first-half, and Hallard drove into the left of the box to get in a low shot that Barker just got a glove on to deflect the ball wide of the far-post.
Swans made the perfect start to the second-half, taking the lead in the second minute. They put together their best passing move of the match so far, and this led to Obeng tricking his way into the left of the box before cutting back onto his right foot and getting in a shot. Keeper Roberts saved at his near-post, but could only palm the ball into the air, and Powell followed in to meet it on the half-volley and find the net.
Rain had added to the wind to make conditions more difficult, and Three Bridges forced a corner on the left. Following the kick the ball came to Ferreira outside the right edge of the box, and he drove in a low shot that Barker saved down on his line.
Horan made a good run forward before being fouled, and with an hour played Swans went close to doubling their lead. Good play on the right led to Wood and Elliott Bolton combining to set up Powell on the edge of the box to get in a low left-foot shot that Roberts could only push away. Wood followed in, but Sam Bull just got in to clear.
Swans then made their first change, with Stefan Parkes coming on for Eoin Bolger.
Another fine build-up led to Obeng setting-up Rogalski on the left corner of the 6 yard-box, but his side-foot effort was blocked away.
The home side had a right-side corner headed away, before Swans made a triple substitution with a quarter of an hour remaining. Rogalski, Powell and Defise came off to be replaced by Diamond Edwards, Ethan Light, and Jonathon Page, who was making his belated debut.
Swans then went a long way to securing their progress, as they made it 2-0 after 80 minutes.
Ferreira fell over in trying to control the ball deep on Swans’ left, and Nuur was able to get possession and drive clear. Nuur played Edwards into the left of the box, where he was brought down by Josh Hallard. Nuur stepped up for the penalty, and made no mistake, finding the bottom, right corner as Roberts went the wrong way.
Swans then made their fifth and final change as Danylo Hubynets came on for Wood.
Three Bridges pressed to get back into the tie, and following a build-up on the right the ball came in for Destiny Ojo to send a first-time volley well over at the near-post.
Swans should have made it 3-0 when a long kick from Barker was not cut out by Hayden Neathey, and Hubynets got through on goal, but after side-stepping Irving he sent the ball well wide of the left-post.
Irving had a low shot deflected wide of Swans’ left-post from the right to win a corner, that was safely cleared at the far-post, and with the 9th minute of additional time being played Three Bridges had a free-kick 35 yards out, but Josh Hallard drove the ball straight through to Barker, who made a comfortable save.
Swans’ Team: Jos Barker, Elliott Bolton, Thabo Kuaho, Lucas Defise (Jonathon Page 75’), Riley Horan, Eoin Bolger (Stefan Parkes 62’), Jack Wood (Danylo Hubynets 82’), Anis Nuur Dawid Rogalski (Diamond Edwards 75’), Johl Powell (Ethan Light 75’), Mason Obeng. Subs. not used: Zach Alfalahi, Danny Ball. Scorers: Powell (46’), Nuur, penalty (80’). Cautions: Wood, foul (25’), Nuur, goal celebration (80’), Bolton, foul (85’), Edwards, delayed restart (90’).
Three Bridges Team: Roberts, Ferreira (Ojo 84’), Bull (J. Hallard 66’), Neathey, Irving, Woollard (Leighton 75’), Adeyinka, Rivera, Velvick, R. Hallard (Fisher 66’), Bennett. Subs: Beyson, Holden, Byrne. Cautions: Neathey, Velvick, Irving, Ojo.
