Tuesday 23rd September 2025. Southern League, Premier Division South.
Berkhamsted 0 Walton & Hersham 3.
Swans went to the top of the table with a good, solid performance against their newly promoted, first-time opponents. What could have been a very difficult task on a Tuesday evening away against a good looking side was negotiated with a minimum of problems. The points were a long way to being secured inside the first half hour as Swans stormed into a three goal lead. From that point on they seldom looked like adding to their score, but they barely offered up an opportunity for the home side to get back into the game with a well-marshalled performance.
There were two enforced changes to the starting line-up, with both Anis Nuur and Elliott Bolton having picked up injuries at Bracknell. Lucas Defise and Ethan Light came in, while Jack Wood also returned in place of Diamond Edwards.
Swans got off to the perfect start, going ahead after just two minutes. Eoin Bolger delivered a long ball over the top down the left to pick out the run of Thabo Kuaho, who got past his marker to play the ball low across. Pierce Mitchell could not prevent Dawid Rogalski getting to the edge of the 6 yard-box to pass the ball into the bottom, left corner.
Berkhamsted soon had a free-kick deep on the left, and from Cameron Hyde’s delivery into the box Mitchell’s header was sent straight at Swans’ keeper Jos Barker. Barker was soon preserving Swans’ lead with a super save. Sean Duodu got away down the left, before cutting inside Bolger and into the box to get in a shot that Barker got a strong, left hand on to deflect the ball wide of the far-post. The save was all the better as the ball had taken a deflection off Bolger. The home side continued to threaten on the left, and another shot took a deflection for another corner on the right. Barker made a good catch to cut out Jonathan Lacey’s kick. Max Rosner then put a header over from inside the box from Hyde’s free-kick taken deep on the left.
Swans began to see off a good spell by Berkhamsted, and home keeper Charlie Horlock had to be quickly out to the edge of his area to kick clear when Rogalski got clear. Swans built-up a good move following a long throw from Mason Obeng on the right, and Rogalski was on the left touchline to play a clever ball inside to Obeng, who cut inside to drive in a low shot that Horlock kept out down at his near-post.
Swans doubled their lead after 20 minutes, with the goal again being set up with a Bolger long ball over the top down the left. This time they cut out the middle man as the ball went over Mitchell to reach Rogalski direct, and he got clear into the box before calmly slotting past Horlock.
Berkhamsted’s Luke Andrews picked up the first yellow card of the evening for fouling Obeng 40 yards out on the left, and this led to Swans going 3-0 up after 28 minutes. The kick was worked short, and when Obeng swung the ball into the box, Light nodded it down for Johl Powell to come in at the near-post and neatly tuck it past the keeper.
Wood was sent down the right to get in a cross that led to a corner as the ball was headed behind.
The home side then forced a corner of their own on the right in first-half stoppage-time, but Barker made a good catch from Lacey’s kick.
The second-half started with Berkhamsted allowed a lot of possession, but in deep positions that did not trouble the Swans’ defence. They did threaten when Lacey found Hyde on the left, and he drove the ball across for Barker to take high up at his near-post, with claims it had gone over the goal-line.
With an hour played the home side made a triple substitution to try to change things, and Swans soon responded by making their first two changes, Edwards and Stefan Parkes coming on for Rogalski and Kuaho, who had just picked up a yellow card.
Berkhamsted got the ball in the net following Hyde’s free-kick delivered out to the left, but the flag went up for offside.
Both sided then made a double substitution, with Zach Alfalahi and Jonathon Page replacing Obeng and Powell for Swans.
Berkhamsted had continued to have a lot of possession without really threatening, and it always looked like it would take an error by Swans to let them into the game. One came after 73 minutes when some casual defending allowed Lacey a chance on the edge of the box, but his low, left-foot shot was straight at Barker on his line.
Swans took the opportunity to give Ben Acey a belated debut following his recovery from injury, as he replaced Light. With the match entering the final five minutes his foul gave the home side a free-kick 35 yards out on the right, and the ball was headed behind for a corner on the right, but Barker punched away from the kick. Deep into stoppage-time Lacey got through to the right byline, but his low cross could only find the side-netting, the referee then blowing the final whistle.
Swans’ Team: Jos Barker, Ethan Light (Ben Acey 82’), Thabo Kuaho (Stefan Parkes 63’), Joey Jones, Riley Horan, Eoin Bolger, Jack Wood, Lucas Defise, Dawid Rogalski (Diamond Edwards 63’), Johl Powell (Jonathon Page 71’), Mason Obeng (Zach Alfalahi 71’). Scorers: Rogalski (2’ & 20’), Powell (28’). Caution: Kuaho, foul (62’).
Berkhamsted Team: Horlock, Rosner, Hyde (Bateman 70’), Watkins (Barker 58’), Mitchell (Busari 58’), Gurteen (Kyei 70’), Lacey, Andrews, Duodu, Harriman-Annous, Wadkins (Johnson 58’). Caution: Andrews, foul (24’).
