Saturday 13th September 2025. FA Cup, 2nd Qualifying Round.
Whitehawk 0 Walton & Hersham 2.
Swans progressed through to the 3rd Qualifying Round of the FA Cup for the second season in a row by virtue of a fine first-half performance in Brighton. 2-0 up in the first 20 minutes and dominating, they looked to be going through comfortably against their Isthmian League Premier opponents. The second-half however turned into a somewhat disjointed affair, and with the home side showing improvement and trying to get back into the tie, it took some fine saves from goalkeeper Jos Barker to see them through. On a pitch that had a considerable slope from touchline to touchline, there was a clash of styles, with Swans’ close passing game coming up against the Hawks’ direct, long ball game.
There was an enforced change for Swans, with Lucas Defise coming in for Johl Powell, who was serving a one match suspension.
Whitehawk got in an early cross from the left that Barker cut out at the far-post.
Swans soon settled however, and Defise and Mason Obeng combined on the right to get Dawid Rogalski in to have a shot blocked. A long throw from the right from the Hawks’ Stefan Wright had to be cleared, and Jack Wood got clear on the right, but Rogalski was closed out in the box.
Swans had a great chance to take the lead after eight minutes when Eoin Bolger played Thabo Kuaho down the left, and he drove in to the corner of the 6 yard-box, but was denied his first senior goal by a good block from keeper Josh Shattell. Anis Nuur followed up on the edge of the box to drive in a low shot that Shattell again got behind.
Barker had to be quick to come out and clear when Whitehawk almost stole in on a Bolger back-pass, and a free-kick into the box from the left had to be defended.
Swans continued to look good going forward however, and they took the lead after 18 minutes. Obeng found Rogalski in the middle, and he laid the ball off to Wood in space on the right. Wood drove the ball across, and it deflected off the Hawks’ Charlie Harris on the near corner of the 6 yard-box before finding the far corner of the goal.
Two minutes later it was 2-0 to Swans. Bolger played the ball forward to Rogalski, and he slipped a great pass through to find Nuur coming into the box on the left, and he calmly found the bottom, right corner.
A fine move got Wood in on the right byeline, but Shattell was able to cut out his low cross.
Swans had been good value for their two goal lead, but they were grateful to Barker for preserving it after 33 minutes/ Whitehawk had a free-kick 25 yards out, and Harris drove in a strong shot that the Swans’ keeper kept out with a fine save on his line. Alfie Rogers followed in, and Barker made a terrific point-blank save from his shot. The Hawks’ player had a second bite, but drove his shot over.
Obeng sent in a long throw from the left for Swans, and when the ball was crossed back in Rogalski just failed to get to it at the far-post. Wood and Nuur then combined to set up Defise on the edge of the box, but his shot was weak, and Shattell saved comfortably.
The Hawks’ keeper then held on to the ball for longer than the allotted 8 seconds, and Swans were awarded a corner on the left.
Early in the second-half Swans were almost caught out when the home side took a free-kick quickly and Charlie Lambert got free down the left, but his cross was cleared.
In between two more long throws from the Hawks’ Wright, Swans made a change, with Diamond Edwards replacing Defise.
Barker made a good take when Wright delivered a free-kick from deep on the right, and the home side soon had another chance. Another free-kick from deep was played forward by Harris to Rogers on the right edge of the box, but after opening up the chance he shot over.
Midway through the second-half Swans brought on Ethan Light for Bolger, and he was soon conceding a free-kick five yards outside the edge of the box on the left. Andrew Briggs drove the ball in, and Barker did well to punch away at his near-post. The ball came out to Oscar Borg in the left of the box, but his shot went over.
Swans then made their third change, with Jonathon Page coming on for Nuur.
Rogalski played Wood into the left of the box to have a shot blocked, that being his last contribution in another fine performance before being replaced by Danylo Hubynets.
With five minutes of normal-time remaining a layback from the left by Imran Kayani found the Hawks’ Harry Waldock on the edge of the box, and he struck a first-time, left-foot shot that just cleared the bar. The home side continued to press to get back into the tie, and in the 90th minute Waldock swung the ball in from the left to the far-post, where Nathan Cooper got in a downward header that Barker turned wide with another terrific save. The Swans’ defence was then tested with two more long throws from Wright in stoppage-time.
The final chance however fell to Wood, who was found clear on the left by Obeng, but after cutting inside he sent a weak shot straight at the keeper.
Swans’ Team: Jos Barker, Elliott Bolton, Thabo Kuaho, Joey Jones, Riley Horan, Eoin Bolger (Ethan Light 68’), Jack Wood, Anis Nuur (Jonathon Page 77’), Dawid Rogalski (Danylo Hubynets 80’), Lucas Defise (Diamond Edwards 57’), Mason Obeng. Subs. not used: Stefan Parkes, Ben Acey. Scorers: Own goal (Harris) (18’), Nuur (20’). Cautions: Rogalski, foul (29’), Nuur, foul (32’), Bolton, foul (45+4’).
Whitehawk Team: Shattell, Wright, Borg (Meeres 82’), Daly, Cooper, Odogwu-Atkinson, Leach (Kayani 46’), Harris (Waldock 67’), O’Toole, Rogers (Briggs 67’), Lambert. Subs. not used: Wade, Quaye. Cautions: Daly, foul (41’), Lambert, foul (46’), Meeres, foul (90+3’), Briggs, dissent (90+5’).
