Tuesday 30th September 2025. Southern League, Premier Division South.
Walton & Hersham 2 Sholing 0.
Swans shrugged off the disappointment of going out of the FA Cup with an excellent win over a very good Sholing side that took them back to the top of the table. They not only maintained their !00% win record over the Boatmen in their five meetings, but also became the first side to beat them in the League this season. Against a side of undoubted quality their defence was always going to be severely tested, but they showed great strength and organisation to come through with a clean sheet. The visitors were always going to create opportunities, but on another night Swans’ Dawid Rogalski could well have come away with a hat-trick.
There were two changes to the line-up, with Ethan Light and Lucas Defise coming in for Elliott Bolton and Anis Nuur, the side being that which had started in the win at Berkhamsted a week earlier.
Swans were awarded a free-kick 40 yards out straight from the kick-off. Eoin Bolger played the kick to Mason Obeng on the left, and there were shouts for handball when he drove the ball across. Jack Wood made a run on the right to get in a good cross that Rogalski just failed to get on the end of. Joey Jones then played a fine ball down the right to get Johl Powell to the byeline, but his low cross was just behind Rogalski, coming into the 6 yard-box. Sholing’s Brad Targett picked up the first yellow card of the evening for a foul on Obeng, giving Swans another free-kick 40 yards out on the left, but Bolger’s delivery went straight through to keeper Craig King.
Swans had made a fine start, and they went close to taking the lead after 13 minutes. Jones played an excellent diagonal pass from deep to find Obeng on the left, and he cut inside across the edge of the box before sending the ball out to the right to Wood, who drove a left-foot shot just wide of the far-post.
Swans were then guilty of some slack play that gave the visitors their first chance as they got in on the right byeline, but the shot was blocked away at the near-post.
Swans had another great opportunity to go ahead when a fine diagonal ball from the right picked out Thabo Kuaho on the left. Kuaho controlled the ball superbly before driving in on the byeline, but again the cross failed to find a teammate.
Sholing got into Swans’ box, and keeper Jos Barker had to make a great block to deflect the ball behind for a corner on the right, and this led indirectly to the lead being taken after 20 minutes with a superbly worked goal. Following the kick Rogalski did well to win the ball deep on the left, and this led to Defise sending Obeng on a run. Obeng crossed to the right corner of the box to pick our Wood, and he took one touch before laying inside for Powell to meet the ball on the half-volley and guide it into the far corner.
Sholing had a chance to equalise when Michael Folivi crossed from wide on the left to the far-post, where Ricardo German came in unmarked, but his half-volley was not cleanly hit and Barker made a comfortable save. German appeared to pull a muscle in his attempt, and he had to be replaced.
Swans had sat unusually deep for much of the half, and with ten minutes left to the break they had problems breaking up a Sholing attack on their left. Blaise Riley-Snow and Reece Wylie combined to set up Dan Mason just inside the box, but he drove a good chance wide of the left-post. Dan Wishart then drove the ball in hard and low from the left for Barker to make a fine take at his near-post.
Defise found Obeng on the left for Swans, but his cross failed to find any one of several teammates queuing up in the box.
Sholing continued have a fine spell however, and in the final minute of normal-time Riley-Snow crossed into the box from deep on the left, and when Dan Mason had a shot blocked, Folivi drove the ball just wide of the right-post. The ball was then driven low across Swans’ goal-face from the right.
Swans made a change for the second-half, with Stefan Parkes replacing Bolger, and they went close to making it 2-0 straight from the restart. Sholing passed the ball straight to Rogalski at the kick-off, and Wood sent Powell through to the edge of the box. This led to Rogalski tricking his way through with just King to beat, but he sent his shot straight at the keeper.
Kuaho won the ball on the left, but his cross into the box was just too long to pick out Rogalski.
Sholing had a chance when Targett was found in the right of the box, but his low shot was straight to Barker at the near-post. They then had an opportunity to put pressure on Swans’ defence with a free-kick on the right, but Jake Hesketh sent the ball straight through to Barker on his line.
With an hour played Rogalski was fouled 35 yards out, giving Swans a free-kick that led to a corner on the right.
Sholing then made a triple substitution, and they were soon forcing Swans into an error at the back, but after a scramble in the box a free-kick was awarded to the home side.
Midway through the half, excellent control by Wood led to him finding Obeng on the left, and he cut inside to send a shot dipping just over.
Swans had needed a second goal, and they got it after 71 minutes. A terrific ball down the left by Defise sent Obeng driving past Spencer Spurway and into the box, where he was sent sprawling by the Sholing substitute, the referee immediately pointing to the penalty-spot. Obeng took the kick himself, driving the ball down the middle and in off the legs of the diving keeper to register his first goal of the season.
Swans then made their second change, with Jonathon Page replacing Powell, and they soon went close to having their lead cut. A build up around the box led to Sholing’s Beaux Booth finding Spurway deep on the right, and his cross into the box almost caught Barker out, the Swans’ keeper pushing the ball onto his crossbar and Parkes hooking it clear.
Swans were then convinced they should have had a second penalty. Page sent Wood down the right to square the ball low across the edge of the 6 yard-box, where Rogalski looked certain to score, only to go down from what looked like a clear trip from behind by Byron Mason. The referee waved play on however.
Swans then gradually introduced their final three substitutes, with Nuur, Diamond Edwards and Bolton coming on for Obeng, Wood and Light.
Edwards made a good run on the right before finding Rogalski in the box to spin and have a shot blocked.
In the final minute of normal-time Sholing’s Spurway crossed from the right for Barker to make a good take.
Swans then forced three successive corners on the right as they attempted to run down the clock. Six minutes into added-on time they should have settled the match with a third goal. Barker’s long kick down the pitch sent the ball bouncing just outside the box, completely deceiving Sholing’s Harry Taylor and getting Rogalski through with just keeper King to beat, but his first-time half-volley went wide of the left-post.
Sholing had one last opportunity with a free-kick out on the left touchline, but Booth delivered the ball safely into the gloves of Barker, the referee then blowing the final whistle.
Swans’ Team: Jos Barker, Ethan Light (Elliott Bolton 84’), Thabo Kuaho, Joey Jones, Riley Horan, Eoin Bolger (Stefan Parkes 46’), Jack Wood ((Diamond Edwards 83’), Lucas Defise, Dawid Rogalski, Johl Powell (Jonathon Page 75’), Mason Obeng (Anis Nuur 78’). Scorers: Powell (20’), Obeng, penalty (71’). Cautions: Edwards (90+4’), Page (90+5’).
Sholing Team: King, Riley-Snow (Booth 62’), Wishart (Rabbetts 62’), Taylor, McCarthy, B. Mason, D. Mason (Tume 80’), Targett (Spurway 64’), Wylie, German (Hesketh 27’) Folivi. Cautions: Targett (11’), Riley-Snow (60′), Spurway (70’), D. Mason (74’), Wylie (90+4’).
