Saturday 22nd November 2025. Southern League, Premier Division South.
Walton & Hersham 0 Hungerford Town 0.
Swans’ run of 12 straight league wins came to an end as they were frustrated by a Hungerford Town side in awful conditions of wind and rain. They also dropped their first points at home this season. They struggled to create openings as they came up against a well organised, resolute visiting defence, and when they did they failed to find the clinical finish to make the breakthrough.
There were two changes to the side that had been left frustrated at Sholing, Eoin Bolger being fit to return, and Lucas Defise also starting, with Ethan Light and Jonathon Page dropping to the bench.
Swans failed to switch on at all at the start, and the visitors had two great chances in as many opening minutes, being denied on each occasion by fine saves from Jos Barker. A free-kick deep on the left was delivered to the right of the box by Louis McGrory, and when the ball was headed back across by Tyrone Duffus, Conor McDonagh was left with a clear chance on the edge of the 6 yard-box, but Barker made a great block and Johl Powell was able to clear. Slack play then allowed McDonagh to get into the box and open up another chance, but his low shot was superbly saved by the Swans’ keeper with a strong hand down to his left. However, those were to prove the only saves Barker had to make in the match.
Swans began to settle, and had their first chance after a quarter of an hour when Luciano D’Auria-Henry played the ball forward to Powell, who found Jack Wood on the right. Wood played the ball low across the box to Dawid Rogalski, who turned to get in a left-foot shot that brought a save from Hungerford keeper Jenson Kilroy. Powell made a good run on the right to get the ball over, but Rogalski couldn’t get control in the box. With 27 minutes played a fine build-up led to D’Auria-Henry getting forward and playing Powell clear into the right of the box, but his low shot went inches past the far-post, with both Rogalski.and Mason Obeng just failing to get a touch. Excellent interplay outside the box led to Rogalski finding Powell on the right, who laid inside to Wood. When Wood’s attempt to find a teammate was blocked by a defender, the ball struck Powell on the head to go just wide of the right-post.
Swans were now dominating, and following another fine build-up Defise and Powell combined to find Wood on the right. Wood slipped Powell into the right of the 6 yard-box, but his shot deflected off Bradley Hooper and just wide of the near-post for a corner. Stefan Parkes then made a good break down the left to have the ball deflect behind for another corner on the left. From Obeng’s kick the ball came out to D’Auria-Henry, but he sent his shot over.
With added-on time being played Hungerford had a rare opportunity when they were awarded a free-kick in a good position centrally placed five yards outside the box, but Charlie Austin drove the ball wide of the right, top corner.
The visitors had another chance to build something early in the second-half when Zach Kotwica found Ramarni Medford-Smith on the left, but Aaron Williams Fernandez was able to clear from the cross.
Just past the hour Swans made their first change, with Thabo Kuaho coming on for Bolger. They then went close to breaking the deadlock. Powell sent the ball forward to Kuaho on the edge of the box, and he caused problems for the visitors’ defence. The ball ran free to Rogalski on the edge of the ’D’, and he struck a snap-shot that Kilroy kept out of his top, right corner with a fine save, tipping the ball wide for a corner. From Obeng’s kick on the left, several shots were blocked in the 6 yard-box before the ball was scrambled clear.
D’Auria-Henry then played the ball through to Rogalski, who found Wood on the right. Wood crossed in to the edge of the 6 yard-box, and with Powell just failing to get his head on the ball it was cleared off the line at the far-post by McGrory. Kuaho just failed to force the ball in on the follow-up before it was cleared away.
Light and Page then came on for Parkes and Defise.
Powell almost got Wood in on the right, and when a free-kick was awarded for handball out on the left touchline, Kilroy was able to cut the ball out.
Anis Nuur came on for D’Auria-Henry to make his 100th appearance for Swans, followed shortly by Zach Alfalahi replacing Obeng.
In added-on time Page was fouled 40 yards out, but Joey Jones’ free-kick was cleared. Wood then swung the ball in from the right and it was scrambled away. Nuur crossed back into the right of the box from the left, and when the ball was headed down by Jones to Powell on the corner of the 6 yard-box, he just failed to get his shot away.
Swans Team: Jos Barker, Luciano D’Auria-Henry (Anis Nuur 84’), Stefan Parkes (Ethan Light 72’), Joey Jones, Aaron Williams Fernandez, Eoin Bolger (Thabo Kuaho 63’), Jack Wood, Lucas Defise (Jonathon Page 72’), Dawid Rogalski, Johl Powell, Mason Obeng (Zach Alfalahi 87’).
Hungerford Town Team: Kilroy, Medford-Smith, Berry-Hargreaves, Kotwica, Hooper, McDonagh (Williams 68’), Lopes, Duffus, McGrory, Shepherd, Austin (Bancroft 85’). Subs. not used. Rose, Squires, Messenger.
