Saturday 15th November 2025.       FA Trophy, 2nd Round.

Walton & Hersham 2 Farnborough 1.

Swans made it through to the round of the last 64 of the FA Trophy for the first time since 2004-05 with a repeat of the 2-1 win they achieved over the National League South club in the FA Cup last season. The winning goal was also almost a replica of that which Johl Powell scored in that previous game, although this time he did not leave it so late. The win was thoroughly deserved, as Swans can point to a couple of contentious decisions that threatened to derail their passage through to the next round. With the quality of players in their squad the visitors were always going to be a tough proposition, but Swans came through a difficult encounter with flying colours.

There were some enforced changes to the team, with Aaron Williams Fernandez cup-tied, Joe Bennett unavailable, and Eoin Bolger missing his first game of the season through injury. Ethan Light came back in, while Luciano D’Auria-Henry made his first start, playing against the club he left recently. Good news was that Thabo Kuaho was able to begin his return from injury with a place on the bench. A surprise switch was Jonathon Page dropping back into defence from his usual midfield role, as he also played against his former club.

Another twist was Swans abandoning their usual close-passing technique in the early stages for a long ball game, and this continually brought success as they penetrated a high Boro back-line.

Inside the first five minutes the visitors’ Ollie Robinson was launching a couple of long throws, one from each touchline, but Swans were able to clear on each occasion.

Mason Obeng was soon sending in one of his own from the right that Boro goalkeeper Jack Turner was able to cut out. Turner then got to the ball when a long kick from his opposite number, Jos Barker, almost got Obeng through. Swans then had the first opening when Barker delivered another long ball, and Jack Wood held off the challenge of Ben Greenwood in the right of the box, but his attempted lob went over.

Boro troubled the home defence for the first time with a build-up on the right, and Swans had to make a couple of blocks to clear the threat.

With a quarter of an hour played Swans will feel they were denied an opportunity to take the lead. Barker brought the ball forward out of his area before sending another long kick to pick out the run of Obeng on the left. Stefan Parkes burst through on the outside and was brought down by Louie Holzman on the left corner of the box. The offence looked to have taken place on the line, but the referee awarded a free-kick just outside the area. Obeng struck the kick well, but Turner was able to get his body behind the ball to force it away with a good save. Page followed in on the right edge of the box, but shot well over. Powell forced a corner on the right, and from Wood’s kick Light got to the near-post to have a header blocked on the line, before the ball was scrambled clear.

Swans then took the lead after 22 minutes with a terrific goal. The move started with Dawid Rogalski hooking a superb ball from deep on the left to find Wood on the right. D’Auria-Henry then found Rogalski outside the right of the box, and he clipped the ball through to Powell. The ball came back out to Rogalski on the edge, and he struck it first time on the half-volley to find the bottom, right corner, giving Turner no chance.

Boro won a corner on the left, and following the kick Tommy-Lee Higgs crossed back in from the right to the far-post, where Mason Bloomfield put a header wide.

Wood was soon getting to the right edge of the box for Swans, leading to Rogalski getting in a cross that was just too high for Obeng.

The visitors got in on the left to have a shot blocked for a corner, and from the kick Barker made a good punch away at the near-post. The ball came out to Greenwood, who crossed in to the right of the box, leading to an overhead kick from Lachlan Byrd that the Swans’ keeper kept out with a fine grab down to his right.

Powell was soon finding Wood on the right for Swans, but he shot just wide of the far-post. Obeng then made a fine run on the left before laying across to Wood on the right, and he sidestepped Greenwood to drive in a shot that Turner blocked at his near-post.
Rogalski followed up, but could not pick out a teammate.

With ten minutes remaining of the half Holzman did well on the right for Boro, before laying inside for Higgs to send a shot over from the edge of the box. Parkes picked up a yellow card for Swans for a foul, giving the away side a free-kick in a dangerous position high on the right, but the ball was delivered well wide of the far-post.

Swans thought they had doubled their lead when Lucas Defise and Obeng combined to send Parkes away on the left to drive into the box and find the net, but the flag went up for what must have been a very marginal offside decision.

Wood and Powell combined well on the right to send Wood clear into the box, but Turner made a good block at his near-post., and Powell followed up to shoot over.

Boro immediately equalised with the final minute of the half being played. Barker’s kick clear from a pass-back only reached the edge of the box, and Billy Clifford made an excellent run in on the left to drive the ball low inside the far-post.

The visitors had a chance straight after the resumption for the second-half when the ball fell to Rakish Bingham on the left corner of the box, but his first-time half-volley was just over.

Boro immediately picked up two yellow cards in quick succession.

Swans went close to making it 2-1 when Wood played a neat one-two with Powell on the edge of the box before striking a left-foot shot just wide of the right-post.

They did not have to wait too long however to regain the lead. With 57 minutes played Light made a clever run forward from deep on the left before laying off to Joey Jones midway in Swans’ half. Jones played a terrific, defence splitting ball down the middle to pick out the run of Powell, who drove into the right of the box before cleverly taking the ball round Turner and slotting into the far, bottom corner, bringing back memories of his late winner in the FA Cup tie last season.

Robinson launched another long throw from the right for Boro, but Swans were able to clear, before they made their first change, Kuaho coming on for Parkes to make his first appearance since his injury. Kuaho was soon playing Obeng in on the left byeline, but his low cross was blocked. Powell was then fouled just outside the right corner of the box, but Wood sent the free-kick dipping over. With a quarter of an hour remaining Zach Alfalahi came on for Obeng.

The visitors were still looking to the long throws of Robinson to get them back into the game, but Barker made a fine take when one came in from the right.

Swans then brought on Anis Nuur for D’Auria-Henry.

Robinson delivered another long throw from the right, and Clifford played the ball forward for Barker to punch away, but the flag went up for offside. With the match entering the final five minutes Boro broke away down the right from a Swans’ attack, but the cross was cleared at the far-post. The ball was then driven across Swans’ box from the left. In the final minute of normal-time Boro had a free-kick five yards outside the box on the right, but Barker made a good catch to snuff out the threat.

A minimum five minutes of added-on time were indicated, and in the final of these Alfalahi was able to win a corner on the left, enabling Swans to see out the win.

Swans’ Team: Jos Barker, Luciano D’Auria-Henry (Anis Nuur 81’), Stefan Parkes (Thabo Kuaho 69’), Joey Jones, Lucas Defise, Ethan Light, Jack Wood, Jonathon Page, Dawid Rogalski, Johl Powell, Mason Obeng (Zach Alfalahi 76’). Subs. not used: Zidane Yousuf, Danylo Hubynets. Scorers: Rogalski (22’), Powell (57’). Cautions: Parkes, foul (38’), Jones, foul (79’).
Farnborough Team: Turner, Greenwood, Clifford, Robinson, Byrd, Young, Bingham (Sandah 73’), Higgs (Klass 87’), Poleon, Bloomfield (Huke 73’), Holzman. Subs. not used: Lomas, Oyenuga. Scorer: Clifford (45+1’). Cautions: Robinson, foul (45+2’), Bloomfield, foul (45+2’), Holzman, foul (49’), Higgs, foul (61’),