Saturday 1st November 2025.        Southern League, Premier Division South.

Walton & Hersham 6 Tiverton Town 0.

With Gloucester City losing to a stoppage-time goal at Uxbridge, Swans’ crushing of Tiverton Town stretched their lead at the top of the table to seven points, at the same rime boosting their goal difference to a healthy eight over the West Country club. Their win not only made it eleven in a row in the League, but also meant they had not suffered a League defeat at home in a calendar year.

The struggling Devon side were left with an almost impossible task of turning their fortunes around against a rampant Swans’ side that stormed into a two goal lead after just six minutes. To their credit they created several opportunities to get on the scoresheet themselves, but they had the misfortune to come up against Swans’ goalkeeper Jos Barker in imperious form.

The emphatic win came despite Swans still suffering from several players missing through injury and unavailability. Ben Acey, Elliott Bolton, Riley Horan and Thabo Kuaho are all still recovering from injury, while Joe Bennett was serving a one-match, and Charlie Street was unavailable. The squad was boosted with two new signings, defender Aaron Williams Fernandez joining from Chertsey Town and full-back Luciano D’Auria-Henry from Farnborough. Williams Fernandez started the game, while D’Auria-Henry joined U18 player Oscar Suarez on the bench.

The opening goal came less than a minute into the game when Eoin Bolger delivered a superb cross-field pass from inside his own half to pick out Jack Wood high on the right touchline. Wood took one touch before crossing to the near-post, where Dawid Rogalski came in to glance a header home.

Williams Fernandez saw his first action, heading clear when Matt Wood delivered a long throw from the left for Tiverton.

Johl Powell was almost played in, but was just closed out, before Swans doubled their lead after just six minutes with another terrific goal. Excellent play outside the box led to Jonathon Page laying off to Rogalski, who picked out Lucas Defise’s forward run with a delightful chip over the defence. Defise took one touch before guiding a half-volley into the top of the net from ten yards for his first goal of the season.

A fine run by Stefan Parkes on the left led to Mason Obeng almost playing Powell in, but Tiverton goalkeeper Zak Baker just denied him.

The visitors had a chance to get back into the game when a throw-in on the right led to Aiden Horne being found on the right edge of the box, but his left-foot shot dipped just over, although keeper Barker had it covered.

Page won the ball on the left for Swans, but no-one could get on the end of his cross, before Rogalski was just closed out when Williams Fernandez picked out his run into the box. Obeng then got in on the left byeline, but Baker was able to cut out his cross. Powell was brought down on the right byeline just outside the box by Finley Rooke, giving Swans a free-kick in a good position. Bolger sent the ball glancing off a defender’s head for a corner on the left. Swans continued to look to build on their lead, and Defise made a great run in on the right byeline to force a save from Baker at his near-post. Obeng utilised his long throw from the right, but the ball was cleared when Williams Fernandez nodded it on. Wood got Powell into the right of the box to set up Rogalski, whose shot was blocked.

Tiverton had an opportunity to get the ball into Swans’ box with a free-kick deep on the left, but Jacob Wellington’s delivery was cleared. The visitors had a better chance to get a goal back just past the half hour when a ball over the top down the right sent Horne clear, but after stepping inside Williams Fernandez his shot from the edge of the 6 yard-box was superbly blocked by Barker for a corner.

Swans went close to making it 3-0 however, when Williams Fernandez sent a long ball down the right to pick out the run of Powell, but after getting into the box he drove into the side-netting. With five minutes left to the break Williams Fernandez found Wood on the right, and Rogalski was just denied when he laid the ball in, a corner being won on the right when Tiverton cleared over their own bar. From Bolger’s kick Joey Jones was at the far-post to get in a strong header that Baker just managed to block on his line, before the ball was scrambled away. Bolger struck another superb long ball to find Obeng on the left, and he did well to hold off a defender, allowing Page and Rogalski to combine and play him into the box, but his low shot was just inches wide of the near-post.

Tiverton forced a corner on the right, and following the kick the ball came to Tor Swann, but his shot from the right went over.

In added-on time Swans built up one of their multi-pass moves, leading to Obeng laying the ball in from the left, but Rogalski put his shot wide of the near-post.

Swans started the second-half as they did the first, scoring early. Just six minutes in Bolger threaded a superb low pass through from the centre-circle that completely split the visitors’ defence and picked out the run of Powell, who got into the box to slot the ball past Baker and into the bottom right corner.

Having gone 3-0 up Swans took the opportunity to make changes, with Ethan Light and D’Auria-Henry coming on for Parkes and Page.

Tiverton had another chance in the left of the box, but Wellington’s shot was straight at Barker.

Swans however, made it 4-0 with an hour played. Jones played a fine ball through to get Powell into the right of the box, where he appeared to be brought down by Rooke. After getting to his feet Powell again went down under a tackle from Rooke, but Wood did not wait for a penalty decision, as he curled a tremendous left foot shot into the far, top corner.

Tiverton almost capitalised on some slack play by Swans as Dan Koita played Swann clear on the right to get in a shot, but Barker made a block at his near-post. The ball fell to Horne in the left of the box, but he skied his shot well over.

Obeng had a shot blocked after being played into the left of the box by Wood, but the visitors again went close to getting a goal back. Zack Williams got the better of Jones on the left edge of the box and struck a strong shot that Barker kept out of the top, left corner with a terrific save.

Swans immediately brought on Anis Nuur for Defise, and he was soon sending Wood clear on the right, but his low cross went behind at the far-post. A great move between Powell, D’Auria-Henry and Rogalski on the right almost got Powell through, but he was blocked out.

Barker was again brought into action at the other end, getting behind a shot from Gabe Billington, after Tiverton had a spell of possession around the box.

Swans made it 5-0 however after 82 minutes. Jones played a great ball through to Powell in the right of the box, and although Baker got his left leg behind his first shot. Powell followed in to find the right corner.

Suarez then came on in place of Obeng, making him Swans’ third debutant of the afternoon. Nuur’s fine pass was soon getting the U18 player through to the left byeline, but Baker was able to cut out his cross.

With the match entering added-on time Swans got their sixth goal. Light brought the ball forward to find Rogalski in the centre-circle, and his clever lay-off again sent Powell driving clear and into the box. Baker made a fine save down to his right to keep out Powell’s shot, but Wood was able to gain possession, and he worked an opening, holding off the challenge of Brooklyn Wilkins before drilling a shot low into the left corner.

There was still time for Tiverton to go close to getting a consolation as Koita was played through into the left of the box, but Williams Fernandez tracked him to make a terrific tackle. From the left-side corner the ball was headed back across goal and Rogalski headed away at the left-post. Asa Hall followed up with a left-foot half-volley, and Barker made a great block in the 6 yard-box as the ball came through a ruck of players.

Swans’ Team: Jos Barker, Aaron Williams Fernandez, Stefan Parkes (Ethan Light 54’), Joey Jones, Lucas Defise (Anis Nuur 68’), Eoin Bolger, Jack Wood, Jonathon Page (Luciano D’Auria-Henry 54’), Dawid Rogalski, Johl Powell, Mason Obeng (Oscar Suarez 83’). Sub. not used: Zach Alfalahi. Scorers: Rogalski (1’), Defise (6’), Powell (51’ & 82’), Wood (60’ & 90+1’).
Tiverton Town Team: Baker, Wilkins, Hutchinson, Wood, Swann, Hall, Koita, Wellington (Koerner 83’), Billington, Horne (Williams 62’), Rooke (Down 72’). Sub. not used: Lungu.