Saturday 21st September 2024.         Southern League, Premier Division South.

Poole Town 1 Walton & Hersham 1.

Swans will have made the long trip back from Dorset feeling that they had missed out on the opportunity of picking up another three points that would have taken them to the top of the table. After taking an early lead they created enough further opportunities that should have taken them in at the break with a commanding advantage, as they were playing some excellent football. Unfortunately they could not maintain the momentum in the second-half as the home side stepped up their game, making good use of their substitutions and changing their formation, with extra firepower up front. This led to Poole equalising with just under a quarter of an hour remaining.
Swans had entered the match missing three key players. Captain Joey Jones and Nana Owusu were both injured, while Dawid Rogalski was starting a suspension following his red card picked up against Hanwell. Tom Olyott was however able to come back into the side after recovering from concussion.
The home side had an opportunity with five minutes played when Tom Hewlett got into the left of the box, and when he was blocked Charlie Cummins followed up to drive a shot wide of the left post.
This had come from Poole’s first attack after Swans had dominated the opening exchanges. That domination led to them taking the lead after just eight minutes with a fine goal. Archie Procter found Eoin Bolger on the left, and he combined with Mason Obeng, who sent him through to the byeline. Bolger crossed to the near-post, where Dan Rowe met the ball with a superb back-heel flick that sent it over goalkeeper Cam Plain and into the far, top corner for his first Swans’ goal on his league debut for them.
Olyott was tripped out on the right touchline, but he swung the free-kick straight through to keeper Plain. With a quarter of an hour played Josh Tobin got forward and threaded the ball through to get Olyott to the right byeline. Olyott did well to keep the ball in and lay it back to Rowe in the corner of the box, and he drove a low shot across goal and just wide of the far-post.
Antonio Diaz was found on the left for Poole, but he drove the ball across goal and wide.
Swans should have doubled their lead after 21 minutes with what would have been a tremendous goal. Tobin drove forward from deep in his own half before laying off to Johl Powell in the centre-circle, and he made a superb run down the middle that took him past several Poole defenders and through to the penalty-spot, leaving him with a one-on-one with Plain, but the home keeper made a good block. Elliott Bolton was able to follow up in the right of the box to have a shot blocked. Powell then did well to cut into the right of the box and get in a left foot shot that was blocked, the ball looping over for a corner on the left. Olyott swung the kick in, and Plain just cut the ball out at his near-post. Poole could not deal with the runs of Powell, and he made another through the middle that took him into the right of the box, but he was just closed out. Olyott and Bolton combined on the right to force a corner, and when Olyott swung the ball in, Procter was at the near-post to flick it on, and it went across goal and just wide. With half an hour played Bolton was on the right to lay-off to Olyott, and he drove into the box to sidestep Josh Staunton and get in a shot that Plain beat down on his line. Powell tried to follow up, but was closed out. Powell and Rowe then played a neat one-two 25 yards out on the right, but Powell’s left foot shot dipped over. Tobin then made another surging run forward before going down just outside the box, and Powell took over but was shut down.
The home side had a chance when Diaz capitalised on some slack play on the left to cross low into the box. Hewlett laid the ball back to Jake McCarthy, who sent a shot wide of the right post. Diaz and Billy Lowes then combined on the left, and Hewlett was in the box to drag a shot wide of the near-post.
With the half entering the final five minutes Olyott got Powell down the right to have a cross blocked for a corner. From Olyott’s right-side kick Procter glanced the ball on at the near-post, and Tobin was on the edge of the 6 yard-box to have a flicked effort headed away. Obeng got possession and was able to find Olyott on the right, and he cut inside across the edge of the box to send a left foot shot dipping just over.
Swans were immediately attacking in the second-half with Bolger getting to the left byeline, but his ball into the box was headed clear by Staunton.
Just six minutes in Poole made a triple substitution to try to change things, and this almost brought instant reward. One of the substitutes, Tyler Forbes, was played into the right of the box by Cummins, and a low shot was well blocked by his legs at the near-post by Jos Barker, the Swans’ keeper’s first serious involvement in the game. Poole were soon getting in on the right byeline, but Tobin was fouled as he made a good interception at the near-post. The Dolphins looked a different side as they continued to press, and another of the substitutes, Rafa Ramos, sent a low shot wide of the right post from just outside the box. With an hour played a diagonal ball from the right looked like finding Forbes in the left of the box, but Barker read the situation and was quickly across to block away. Poole immediately made their fourth and fifth substitutions, and they had another opportunity with a free-kick awarded just outside the left edge of the box, but Barker was able to cut out Oakley Hanger’s delivery at the far-post. Anis Nuur looked to be fouled deep in Swans’ half, but Poole were allowed to break, and Toby Holmes played Ramos through to the left corner of the box to shoot wide of the near-post.
Swans’ attacks had become few, but with just over twenty minutes remaining they had the chance to double their lead. Tobin played a great long pass from his own half to send Nuur racing clear to the left of the box, but his low, left foot shot was kept out down to his left by keeper Plain.
Adam Mekki was then brought on to replace Rowe.
Swans had begun to put some moves together again, and a good build-up on the left got Bolger into the box, but his cross was cut out by Plain.
Swans had to defend a free-kick delivered into their box, before bringing on Jaden Crowhurst for Obeng. Poole’s equaliser came soon after, and it was a spectacular goal. The ball took a defection to go through to Ramos 25 yards out, and in one movement he controlled it on his chest and turned to strike a left foot volley. Barker got both hands to the ball, and will feel disappointed it eluded him and went just inside his left post.
Powell got into the right of the box for Swans, and when the ball came to Mekki 22 yards out he drove a left foot shot over. Bolton then got Mekki down the right, but after getting to the edge of the box he shot wide of the near-post. With just over five minutes of normal-time remaining Barker came to the edge of his area to head away, and Swans were able to build up a move on the left. The ball was laid in to Nuur ten yards outside the box, and he made room to drive in a low shot, but Plain made a straightforward stop on his line. Powell forced a corner on the left, but Plain made a comfortable catch from Olyott’s kick.
Barker had to come out to the edge of his area to clear, the Swans’ keeper then getting behind a shot from the left at his near-post.
It was Swans who had one last opportunity in the third and final minute of added-on time with a free-kick awarded 45 yards out, but Olyott’s delivery into the box was headed away, and when the ball came out to Lucas Defise he sent a shot high and wide.

Swans’ Team: Jos Barker, Elliott Bolton, Eoin Bolger, Josh Tobin, Archie Procter, Lucas Defise, Anis Nuur, Mason Obeng (Jaden Crowhurst 74’), Dan Rowe (Adam Mekki 70’), Johl Powell, Tom Olyott. Subs. not used: Paul Field, David Romer. Scorer: Rowe (8’).
Poole Town Team: Plain, Diaz (Forbes 51’), Staunton, Whisken (White 51’), Lowes, McCarthy, Hewlett (Ramos 51’), Thomas, Cummins, Slade (Holmes 60’), Smith (Hanger 60’). Scorer: Ramos (76’).