Saturday 16th November 2024.           Southern League, Premier Division South.

Walton & Hersham 2 Sholing 1.

Swans left it late to secure the win that kept then in fourth spot in the table, captain Joey Jones heading home from a corner in the final minute of normal-time. They had done so despite not being at their best, and against a Sholing side that had pushed them all the way, and who will certainly feel they deserved at least a share of the points. After taking a first-half lead Swans had conceded a somewhat freak goal with less than a quarter of an hour remaining, the outcome then looking in the balance until that late winner.
Anis Nuur and Nana Owusu both missed the match through suspension. Nuur was starting a two match ban after picking up a red card at Hungerford, while Owusu was missing one game because of accumulated yellow cards. However, Junior Eccleston, Paul Field and Jordan Esprit were able to return to the starting line-up following injury.
Sholing were the first to threaten, forcing a corner on the left following an uneventful opening ten minutes, and home goalkeeper Jos Barker did well to tip the ball over as Charlie Gunson’s kick looked to be swinging in. Two more corners for the visitors quickly followed, and they were soon attacking again down the left through Joe Rabbetts, who got past Eccleston to the byeline, but his cross was over-hit. Gunson was able to collect on the right and swing the ball back into the box, where Dan Mason stooped to get in a header from the edge of the 6 yard-box that Barker blocked away. The ball fell to Fabio Lopes, who netted, but he was in an offside position.
Swans had not really settled, but with twenty minutes played Esprit initiated a good move that got Tom Olyott to the right byeline, but the ball ran out of play. They immediately went close to taking the lead however. Dawid Rogalski played a clever ball to send Powell into the right of the box, and he got past George Milner-Smith to drive in a low shot from a tight angle that struck the base of the far-post.
Swans were then guilty of giving the ball away, and Sholing’s Benny Read got in a shot from 25 yards that went over.
Josh Tobin was fouled out on the left touchline, and following Olyott’s free-kick the ball was cleared behind for a corner on the left. From Olyott’s kick Jones was at the far-post, but his header looped over.
Swans struggled to get the ball away from in and around their box, and Barker had to make a fine block at the feet of Read. Barker had to be treated following the clash, the injury troubling the Swans’ keeper for the rest of the game. Sholing’s new signing Reece Wylie, who had been commanding in midfield in his first match since joining from Hartley Wintney, immediately picked up a yellow card for a poor challenge on Rogalski in the centre-circle.
The Swans’ striker was soon getting into the box to have a shot blocked, and he was to break the deadlock after 37 minutes. Jones sent a ball from deep in his own half to pick out the run of Esprit down the left. Esprit teased Read before sending a great cross to the near-post, where Rogalski got in front of Harry Taylor to guide a fine header into the net and score his first league goal since mid-September.
Sholing had a free-kick in a dangerous position five yards outside the left corner of the box, but the delivery went harmlessly wide of the far-post. A long ball down the left led to Mason challenging Jones on the edge of the box, but Barker did well to come out and gather. With stoppage-time being played Lopes was found on the left edge of the box, and he sent a fine shot into the top, right corner, but the offside flag again came to Swans’ rescue.
Swans had one last chance before the break as Lucas Defise played Powell into the right of the box, but his shot went over.
Soon after the resumption Sholing were awarded a soft free-kick 30 yards out, and Barker got down to his left to turn the ball wide with a good save, but a goal-kick was surprisingly awarded.
The visitors looked very sharp in the early stages of the second-half, but it was Swans who went close just before the hour. Fine play outside the box led to Rogalski teeing up Tobin, and his low shot took a deflection to go wide of the left post. Eoin Bolger then delivered a great ball into the box from the left, but just failed to pick out Rogalski at the far-post. Swans had hit a good patch, and Powell made a fine run on the right, but finally ran out of room.
Sholing forced a corner on the left, but Barker was fouled as the ball came in. The Swans’ keeper then made a good take in his 6 yard-box when Jake Hesketh delivered a free-kick from deep on the left.
Midway through the half Swans brought on Mason Obeng for Olyott.
Sholing keeper Charlie Searle just got to the ball when Rogalski almost got through, but Swans were pulled level after 76 minutes. A free-kick was played short out on the left, and when the ball was delivered into the box there was a terrific scramble before Jones was able to hook away. The ball was recycled out to Hesketh wide on the left, and he worked it on to his right foot to deliver a cross into the 6 yard-box, but Barker misjudged the flight and the ball went over his upstretched arm and into the far corner of the goal.
As the match entered the final five minutes Barker made a good take at the far-post from a left-side corner, and he then made a comfortable gather on his line when Max Bustamante drove in a low, first-time shot from 5 yards outside the box.
Eccleston forced a corner on the right for Swans, and the ball was driven across the 6 yard-box with no-one getting a touch. Esprit was immediately fouled out by the left corner-flag, and when Obeng’s free-kick was met by Rogalski on the edge of the 6 yard-box at the far-post, his downward header was goal-bound, but Searle just got his right hand to the ball to turn it wide. The match was now in the final minute of normal-time when Obeng delivered the corner from the left. The kick was a high, looping one, and Jones was on the right corner of the 6 yard-box to head the ball down into the pitch and inside the right post, with the defender on the line unable to keep it out.
Sholing threw men forward to try to rescue a point, and in the sixth and final minute of added-on time they forced a corner on the left, packing players, including keeper Searle, into the box, but the outcome was a free-kick to Swans. The final whistle then blew.

Swans’ Team: Jos Barker, Paul Field, Eoin Bolger, Joey Jones, Junior Eccleston, Lucas Defise, Jordan Esprit, Josh Tobin, Dawid Rogalski, Johl Powell, Tom Olyott (Mason Obeng 67’). Subs. not used: Cameron Thompson, Elliott Bolton, Thabo Kuaho, Danny Ball. Scorers: Rogalski (37’), Jones (90’). Cautions: Rogalski, did not retire (17’), Powell, dissent (55’).
Sholing Team: Searle, Read, Taylor, Gunson (Flannigan 73’), D. Mason, Hesketh (Roundell-Prince 87’), Yang (Chiedozie 69’), Wylie, Milner-Smith, Rabbetts, Lopes (Bustamante 57’). Sub. not used: Colwill. Scorer: Hesketh (76’). Cautions: Wylie, foul (28’), Hesketh, dissent (37’), Gunson, foul (71’).