Thursday 26th December 2024. Southern League, Premier Division South.
Walton & Hersham 2 Bracknell Town 0.
The Boxing Day fixture saw Swans record back to back league wins for the first time since August following a hard fought match with their close challengers Bracknell Town. After the visitors had certainly edged the first-half, and can point to several opportunities that could have seen them lead, Swans responded in the second-half with a fine performance that saw them through to the win. It was exactly a year earlier the Robins had beaten Swans 3-0 at home, and they showed they have the capabilities of maintaining a push for the Play-offs again this season.
With Jordan Esprit still not recovered from a dead leg and unable to face his former club, there was just one change to the Swans’ line-up that had started in the win at Marlow, and it was an enforced one. Goalkeeper Jos Barker had not recovered from a groin injury sustained at Marlow, so the newly-signed Josh Blunkell came in for his debut. The 21 year-old stopper, who has played for several notable clubs in his relatively short career, and was most recently at St. Albans City, had a fine first game, making several excellent saves during Bracknell’s spell of dominance in the first-half.
It only took three minutes for the new keeper to be tested. Bracknell’s Gabriel George got down the left before laying the ball across the edge of the box to Josh Boorn, who drove in a shot that Blunkell got a strong right hand on to tip the ball over.
The visitors continued to have the best of the early play, and it was ten minutes before Swans posed a threat, Josh Tobin almost getting Mason Obeng through, who was just denied on the right edge of the box. The match settled back again into Bracknell having the bulk of possession, although not seriously threatening the home goal, and it was midway through the half before Swans troubled the Robins’ defence again. Tobin’s ball over the top picked out the run of Johl Powell, but keeper Michael Eacott was alert to the threat and was quickly out to clear.
Blunkell again showed his capabilities, making an excellent take high up at his near-post after George had got to the left byeline to drive in a strong cross.
The keeper immediately started a Swans’ attack going that led to Eoin Bolger finding Nana Owusu in the left of the box. Owusu held the ball up before laying back to Tobin on the edge, and he drove a low shot wide of the left post. Obeng was next to try to open the scoring, making room 25 yards out to get on a low shot, but Eacott made a comfortable take. Swans had settled after a slow start, and Dawid Rogalski was at the near-post when Obeng found him with a throw-in from the right. Eacott was almost caught out when the Swans’ striker fired in a excellent, first-time, half-volley on the turn, but the Robins’ keeper was able to make a good save to turn the ball round his near-post. Eacott then had to stretch to just get a hand on the ball as Bolger delivered the corner, and it was cleared behind for another kick on the left. The keeper punched the ball away following Obeng’s kick, and it eventually came to Tobin outside the box. Tobin twisted and turned past his markers to get into the ‘D’ and drive in a low shot that Eacott went down to save on his line.
It was the visitors however that immediately went close to taking the lead. They won the ball on the right, and Haydon Vaughan got to the corner of the box to drive in a terrific shot that rattled the crossbar with Blunkell beaten.
Swans responded with Rogalski almost getting Tobin through, but Eacott was out to claim.
Bracknell were awarded a free-kick in the centre-circle, and this led to them again going desperately close to going ahead. James Dobson’s kick was cleared from the right of the box, but the ball was swung back in from out on the touchline by Darryl Harrison. George was by the penalty-spot to get in a glancing header, and the ball struck the far-post before being headed behind by Elliott Bolton. The Robins then went even closer from the left-side corner. George Knight got to the near-post to send in a header, and Blunkell went down to his right to make a terrific save, deflecting the ball onto the inside of the post. The ball then bounced down, with Bracknell players making strong claims it had gone over the line before Joey Jones, and then Bolton, were able to hook it away.
With the last five minutes of the half being played Blunkell had to punch clear when Bracknell crossed from the right, but Swans were soon unsuccessfully claiming handball when Bolton got into the right of the box to drive the ball across. Then some fine play by Powell got him close in the right byeline, but his driven ball in was blocked away. Swans were making a good finish to the half, and Obeng was fouled ten yards outside the box on the right. Bolger swung the free-kick to the far-post, where Junior Eccleston got in a header, and the ball took a slight deflection off a Robins’ defender to go over and behind for a corner. From Bolger’s right-side kick, Rogalski’s attempt to get to the near-post was prevented by a shove in the back that sent him tumbling, but the referee saw no offence.
Swans started the second-half where they left off, straightaway a fine move on the right leading to Rogalski chipping the ball superbly over the Robins’ backline to find Tobin in the right of the box, his shot from a tight angle bringing a good save from Eacott down at his near-post. Bolton was soon being brought down by a crude, two-footed challenge by Dobson on the halfway line on the right touchline, the referee playing advantage as Obeng drove to the byeline. The ball was finally worked to Owusu on the left, and he played Bolger into the corner of the box. Bolger drove in a low, left foot shot, and Eacott was at full stretch as he went down to push the ball away and prevent it finding the far corner, just denying the following-up Rogakski. Dobson was then shown a yellow card for the original foul on Bolton.
Bracknell had a free-kick 40 yards out, and Dobson’s ball into the box was headed away. The visitors were able to keep the move going, leading to a foul by Eccleston out by the right corner-flag that earnt the young defender a yellow card and gave the Robins a free-kick opportunity. Bolton was able to head away at the near-post however to snuff out the threat.
With an hour played Swans broke the deadlock with a terrific goal. The move started deep in the home half with Paul Field sliding the ball down the right, and Obeng laying it back to Bolton. Bolton played a fine ball over the top to send Powell driving forward and clear of the last defender. Rogalski was bursting forward into the right of the box, and when Powell picked him out the ball was slightly behind him, but he somehow managed to hook it into the near, top corner for a super finish.
Swans continued to dominate, and with twenty minutes remaining another fine build up led to Tobin playing the ball out to Owusu wide on the left. Owusu tricked his way past Ethan Burden, driving to the byeline and playing the ball low across. Rogalski just failed to turn the ball in at the near-post, and it went across the goal-face for George to clear off the line at the far-post.
With a quarter of an hour remaining Bracknell went close to equalising after they built up a move around the edge of the box. The ball was laid in from the left to Jack Matton on the corner of the 6 yard-box, and he drove in a shot that Blunkell pushed away at the near-post, with Bolger heading behind for a corner on the right. Jones had gone down injured trying to prevent Matton’s shot, and was off the pitch when the corner was taken. The kick was cleared at the near-post, and with the Swans’ skipper unable to continue Anis Nuur came on to replace him. The Robins forced another corner on the right, and this time it was Rogalski who headed clear.
With ten minutes remaining Swans made it 2-0. Powell played a neat combination with Nuur on the right before driving into the box and laying the ball across to Rogalski by the penalty-spot. Rogalski found Owusu to his left with an audacious side-foot flick, and he drove the ball in off Eacott to score against his former club.
Swans soon made a double substitution, with Joe Garcia and Alex Body coming on for Owusu and Obeng.
It should have been 3-0 when Nuur played Rogalski through for a one-on-one with Eacott, but the Bracknell keeper made a fine block.
The visitors had one last opportunity with five minutes remaining, winning a free-kick just back from the left corner-flag, but the ball into the box was cleared away.
Swans successfully held on for the win that took them into sixth place, six points ahead of their opponents, having played one game more.
Swans’ Team: Josh Blunkell, Paul Field, Eoin Bolger, Joey Jones (Anis Nuur 77’), Junior Eccleston, Josh Tobin, Elliott Bolton, Mason Obeng (Alex Body 81’), Dawid Rogalski (Thabo Kuaho 90+1’), Johl Powell (Lucas Defise 87’), Nana Owusu (Joe Garcia 81’). Scorers: Rogalski (60’), Owusu (80’). Caution: Eccleston, foul (52’).
Bracknell Town Team: Eacott, Burden, Knight, Harrison, Boorn, Rollinson, Dobson, George (Dotse 64’), Vaughan, Tack (Herbert 69’), Matton. Sub. not used: Morgan, Abia, Dandy. Cautions: Harrison, dissent (38’), Dobson, foul (50’), Herbert, foul (84’).
