Saturday 22nd February 2025. Southern League, Premier Division South.
Walton & Hersham 3 Tiverton Town 0.
Tiverton’s young on-loan goalkeeper Joe Duncan played a big role in his side’s 1-0 win over Swans in Devon back in November, and his saves in the return kept an air of respectability about the final score-line. As it was Swans had to settle for a 3-0 win that took their unbeaten run to ten and kept them 4th in the table. Johl Powell kept up his rich vein of scoring form with another two goals, making it nine for him in the last seven games, although he would admit he knew little about his first as Anis Nuur’s shot deflected in-off his back. His second however was the perfect finish to a sublime move by his team.
Dawid Rogalski was again kept out by injury, so there was just one change to the starting line-up, Ralph Vigrass returning in place of Nana Owusu, who has left to join Havant & Waterlooville.
Swans made another slow start, spending the opening minutes mainly in their own half, with the visitors testing their defending with a series of long throw-ins. They took the lead however with 12 minutes played following their first serious attack, after constantly passing the ball around probing for an opening as Tiverton packed their defence. Bobby-Joe Taylor finally delivered the ball into the edge of the box from out on the right, and Nuur seized on a loose clearing header by Charlie Cummins. Nuur made room before striking a left foot shot that struck Powell on the back, and Duncan was left wrong-footed as the ball found the back of the net.
Straight from the restart Taylor was getting in on the right to have a cross just cleared. Powell was then fouled just outside the box by Toby Down, who picked up the first yellow card of the afternoon. Taylor struck the free-kick powerfully round the left of the wall, and the ball was going in the bottom corner, but Duncan dived down to his right to push it away and make the first of his many fine saves. The ball ran to just outside the left edge of the box, where Powell went down under a strong tackle and needed treatment, but the referee considered the challenge to be fair.
Swans doubled their lead after 19 minutes with a superbly worked goal, the move starting with a throw-in by Thabo Kuaho on the left, and ending 21 passes later with Powell scoring. Elliott Bolton received the ball on the right and played it forward to Nuur, who slipped a great pass around Tiverton’s Down and through to Taylor on the byeline. Taylor drove the ball first time low to the near-post for Powell to find the net.
Swans were soon being awarded a couple of free-kicks, Kai Jennings being fouled on the left, and then Taylor on the right touchline by Sam Gleeson.
The visitors began to put some attacks together, twice getting in on the right byeline, the first time winning a corner, and the second forcing Swans’ keeper Jos Barker to take the ball down at his near-post as it was driven low across.
In the final minute of normal-time of the half Swans went close again. Bolton delivered the ball from deep on the right to pick out Taylor’s run to the edge of the box . Taylor got his head to the ball, and it fell to Vigrass, who drove in a low, first-time shot that Duncan kept out with another fine save on the edge of his 6 yard-box.
Swans were soon attacking in the second-half, Taylor winning the ball on the right and getting to the byeline to get in a low cross that led to a shot being blocked. Duncan then cut out a right-side cross from Nuur. Powell went down under a challenge in the box, but the referee awarded a free-kick just outside for a previous foul on Jennings. Taylor drove in the kick, and the ball deflected off the wall to go behind for a corner on the left. Jennings swung the ball in, and it was knocked back at the far-post before being cleared off the goal-line.
Tiverton won a corner of their own on the left, but Swans were soon attacking again, Taylor making a run forward to play Powell through, who was just denied in the box. Jennings then drove forward down the left from inside his own half before cutting inside and finding Taylor on the right. Taylor cut in on the edge of the box to drive in a low, left foot shot that again brought the best out of Duncan, who got down to his left to push the ball round the near-post.
The Tiverton keeper was immediately brought into action again. Junior Eccleston played the ball through to Nuur, who got to just outside the box before striking a low, left foot shot that Duncan kept out with a more comfortable save.
Just before the hour Bolton was fouled on the right, and before the free-kick was taken Swans made their first change, with Mason Obeng coming on for Vigrass. The kick was ten yards outside the right corner of the box, but Taylor’s powerful, left foot strike was destined for the top, right corner, only for Duncan to make another terrific save as he tipped the ball over.
The corner on the right led to Swans finally increasing their lead with 62 minutes played. Eoin Bolger played the kick short to Taylor outside the right corner of the box, and he drove in another left foot shot. Although Duncan again got behind the ball, this time he could only knock it away, and Bolton followed up to score.
Swans soon made their second substitution, with Hakeem Sandah replacing Taylor, followed shortly by Lucas Defise coming on for Joey Jones.
A rare Tiverton attack won them a corner on the left, but Niall Thompson wasted the oppoertunit6y by sending the kick behind.
With a quarter of an hour remaining Swans brought on Alex Body, with Jennings going off, and they were soon going close again following another fine build up that led to Nuur finding Obeng on the left. Obeng cut inside before finding Body on the edge of the box, and his flicked pass got Defise through on goal, but Duncan did just enough to force him to lob the ball over.
With ten minutes remaining the visitors had an opportunity to launch another long throw from the right, but Barker made a good catch from Dylan Jones’ delivery.
Swans continued to look like increasing their lead however, and Powell found Sandah on the right, but his low ball in was just too long to pick out Body. Sandah was soon making a good run into the box on the right, and when the ball broke to Body close in at the near-post his shot brought another fine block from Duncan, and the ball looped onto the top of the bar and behind for a corner. Defise immediately won another corner on the right, and when Bolger played it short to Sandah, he crossed into the box. Body was just outside the 6 yard-box to get in a strong, glancing header that brought another tremendous tip-over save from Duncan. The corner on the left was again played short between Obeng and Sandah, who laid the ball low across to Nuur 30 yards out, and he set himself before striking a terrific right foot shot that was dipping under the crossbar, only for Duncan to tip the ball over with another stunning save to end a remarkable passage of play.
The visitors saw out the remaining few minutes without further scares as Swans had to settle for 3-0.
Swans’ Team: Jos Barker, Elliott Bolton, Thabo Kuaho, Joey Jones (Lucas Defise 71’), Junior Eccleston, Eoin Bolger, Bobby-Joe Taylor (Hakeem Sandah.66’), Anis Nuur, Kai Jennings (Alex Body 75’), Johl Powell, Ralph Vigrass (Mason Obeng 59’). Sub. not used: Josh Lohmeier. Scorers: Powell (12’ & 19’), Bolton (62’). Caution: Nuur, foul (87’).
Tiverton Town Team: Duncan, Thompson, D. Jones, Down, J. Jones, Parker (Kiota 60’), Hall, Jarvis, Day (Forkuo 68’), Cummins, Gleeson. Subs. not used: Britton, Orchard. Cautions: Down, foul (14’), D. Jones, dissent (45’), Cummins, foul (88’).
