After a tough ending to the league season against Gloucester City in the play-off semi-final two weeks ago, the Swans will be looking to end the 24/25 campaign on a high note, as they head to Meadowbank for their first Surrey Senior Cup final in 20 years.

A fast start in the play-off semi-final against Gloucester City saw Dawid Rogalski put the Swans ahead, with a finish from close range inside five minutes after Ralph Vigrass’ initial effort struck the post. Bobby-Joe Taylor, who coincidentally will be playing against Walton & Hersham on Tuesday night, doubled the advantage soon after, with a brilliant curled strike from the edge of the box. The Tigers then began to put the pressure on, and managed to pull a goal back through Joe Hanks. The visitors then levelled it up with 15 minutes to play, taking the game to extra-time.

An extra 30 minutes could not separate the sides, prompting the semi-final to go all the way to penalties. A miss from the spot by Swans midfielder Wayne Ridgley allowed Ed Wiliiams to win the tie with his kick, sending Gloucester City into the final where they would eventually fall short to AFC Totton.

The Swans road to Meadowbank has been a fun one, beginning with 9-0 and 6-1 thrashings at home to Sutton Common Rovers and Metropolitan Police respectively, before a harder-fought 2-0 victory at home to South Park (Reigate) set up a semi-final tie away to Leatherhead. The Swans eventually booked their place in the final with a 4-2 victory at Fetcham Grove, with Dawid Rogalski and Mason Obeng striking late.

Dorking also fell to defeat in their play-off campaign, losing in the National League South eliminator round in dramatic circumstances away to Boreham Wood. Wanderers looked destined to go through holding a 3-1 lead with just 10 minutes remaining, but an incredible turnaround saw the Hertfordshire side secure a 4-3 victory with a stoppage time winner.

In their road to the Surrey Senior Cup final, Marc White’s side saw out Lingfield, Farnham Town, Merstham and most recently Carshalton Athletic, reaching the final of the competition they won three years ago.

The Swans will be looking to claim the Surrey Senior Cup for the seventh time in club history and for the first time since 1973, where they beat Kingstonian 2-0. The Swans’ most recent Surrey Cup final outing came in 2005 against AFC Wimbledon, falling to a narrow 2-1 AET defeat in front of nearly 4000 at Kingfield.

As the Swans look to put their penalty heartbreak behind them, Billy Rowley will be keen for his side to end a what has been a brilliant season on a high with a county cup win.

Head-to-head
Walton & Hersham and Dorking Wanderers have met five times in competitive matches to date, with three of those encounters coming in cups, and a pair of Ryman League matches in the 15/16 season. The Swans will be hunting their first win of the matchup, with Dorking winning all five matches to date.

The last competitive meeting between the two sides came in the 21/22 season, where the Swans were beaten 4-0 at Meadowbank in the Surrey Senior Cup second round. The two sides met again in the opening pre-season friendly of the 23/24 season, with the Swans forcing a late 2-2 draw at Meadowbank.

Only a handful of Swans fans would remember the club’s first ever trip to Meadowbank back in February 2020, where Walton & Hersham played Dorking Wanderers Reserves in the Combined Counties Division 1, with Tyreke Leslie’s hat-trick helping the Swans romp to a 6-3 victory in front of just 65 spectators.

How to follow online
There will be a free livestream on both the Surrey FA and Walton & Hersham FC YouTube channels, with the feed and commentary provided by the Surrey FA’s official streaming partner. Dorking Wanderers will also be providing radio commentary accessible via this link, with both sides also providing live match updates on their official Twitter/X pages.

Match information
The game will kick off at 7:45pm on Tuesday 13th May, at Meadowbank Stadium, Dorking – RH4 1DX. Tickets are priced at £12 for Adults and £6 for Youth/Concessions. Tickets are available to purchase by following this link, or will be available at the gate.

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For match enquiries, please email info@waltonhershamfc.com