Saturday 11th October 2025. Southern League, Premier Division South.
Walton & Hersham 1 Wimborne Town 0.
Swans maintained their lead at the top of the table with a hard-fought win over a good Wimborne Town side. Having taken an early lead, they looked for a while that they would go on to register a straightforward win, but the visitors withstood further attempts on their goal, and as the game went on it looked like another goal would be needed to clinch the three points. They withstood determined attempts by the Magpies to get back into the game however, and disciplined defending ensured another clean sheet and the win.
There was one change to the starting line-up from the previous league game, the 2-0 win over Sholing, with Elliott Bolton coming in for Ethan Light. New signing Joe Bennett was named on the bench, and came on after an hour to show some of the qualities that gave him a long career in the Premier League.
Swans had a great chance to take the lead after just six minutes when Mason Obeng did well on the left before finding Dawid Rogalski, who played Johl Powell through on goal, but goalkeeper Cameron Plain made a good block. A fine build-up then led to Jack Wood breaking on the right to get in a low cross that Wimborne’s Drew Eccott-Young put behind at the back-post for a corner.Another corner was forced on the right when Powell made a great run in on the byeline. Following the kick Bolton drove a low shot just wide of the near-post from just outside the right of the box.
Swans’ pressure paid off after 11 minutes when Wood was found on the right, and he beat his marker to drive the ball across. Plain could only block the ball away, and Powell followed up to drive it in.
Swans had made a great start, but the visitors began to have more of the ball, and after 20 minutes they forced a scramble to clear in the left of the box, and Cameron Munn followed up to drive in a low shot that home keeper Jos Barker went down to save. Wimborne had also looked threatening from a couple of long throws, before Barker did well to take the ball at his far-post when the ball was crossed in from deep on the left.
Another long throw from the left sent the ball bouncing safely through to Barker, before clever play by Obeng on the left for Swans led to him almost getting Thabo Kuaho in on goal, but Plain was able to collect. Rogalski was then just closed out when Powell played him in. With ten minutes remaining of the half Bolton’s throw-in on the right sent Rogalski through into the box to drive in a shot that Plain blocked behind at his near-post.
The Magpies threatened again when Owen Roundell-Prince played Lewis Williams in, but Barker was quickly out to the left of the box to gather. In stoppage-time Bolton was shown a yellow card for a foul 30 yards out, conceding a free-kick, but Josh McQuoid’s delivery led to the ball being put wide at the far-post.
Swans attacked straight from the resumption for the second-half with Obeng breaking on the left, but his low cross was cleared away.
Wimborne then went close when a fine cross was delivered from deep on the right, and the ball went across goal, with Williams just failing to convert at the far-post. A foul by Riley Horan conceded a free-kick on the front edge of the centre-circle, but when McQuoid sent the ball into the box the flag went up for offside.
Obeng was then fouled on the left touchline, giving Swans a free-kick, and following Bolton’s delivery Powell was brought down 12 yards outside the box, but the visitors were able to defend the second free-kick.
Swans then had to clear at the near-post when Wimborne drove the ball in from the right. They then made their first changes after an hour, with Bennett coming on for Lucas Defise, and Jonathon Page replacing Bolton.
Barker had to be quickly out to gather when Williams got to the left edge of his area, the ball then going straight through to the Swans’ keeper when McQuoid sent in a free-kick from halfway on the left. Swans had to scramble the ball clear in the right of their box, but they had a chance when Bennett made a fine run on the left. Wood was on the edge of the box when Bennett laid the ball across, but his shot took a deflection to go wide for a corner on the left.
Plain made a good take to cut out Page’s kick. Wood shot straight at the Magpies’ keeper from the right, before Barker twice had to make fine takes at the far-post when Wimborne delivered dangerous crosses from wide on the right.
With the game entering the final ten minutes the Swans’ keeper had to make a good save high up on his line when Ajani Burchall got in a fine strike from the right. The visitors continued to press for an equaliser, and Rogalski had to clear at the near-post from McQuoid’s right-side corner. Finlay Richardson then drove a shot over from just outside the box. Barker was then able to gather when Wimborne crossed high from the right and the ball was headed back across at the far-post. With the match entering added-on time Burchall’s half-volley from the edge of the box went straight through to Barker, before Max Bustamante put a header over from close-in when the ball bounced up following a long throw from the right.
With the sixth minute of added-on time being played the visitors went desperately close to going back to Dorset with a share of the points. A well-struck shot from Bustamante from outside the box looked destined to find the bottom, left corner, but Barker got down to make a great save. The referee then immediately blew the final whistle.
Swans’ Team: Jos Barker, Elliott Bolton (Jonathon Page 59’), Thabo Kuaho, Joey Jones, Riley Horan, Eoin Bolger, Jack Wood (Ethan Light 76’), Lucas Defise (Joe Bennett 59’), Dawid Rogalski, Johl Powell (Anis Nuur 83’), Mason Obeng. Sub. not used: Stefan Parkes. Scorer: Powell (11’). Cautions: Bolton (45+1’), Barker (90+2’), Rogalski (90+4’).
Wimborne Team: Plain, Eccott-Young, Jackson, Walker, Roberts, Williams (Burchall 71’), McQuoid, Fletcher (Smith 75’), Munn (Richardson 87’), Borges (Bustamante 58’), Roundell-Prince. Sub. not used: Scorey. Cautions: Munn (81’), Roberts (86’).
