Tuesday 18th November 2025. Southern League, Premier Division South.
Sholing 1 Walton & Hersham 4. Abandoned after 61 minutes.
Swans were arguably putting on their best performance of the season as they were winning 4-1 with an hour played and on course to maintaining their seven point lead at the top of the table. Then, for the third season running on their visits to the Southampton club, the floodlights failed. Last season the failure occurred before kick-off, and with the fault rectified the game was able to proceed, However, as was the case two seasons ago, this match was abandoned with Swans in the lead, this time more convincingly.
There was one change to the starting line-up, with Aaron Williams Fernandez returning in place of Lucas Defise.
Swans were soon causing problems for the home defence, and when Mason Obeng found Jack Wood on the right he had a low shot blocked. Luciano D’Auria-Henry was fouled deep on the right touchline for Wood to deliver a free-kick into the box, but the referee blew up for an offence by Swans. Home goalkeeper Declan McCarthy was then fortunate not to be dispossessed by Dawid Rogalski.
Swans took the lead after seven minutes. A patient build-up led to D’Auria-Henry playing the ball down the right to Wood, who drove past Joe Rabbetts to deliver a great cross to the edge of the 6 yard-box, where Stefan Parkes leapt to power a header in-off the far-post.
Swans again had a free-kick deep on the right touchline when Johl Powell was fouled, but this time offside was flagged when Wood sent the ball into the box. The Sholing keeper again had the ball almost stolen off him by Rogalski, before Swans doubled their lead after 20 minutes. Another great move led to Parkes finding Obeng on the left, and he laid the ball across the box to Powell, who was brought down. It looked a clear case for a penalty, but Rogalski did not wait for the whistle as he hooked the ball over the keeper and into the top right corner from the edge of the 6 yard-box.
Rogalski cleared at the near-post when Sholing won a corner on the left, before the lead was halved after 25 minutes. Brad Targett played the ball down the right to Spencer Spurway, who laid it inside to the near-post, where Dan Mason was judged to have been tripped by Ethan Light. Jake McCarthy drilled the penalty straight down the middle past Jos Barker.
Swans wasted little time in restoring their two goal lead however, scoring a terrific counter-attacking goal after half an hour. Parkes broke up an attack deep on Swans’ left before playing a quick one-two with Rogalski as he burst down the touchline. He then just kept the ball from running out of play before sliding a great pass through to send Obeng into the left of the box. Obeng laid the ball low across to Wood, coming in in the right, and he drove it into the far corner.
Sholing had a free-kick high on the left, leading to shot from the edge of the box being blocked away.
Obeng made another good run on the left before finding Wood on the right, whose cross was headed away. Wood then collected from a throw-in on the right to get to the corner of the box and drive in a low left foot shot that did not have the power to beat keeper McCarthy.
Barker cut out a free-kick from the right taken by Sholing’s Jake Hesketh, before Swans made it 4-1 after 41 minutes. Powell forced a corner on the right, and from Wood’s kick Joey Jones got in a downward header at the far-post, for Obeng in the 6 yard-box to stab the ball in.
In the final minute of normal-time Powell played a one-two with Rogalski on the right to drive into the box and send a shot just over.
Sholing then went close when Targett played a pass from deep on the right to Dan Mason on the edge of the box, and he held the ball up well for Reece Wylie to send a shot just over. There was still time for Sholing to cross high from the left, but Barker made a fine catch at the far-post.
Swans made a change for the second-half, with Thabo Kuaho coming on for Parkes, and straight away he was finding Rogalski on the right corner of the box, but his shot lacked the power to trouble McCarthy. The Sholing keeper then just prevented Obeng from getting through. Kuaho made a run on the left to play Rogalski in to have a shot blocked, and minutes later the lights went out.
Swans’ Team: Jos Barker, Luciano D’Auria-Henry, Stefan Parkes (Thabo Kuaho 46’), Joey Jones, Aaron Williams Fernandez, Ethan Light, Jack Wood, Jonathon Page, Dawid Rogalski, Johl Powell, Mason Obeng. Subs. not used: Lucas Defise, Anis Nuur, Danylo Hubynets, Zach Alfalahi. Scorers: Parkes (7’), Rogalski (20’), Wood (30’), Obeng (41’). Caution: D’Auria-Henry, did not retire (44’).
Sholing Team: D. McCarthy, Spurway (Tume 26’), Rabbetts, Riley-Snow, Wishart, J. McCarthy, D. Mason, Hesketh (Folivi 52’), Targett, Magri, Wylie. Subs. not used: B. Mason, Colwill, Kelly. Scorer: J. McCarthy, penalty (25’). Caution: Hesketh, foul (51’).
