Saturday 29th November 2025.        Southern League, Premier Division South.

Basingstoke Town 0 Walton & Hersham 3.

Swans restored their seven point lead at the top of the table with a hard-fought win in Hampshire, keeping a third clean sheet in a row. They had to withstand some determined play by the home side to take a one goal lead into the break, but took command in the second-half to run out relatively comfortable winners.

There were a couple of changes from the win over Berkhamsted, with Jonathon Page and Eoin Bolger coming in for Luciano D’Auria-Henry and Stefan Parkes.

Swans were almost caught out early when Basingstoke took a throw-in quickly on the left, and goalkeeper Jos Barker had to be quickly out to gather at his near-post. The home side then won a corner on the right, and from Ben Cook’s kick the ball came off Joey Jones to go behind at the near-post for another kick. This time Aaron Williams Fernandez was able to head away. Marcus Johnson-Schuster won the ball off Thabo Kuaho on the right before taking a return pass from Liam Ferdinand and driving clear into the box to bring a good block with his legs at the near-post from Barker.

Swans replied with a fine build-up that led to Jack Wood finding Mason Obeng on the left, and then taking a return pass to drive in on the byeline, but Dawid Rogalski was blocked from getting on the end of his low cross. Basingstoke won another corner on the left after getting into the right of the box to have a shot blocked, and from the kick Swans broke, leading to Josh Green cynically bringing down Page in the centre-circle. The Swans’ midfielder was left limping as the home player picked up the first yellow card. From Jones’ free-kick Scott Armsworth had to clear behind to just deny Obeng in the box.

Obeng took two long throw-ins from the right, the second of which led indirectly to Swans taking the lead after 24 minutes. The home side broke and Kuaho held off Robbie Gallagher to pass back to Barker. The Swans’ keeper cleared downfield and the ball glanced off the head of Armsworth in the centre-circle for Johl Powell to pick up and drive forward. The rest was trademark Powell as he held off the challenge of D’Andre Brown to burst into the right of the box and slot low into the far-corner.

Page then had to come off to be replaced by Anis Nuur, having not recovered from his injury.

Basingstoke soon had an opportunity to hit back when Joe O’Loughlin drove between Powell and Lucas Defise before going down very easily just inches outside the left edge of the box. Defise was shown Swans’ first yellow card and a free-kick awarded in a good position. Brown struck the ball well, hard and low, but Barker made a fine save down on his line at the far-post.

Williams Fernandez then fouled Gallagher to give the home side another free-kick just outside the box on the left, and this time Cook drove the ball across the goal-face and a touch took it wide.

Excellent holdup play by Rogalski for Swans led to him finding Powell on the right, and he cut in to have a shot blocked for a corner.

With the half entering the final five minutes, another break by the home side on the left forced a corner as the ball was driven low across and put behind at the near-post. Barker just got to the ball when Cook delivered the kick. Jones was shown Swans’ second yellow card for a foul on Gallagher out by the left corner-flag, and Cook drove the free-kick across goal for James Clark to come in at the far-post and send a shot over.

In stoppage-time Swans went close to doubling their lead when Powell made a terrific run past Brown down the right that took him from halfway to the byeline, where he laid the ball back for Rogalski to net, but it was judged to have just been taken over the line.

Soon after the resumption for the second-half Wood got down the right to play the ball in low, and Rogalski to be just denied at the near-post.

Swans then made their second change, with Ethan Light coming on for Defise.

Barker was soon making a good catch when Basingstoke took a corner from the right, the Swans’ keeper needing treatment for a knock, before beating the ball down at his near-post when O’Loughlin drove it in hard from the left.

Swans then doubled their lead after 66 minutes. A home attack was broken up and Powell found Rogalski on the right, before taking an excellent return pass to drive into the box, where he was tripped from behind by Brown. The resultant penalty was delayed as the home side were surprisingly allowed to make a substitution before it was taken, but Rogalski was un-phased, sending keeper Joel Halliday the wrong way as he found the bottom, right corner.

Basingstoke picked up their third yellow card in the space of six minutes when Johnson-Schuster fouled Obeng deep on the left.

Swans then made their third change, with Parkes replacing Williams Fernandez. Jones broke up a home attack before playing a great switch ball to find Obeng on the left, and he drove into the box to curl a shot just over the far, top corner. Obeng was soon making another fine run down the left from halfway and into the box, before sending a low, left-foot shot just the wrong side of the near-post.

With a quarter of an hour remaining Basingstoke went close to getting a goal back when Johnson-Schuster was found just inside the box, and he sent in a looping shot that Barker kept out with a great tip-over save. The right-side corner led to the ball being blocked at the near-post and a shot being driven over from the right.

Swans looked to be unfortunate when Powell made another run into the box and went down under a tackle, but the referee showed him a yellow card for simulation. Wood then made a fine run on the right to get the ball over, and it glanced off the head of Powell in the box.

After 78 minutes the home side were reduced to ten players when Johnson-Schuster brought down Nuur and was shown his second yellow card of the match.

Swans then took Rogalski off, to be replaced by Zach Alfalahi.

Kuaho made an excellent run inside from the left before touching off to Wood in the ‘D’ on the edge of the box, and he drove in a low, left-foot shot that keeper Halliday kept out with a fine save at full stretch down to his right.

Basingstoke forced a corner on the right, but Barker made another fine catch from the kick.

Swans then made it 3-0 in the final minute of normal-time when Wood stole the ball off Clark just inside the home half on the right to get forward into clear space. He then cut inside past the challenge of Billy Upton to send a left-foot shot low into the right corner.

The home side had a free-kick on the right touchline, but Clark’s header at the near-post glanced over.

Five minutes into added-on time Kuaho made a terrific run in on the left byeline, but the keeper cut the ball out at the near-post.

Swans’ Team: Jos Barker, Lucas Defise (Ethan Light 56’), Eoin Bolger, Joey Jones, Aaron Williams Fernandez (Stefan Parkes 69’), Thabo Kuaho, Jack Wood, Jonathon Page (Anis Nuur 25’), Dawid Rogalski (Zach Alfalahi 79’), Johl Powell, Mason Obeng. Sub. not used: Luciano D’Auria-Henry. Scorers: Powell (24’), Rogalski, penalty (66’), Wood (90’). Cautions: Defise, foul (26’), Jones, foul (44’), Powell, simulation (77’).
Basingstoke Town Team: Halliday, Johnson-Schuster, O’Loughlin, Armsworth, Clark, Upton, Gallagher (Doling 76’), Cook (Harris 76’), Ferdinand, Green, Brown (Rowe 65’ [Barrett 89’]). Sub. not used: Legg. Cautions: Green, foul (18’), Cook, foul (62’), Brown, foul (64’). Dismissal: Johnson-Schuster, 2 cautions for fouls (68’ & 78’).