Molesey 1 Swans 1

Saturday 22nd January 2022.   Cherry Red Combined Counties League Premier Division South.

Molesey 1    Walton & Hersham 1.

Swans were left ruing having to play an hour of the local derby with ten men after goalkeeper Liam Allen had been red-carded against his former club, resulting in the loss of two vital points in their promotion push. With tough fixtures next on the agenda they were looking to pick up maximum points against their bottom of the table neighbours, but the sending-off changed the whole complexion of the game. They were dominating the first half-hour of the match up to Allen’s dismissal, and even when down to ten men they had enough of the play and chances to have come away with the win. The balance of the side was disrupted however, particularly with Louis Collins having to take over in goal, his constant involvement in play on the left side being a big loss. They were also up against a no-nonsense Molesey side, whose play belied their lowly league placing, and who looked determined to cause an upset against their near neighbours. That upset looked on the cards when they took a 72nd minute lead, but another fine strike from Dean Rule six minutes later prevented that.

With Joe Pratley-Jones injured, Stuart Baldwin came in for his first start since September. Both Joe Hicks and Harry Mills were also carrying injuries, so were not risked as starters and were only named on the bench, with Harry Pointing coming in and Ollie Twum returning. Influential midfielder Jacob Munting had also unfortunately left Swans to join Step 3 side Cray Wanderers, his move largely governed by personal circumstances.

With just a minute played home keeper Shay Honey had to be quickly out to claim the ball when Dominic Ogun sent Rule through. Ogun then made room in the box to have a shot deflected behind for a corner when Twum played the ball into him from the right.

Molesey posed their first threat after ten minutes when the ball came to Kailan North 25 yards out following play on the left, but he shot wide of Allen’s right post. A corner was then won on the left, and following Harry Boxall’s kick George Craig got possession in the right of the box, Allen just keeping out his low shot as the ball squirmed from his grasp.

Eddie Simon then forced a corner for Swans after getting in on the left, but Reece Brewster’s kick could only find the gloves of Honey at his near-post. A fine ball forward by Pointing got Collins through on a run down the left, and his low cross was cleared behind for another corner. Following Brewster’s kick Swans looked to be denied a penalty when Simon was brought down just inside the box, but the referee did not concur. Pointing couldn’t force the ball in after Collins had sent a free-kick into the box from the right, and when Rule robbed Dan Choules on the left his low ball in was cleared. Swans continued to press for the opener, and keeper Honey again just got to the ball to deny Ogun, who had been played into the right of the box by Rule’s clever pass from centre midfield. Rule was then picked out on the right by Max Hustwick’s long pass, and he laid the ball across to Collins, coming into space on the left. The angle was tight, but Collins’ shot was going in until the ball was cleared off the goal-line. A foul five yards outside the box gave Swans a free-kick in a promising position, but Rule sent the ball dipping over.

Most of the play had been in Molesey’s half, but when they did get the ball to the other end with just over a half an hour played the match took a crucial step-change. Allen had the ball in his gloves on the edge of his area when Tate Greenaway followed through and fouled him. The Swans’ keeper reacted by striking the Molesey player on the head with the ball, an offence the referee deemed worthy of a red card, with Greenaway being shown a yellow. Collins has been donning the keeper’s gloves on occasion in recent training sessions, but the left back probably had not envisaged he would do so in a competitive match, as he now had to.

Despite their numerical disadvantage Swans continued to dominate, and when Twum got into the right of the box Ogun tried to open up room for a shot, but the ball was finally scrambled clear. With five minutes of normal-time left of the half Pointing got Ogun into the left of the box, but Honey was able to come out and clear. Collins faced his first threat when Molesey’s Luca Tartero crossed from the left, but a near-post header was put over.

Just a minute after the resumption for the second-half Swans had a free-kick opportunity when Brewster was fouled ten yards outside the box by Adam Green, an offence that earned the Molesey right-back a booking, but Rule’s kick took a deflection as it went wide of the left post. Honey stretched to just get a glove on the ball when Brewster took the corner, to put it out for another kick on the right.

The home side began to make use of the extra man and space, and a far-post header was put wide when Greenaway crossed from the right. Collins was then posed his first serious test when Molesey forced a corner on the right, but the stand-in keeper made a confident catch from Boxall’s kick.

Swans immediately broke, with Twum getting down the left, but his cross was cut out by keeper Honey. Rule was then set up 30 yards out, but a good strike was wide of the left post. An excellent clearance by Collins found Rule, who went on a run down the left that took him into the box, but again he just failed to find the target as his shot went inches wide of the far-post.

Just before the hour Swans made a triple substitution, with Darryl Siaw, Hicks and Mills coming on for Baldwin, Pointing and Ogun.

Despite their numerical disadvantage Swans still looked determined to go for all three points, with the chance they could get caught on the break. That almost happened when Craig broke through, but Hustwick denied him with a great tackle.

Player numbers should have been evened up when Greenaway deliberately wasted time by  kicking the ball away and off the pitch, but the Molesey player escaped a second yellow card, only being subjected to a lengthy lecture by the referee. Former Swan Connor Channon was however booked for a crude tackle on Twum with just over twenty minutes remaining, giving Swans a free-kick just outside the right corner of the box. Mills struck the kick well, but Honey made a good tip-over save. Brewster took the corner from the right, but Simon shot wide when the ball came out to him.

Mills picked up his first yellow card of the season for a foul on Kissi Williams-Junior, and a header was put wide when Boxall sent the free-kick into the box. The home side then took the lead with their first shot on-target of the match. Swans were guilty of losing the ball in the middle of the pitch, and Craig was able to get forward and get in a shot from 25 yards out. It was a shot that Allen would probably have saved, but the ball evaded the hands of Collins as it found the top of the net.

Swans soon had a great chance to level things up when Alex Kelly was played clear into the box, but his shot failed to beat Honey, who made a good block. Rule soon forced a corner on the right, but Brewster’s kick could only find the gloves of the Molesey keeper.

But, with twelve minutes remaining, Rule found space 30 yards out, and he sent a tremendous shot past Honey to equalise.

A free-kick was won on the right, but Mills’ delivery into the box was cleared away. Collins made another confident catch when Channon sent in a high ball from the right, and North became the next home player to be booked for a foul on Rule, giving Swans a free-kick out on the left. Some fine play by Rule on the left got Simon cutting in on the byline, and Honey just managed to get a hand on the ball as it was played across.

Swans continued to press for a winner, but they were almost caught out again with five minutes of normal-time remaining. The ball was lost just outside the box, and with Collins off his line was played towards an open goal, but Hicks just got back to make a terrific, last-ditch clearance.

Rule’s run forward was picked out by Hustwick’s long ball down the middle, but Honey just managed to get out and kick clear. As the match entered stoppage-time Kelly got into the left of the box to set up Rule, whose shot took a deflection to go behind for a corner. Following Brewster’s left-side kick the ball came out to Kelly, but he shot over.

Craig became the fifth home player to be booked for fouling Collins, before Swans’ substitute Siaw joined him in the referee’s notebook for a mistimed tackle. When Choules delivered the free-kick in from the centre-circle, Simon was able to bring the ball clear and try to set up one final chance for Swans. He almost got Rule through on goal, but Honey came out to the edge of his area to head clear, the referee immediately blowing the final whistle.

Swans’ Team: Liam Allen, Stuart Baldwin (Darryl Siaw 58’), Louis Collins, Reece Brewster, Max Hustwick, Harry Pointing (Joe Hicks 58’), Ollie Twum (Will Kouadio 87’), Eddie Simon, Dominic Ogun (Harry Mills 58’), Alex Kelly, Dean Rule. Sub. not used: Finn Hamsher. Scorer: Rule (78’). Cautions: Mills, foul (71’), Siaw, foul (90+5’). Dismissal: Allen, violent conduct (31’).  

Molesey Team: Honey, A. Green, Tartero, North, Choules, Dunckley, Boxall, Channon, Greenaway (Watson 70’), Craig, Robinson (Williams-Junior 52’). Subs. not used: Westphal, J. Green. Scorer: Craig (72’). Cautions: Greenaway, foul (31’), A. Green, foul (46’), Channon, foul (69’), North, foul  (83’), Craig, foul  (90+4’).