Monday 26 December 2011. Ryman League, Division One South.

Walton Casuals 2 Walton & Hersham 0.

Opinions vary as to the virtues of early kick-offs for Bank Holiday matches, but when the fare on offer is as unpalatable as this Walton derby the outcome is there is more of the day left to dwell on it. Certainly the 50% or so of the official crowd of 307 who did not appear to be actually watching the game were the fortunate ones. It would be difficult to see how all but a few of the participants in this scrappy, niggly encounter can take much satisfaction from their performance.

After falling behind to an early, controversial goal Swans needed to improve on their dismal scoring record to get anything from the match, but although going close on several occasions they could not do so, and they have now scored just one goal in the last six games, and only eighteen in the league all season. They were dealt a couple of crucial blows before kick-off with both Dan Sintim and Michael Gordon being unavailable through injury. Sintim, arguably Swans’ most important player, was suffering from a groin injury and Ashlee Quashie filled-in in central defence. Gordon, with his tricky skills in wide positions, could have been a big factor in opening up the rugged, home defence.

Casuals were first to settle, and when former Swan Glenn Stanley got into the box on the right Stuart Derry had to get in a block to concede a corner. Another corner was forced when Quashie got in a tackle on Alfie Arthur, who had made a run on the right. Danny Fernandes’s corner from the right led to the hotly disputed opening goal after eleven minutes. The ball was cleared to Arthur outside the box, and his shot took a big deflection to send the ball looping towards goal. Swans’ Matt Pattison was on the goal-line to head the ball away, but the referee’s assistant flagged that the ball had crossed the line. There was certainly considerable doubt that was the case, but despite heated protests a goal was awarded. Casuals soon won a free-kick outside the right of the box whenStanleywas tripped by Quashie, but the kick was driven well over.

Swans began to put some attacks together, and they were desperately unlucky not to equalise after seventeen minutes. Dan Morris and Pattison combined well on the right, and when the ball was laid back to Liam Collins by the right corner of the box, he struck a terrific left-foot shot that rattled the far-post. Victor Kiri then did superbly inside the left of the box before driving the ball low across the six-yard box, and it hit a Casuals’ defender at the far-post to just deflect wide. With 25 minutes played Graeme Purdy was sent clear to the right corner of the box, but former Swans’ goalkeeper Gareth Williams was quickly out to block the ball. Pattison got possession and tried to find the open goal, but Williams just got his hands to the ball to beat it away.

A long ball forward by Casuals found Stanley, and he went down just outside the box when challenged by Quashie, but although a free-kick was awarded the Swans’ player escaped any further punishment. Fernandes drove the resultant free-kick over the bar. Former Swan Richard Taylor took a long throw from the right and the ball was headed behind for a corner on the right, and following the kick the ball had to be scrambled away. Just past the half hour a Swans’ attack broke down leading to Casuals’ Antony Morrison getting away on the right, and he cut inside to get in a shot that keeper Rodney Chiweshe beat away.

A clearing kick from Chiweshe almost got Purdy through, but he was just denied. Purdy then got in unmarked at the near-post, but put a header wide when Collins took a corner from the left. Swans were fortunate when Casuals’ Josh Gallagher slipped over after Morrison had played him into a good position inside the right of the box. At the other end Purdy almost got in again when Pattison’s deflected pass got through to him, but the ball was again cleared behind for a corner. From Collins’ kick from the left the ball flew across the goal-face with Purdy just failing to get his head on it. With a minute left to the break Pattison made a fine, surging run forward that was halted just outside the box byTaylor’s cynical pull-back that rightly earned him a yellow card.

Less than a minute of the second-half had been played when Morris got clear on the right, but his low shot was easily taken by Williams. Shaun Elliott then drove a terrific, low ball across the six-yard box from the left, but although Williams failed to cut it out, Morris could not get a touch at the far-post and the ball passed wide. A ball over from the right fell to Elliott inside the left of the box, but he drove a volley over.

Casuals were having some good fortune in denying Swans, who were having a good attacking spell, but with an hour played they broke away to double their lead.Stanley had been left as a lone target up front, and when a Swans’ attack broke down a long ball down the middle picked him out, and he sent a lob over Chiweshe and just under the bar from the edge of the box.

Swans’ hopes of getting back into the game were dealt a huge blow with just under a quarter of an hour left. Derry appeared to make a genuine attempt to get his foot to a bouncing ball, but he caught the head of a Casuals’ player, who had stooped to try to get to the ball. After a lengthy delay and a discussion between the referee and his assistant Derry was surprisingly and harshly shown a straight red card, the second time in the match a referee’s assistant had intervened to Swans’ detriment.

Just two minutes later things were evened up when Casuals’ Taylor picked up his second yellow card of the match and was sent-off. With the match entering the final five minutes Gallagher was fortunate not to be the second home player to be dismissed after a pretty poor tackle that seemed to warrant more than a mere caution. Gallagher was wisely substituted soon after. It was too late however for Swans to salvage anything from the match, although in the final minute of normal time Pattison drove a fine half-volley just over after being picked out in the left of the box.

Despite numerous stoppages, substitutions and time wasting in the second-half only four minutes of stoppage-time were added on, although for many the whistle could not come soon enough to end a match that will mostly be remembered for its’ controversy and cynicism, but for very little good football.

Swans’ Team: Rodney Chiweshe, Josh Webb, Shaun Elliott, Victor Kiri, Ashlee Quashie (Adriano Moraes 64’), Stuart Derry, Liam Collins, Jerome Maledon (Adam Francis 71’), Graeme Purdy, Dan Morris (Phil Williams 57’), Matt Pattison. Subs. not used: Harry Smart, Chuck Martini. Cautions: Morris (41’), Moraes (67’), Elliott (82’). Dismissal: Derry (76′).

Casuals’ Team: Williams, Horkan, Cooper, Lewington, Taylor, Boswell, Fernandes (Duke 69’), Gallagher (Davidson 87’), Arthur (Holden 54’), Stanley, Morrison. Subs. not used: Okiror, Matheson-Light. Scorers: Arthur (11’), Stanley (60’). Cautions: Lewington (35’), Gallagher (86’). Dismissal: Taylor, 2 cautions (44’ & 78’).