Saturday 31 December 2011. Ryman League, Division One South.
Burgess Hill Town 1 Walton & Hersham 0.
Swans’ final match of 2011 was pretty much an encapsulation of their troubled season so far. Apart from a few sporadic attacks by the Sussex club, and fellow strugglers, they totally dominated the play from first whistle to last, putting the home goal under considerable pressure throughout. Quite how they did not end their miserable scoring run that has now stretched to one goal in seven matches remains a mystery, but goal-line clearances, penalty denials, struck woodwork, defiant goalkeeping, missed chances, and a fair slice of ill-luck were the order of the day. The home side went ahead against the run of play just before half-time when Liam Collins conceded a needless penalty, his second such offence in two matches, and from then on they mounted a backs to the wall operation that lasted into stoppage-time, with their goalkeeper Joel Harding having a fine match as his goal bore a charmed life.
Swans reshuffled their line-up, Phil Williams making a rare start due to Graeme Purdy being unavailable, Josh Webb moving back into midfield, Matt Pattison having left to join Kingstonian, with Dan Sintim returning to take over the right-back spot.
Home keeper Harding was in early action, making a save at his near-post after Shaun Elliott’s clever pass sent Williams cutting in to the box from the left to drive in a low shot. Burgess Hill soon had what was to prove a rare chance when Pat Harding found space in the right of the box, but he drove a half-volley over the bar. With a quarter of an hour played Sintim sent over a diagonal ball from the right that came to Elliott inside the left of the box, and his fine volley was just too high.
Swans had dominated the play, but they were susceptible to the odd break by the home side, and when Fred Foreman drove the ball low across their six-yard box from the right both Pat Harding and George Hayward were inches away from getting a touch. But with twenty minutes played Swans went desperately close to taking the lead. Williams made a fine run into the left of the box before beating keeper Harding with a low shot, but just as the ball was crossing the line at the near-post a defender got across to make a last-ditch clearance.
Burgess Hill’s Olalekan Bankole was fortunate to be only shown a yellow card for a bad challenge on Webb, which left the Swans’ player, who was already nursing an ankle injury, needing treatment. Webb had recovered in time to take a free-kick, awarded just outside the box, and when he drove the ball through the wall Harding could not hold on, but recovered in time to deny any follow-up.
A fine piece of play by Victor Kiri sent Williams through into the box, where his ankles were clearly clipped by a defender. If Williams had gone down it would surely have resulted in a penalty, but he chose to stay on his feet and was then closed out. Williams continued to cause the home side problems, and after half an hour a terrific run forward got him into the left of the box to drive in a low cross, and the ball was forced behind for a corner.
Collins was soon playing the ball to Michael Gordon on the right, and he cut inside before getting in a shot that appeared to strike the arm of a defender, but concerted appeals for a penalty were turned down. Collins’ clever free-kick then sent Elliott down the left to get in a fine cross to the far-post, but no-one was there to get on the end of it.
Burgess Hill relieved some of the pressure when they won a free-kick outside the right of the box, but Foreman’s kick went straight through to Swans’ keeper Rodney Chiweshe. Then with two minutes left to the break Collins gave away the penalty, making a clumsy challenge on a home player who was going nowhere just inside the left of the box. Foreman made no mistake from the spot to give Burgess Hill the lead against the run of play.
Swans tried to hit back before half-time, and in stoppage-time won a corner on the left, Stuart Derry’s header at the far-post from Collins’ kick just being blocked. Harding then had to save at his left-post as a shot was driven in from outside the box,
Two minutes after the resumption Harding just got his hands to the ball to deflect it over when Collins whipped in a free-kick from out on the left. Williams then cut inside from the left to get in a low shot that Harding saved at his near-post. Ten minutes into the second-half Swans were denied another penalty when Williams burst clear into the left of the box and was clearly pulled back by his arm. Another chance went begging when Elliott sent over a superb cross from the left, but Dan Morris put a header over from close-in. Midway through the half Williams made another fine run on the left before driving the ball in low to the near-post, where Morris was just denied by Harding.
The home side had a rare chance when substitute Jones Awuah did well on the edge of the box, but finished with a shot over. As the match entered the final quarter of an hour Gordon made a good run on the right before cutting inside and sending a shot just over. Webb then sent Gordon on another right-side run, and when he drove the ball in low it was just cleared off the line and behind at the near-post. Swans’ attacks were incessant, and with two minutes of normal time remaining Barkley Miguel Panzo, a young French player who has joined on dual-registration from Woking and who had come on for Collins, did well on the left before crossing to the near-post, where fellow substitute Harry Smart headed a good chance over.
Two minutes into stoppage-time Burgess Hill thought they had settled the match when they broke away to net, but the ‘goal’ was ruled out for a clear offside. Swans immediately took the opportunity to break through Gordon on the right, and he created an opening before driving in a shot. The final blow to Swans’ hopes came when the ball struck the inside of the far-post before being scrambled clear, a follow-up shot from the left flying just over.
Swans’ Team: Rodney Chiweshe, Dan Sintim, Shaun Elliott, Adriano Moraes (Jerome Maledon 45’), Stuart Derry, Liam Collins (Barkley Miguel Panzo 60’), Josh Webb, Victor Kiri, Michael Gordon, Dan Morris (Harry Smart 72’), Phil Williams. Subs. not used: Josh Bonnett, Sheikh Ceesay.
Burgess Hill Team: J. Harding, White, Edusei, Bankole (Awuah 50’), Poole, Watts, Foreman, Cotton, P. Harding, Berry (Millar 73’), Hayward. Subs. not used: Melia, Lockyer, Tregear. Scorer: Foreman, penalty (43’). Caution: Bankole, foul (21’).