Saturday 31 August 2002
FA Cup Preliminary Round
Walton & Hersham 2 Andover 1

Swans looked to have this FA Cup tie secured when they took a two goal lead on the stroke of half-time, but a goal straight after the resumption by the visitors brought them back in to the match and left the result in the balance until the final whistle.

This was another less than convincing performance by Swans as they made hard work of beating a limited Andover side, squandering numerous opportunities to make the game safe. Hughes had already wasted a chance for the Hampshire side before Walton took the lead after eleven minutes, Paul Harkness running through to score from Francis Dolan�s pass. As the half progressed Swans began to create chances, Ross Pickett cutting in from the right to force McInally to push the ball away, the Andover keeper then doing well to keep out Adam Fennell�s 25 yard free-kick as it looked destined for the top, left corner of the net. McInally had to be quick out to deny Harkness, who then headed a good chance over from Fennell�s corner.

But in first-half stoppage time McInally got his hands to, but could not keep out a low shot from 25 yards from Lee O�Donnell. That should have set Swans up for a convincing win, but just over a minute in to the second-half Nichols got his head to a long ball, and Laurence Batty seemed slow to react as the ball crept just inside his left-post. This gave Andover heart and they pushed forward with great determination, but Swans were still making but wasting chances. Harkness completely missed Dolan�s ball in from the right, and then put over at the near-post from Richard Newbery�s cross. A complete mix-up in the Andover defence allowed O�Donnell to set up Pickett, but his shot lacked power, and when Fennell stole in on the left he shot disappointingly wide. O�Donnell shot wide with just the keeper to beat after being played in by Fennell, Dolan then firing over from an equally good chance after Harkness and O�Donnell had set him up. Harkness put a far-post header wide from Fennell�s free-kick, and as Andover pushed men forward in the desperate search for an equaliser it seemed Swans must surely capitalise on the gaps being left.

With the match entering stoppage-time, McInally dropped the ball from Marcus Rose�s corner-kick but Pickett contrived to put it over the bar, and after the Andover keeper had gone down to save a low shot from Harkness, both Rose and Harkness had shots cleared off the line in rapid succession.

Swans now meet Combined Counties side Cove in the next round at Stompond Lane, and must surely fancy their chances of progressing further, but they will also hope to improve on this lack-lustre performance.

Match Statistics

Walton Team: Batty, Dolan, Goggin, Dowson, Whelan, Thompson (Laister 76), Pickett, Fennell (Blackman 83), Harkness, Newbery (Rose 83), O�Donnell. Subs. not used: Edgar, Panter.

Goalscorers for Walton: Harkness (11 mins.). O�Donnell (45 mins.).

Goalscorer for Andover: Nichols (46 mins.).

Caution: George (Andover), 82 mins., foul.