Tuesday 3 December 2002 FA Trophy, 2nd Round Replay Walton & Hersham 0 Chesham United 1

Swans' dreams of an inviting, money-spinning local derby at Woking in the next round were shattered at Stompond Lane on Tuesday evening. They were left ruing the fact that they should have settled this tie at the first attempt, as their inconsistent form at home showed itself yet again.

They had chances at either end of the match to get a result, but in between it was a muddled performance, with some hesitant defending and a lack of creativity both in midfield and near goal. One change was made from Saturday's starting line-up, with Richard Newbery coming back in for Derek Bryan.

As in the first-match Swans almost made a dream, first-minute start. Steve Warren put over a deep free-kick from the right for Scott Edgar to get in a diving header at the far-post, but the ball flew narrowly wide.

Then after seven minutes Warren sent in another free-kick from inside his own half for Edgar to flick on with another header, but again the ball passed just wide of the post with keeper Preddie well beaten. But as on Saturday Swans began to fade, allowing Chesham back in to the game.

Midway through the half Lee Edwards made the first of several, nervy half clearances in what was to prove a shaky display in Swans' goal.

Edwards only managed to punch Capone's free-kick straight to Bowden-Hasse near the penalty spot, leaving Adam Thompson to make a superb block on the goalline from a firmly struck shot.

Then a complete lack of communication between Edwards and Chris Whelan resulted in the Swans' skipper heading a long ball back towards his own goal, but fortunately just wide of the post.

Almost immediately Whelan again went agonisingly close to registering an own goal when he got his head to a cross from the right, but again the ball passed just wide of the near-post.

Six minutes after the restart Edwards was again guilty of not getting distance on a punched clearance, and this time it proved costly. The ball was knocked back in from the right for Hay to just get his head to, and the ex-Woking striker was somewhat fortunate to see the ball loop over Edwards, who was still several yards off his line, and in to the goal.

Swans were stung in to response, and when Thompson sent a free-kick forward, Rob Wimble drove in first-time from the right to the near-post, but Preddie did well to fall on the ball to deny the lurking Edgar.

Edwards was fortunate to see another looping header from Dogbe just clear his crossbar, but the visitors' goal also had a scare when Warren's long throw caused a scramble that led to the ball finally being cleared for a corner. The final quarter of an hour saw Swans make desperate assaults on the Chesham goal to try to salvage the tie, but when Preddie did make a rare error by dropping the ball from a cross, no one was alert enough to get in a telling shot. Paul Harkness came on for Wimble and almost immediately got his head to another long Thompson free-kick, only for Preddie to instinctively get his hands to the ball. But although the ball ran loose Harkness was unable to capitalise.

Almost the whole Swans' side appealed in unison as Newbery drove the ball across from the right and it appeared to be hand-balled by a Chesham defender in the penalty-area, but this time no penalty award was forthcoming.

As the match entered stoppage time little doubt was left it was not to be Swans' night. When they were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the penalty-box, Newbery drove the ball firmly round the defensive wall, but just as it looked as if it would pass inside the right-post it hit Preddie in the face before flying wide.

From the resultant corner Francis Dolan's shot was cleared off the line to start another scramble in the visitors' six-yard box, but the equaliser would not come, and Swans must now put their thoughts to the bread and butter of league competition.

Match Statistics

Walton Team: Edwards, Dolan, Andrews, Thompson, Whelan, Rose, Warren (Blackman 65), O'Donnell, Edgar, Newbery, Wimble (Harkness 74). Subs. not used: Gindre, Bryan.

Goalscorer for Chesham : Hay, 51 mins.

Cautions : Warren (Walton), 50 mins., foul. Whelan (Walton), 80 mins., foul.