Tuesday 18 August 2015. Robert Dyas League Cup, 1st Round.
Chipstead 1 Walton & Hersham 2.
All the action came in the final minutes of an otherwise dull affair as Swans won through to the next round in dramatic fashion, scoring two goals in stoppage-time. The drama did not stop there however, as a confrontation between the two sides after the final whistle saw three players being red carded, Dominic Ogun and Myles Powponne for Swans and Bobbie Webbe for the home side.
There was little in the match to indicate there would be such a finale. Swans had gone behind to a 20th minute own goal, and they had to survive several shaky moments in defence, but they carved out several good chances of their own, only for the final ball to frequently let them down.
With Jack Battie and Harry Mills being rested, Kadeem Ajeon and Ed Mason came into the side, Shaquille McIntosh made a first start and André Scarlett also returned.
Swans had a chance after just three minutes when McIntosh nodded the ball on to put Powponne clear, but he finished with a weak shot that went straight to home goalkeeper Kieran Campbell.
Chipstead soon had a chance of their own when Carlton Murray-Price was set up in front of goal, but his shot was beaten away by Swans’ keeper Luke Badiali.
Swans almost scored an audacious goal when Scarlett picked up the ball just inside the home half, and spotting Campbell off his line sent the ball dipping just over the bar. Another opportunity came when a free-kick was awarded ten yards outside the Chipstead box, but although Ogun’s effort cleared the wall and Campbell fumbled the ball it posed little threat.
Chipstead took the lead after 20 minutes when Badiali could only push a shot away, a second shot was blocked and the ball rebounded into the goal off Swans’ Regan Mendes. It could have been 2-0 when Ben Chick broke down the left, a shot came in that Badiali again beat away, and a follow-up was driven over.
Just past the half hour Swans’ Aaron Watson put Powponne away on the right, and he got in a fine cross into the box, but McIntosh had to stretch for the ball and put it over. Watson then made a clever run forward before playing McIntosh through, but he was just closed out. Watson was brought down just outside the box as he again surged forward, but Scarlett’s free-kick was driven into the wall.
Swans had another scare five minutes before the break when Murray-Price got clear, but with Badiali closing him down he lobbed the ball over.
Chipstead’s former Swan Steve Betancourt was booked for a cynical foul to halt Watson’s run on the right, and from Ogun’s free-kick Powponne’s far-post header clipped the bar and went over.
Five minutes after the resumption Powponne made a fine burst into the left of the box, but his final pass was poor and Campbell fell on the ball. Watson then made a run forward on the right to get in a low shot that passed wide of the far-post, and when Powponne crossed from the right McIntosh headed over.
With both Battie and Mills now on for Swans, they began to look the better of the two sides. McIntosh got in an overhead kick from the edge of the box that went just over, and Watson made another clever run on the left that got him into the six-yard box, but again the cross was easily taken by keeper Campbell.
With ten minutes of normal-time remaining Chipstead’s Steven Ibizugbe made a surging run down the right from deep inside his own half that got him into Swans’ box, but Badiali saved his final shot.
As the match entered the final five minutes Scarlett laid the ball off to Ogun 25 yards out, and he turned to drive in a left-foot shot that went wide of the left-post.
With stoppage-time now being played it looked like Swans were going out, but Scarlett’s ball forward picked out the run of Powponne. Keeper Campbell came dashing out, but under pressure from Powponne he failed to clear. The Swans’ striker was able to take the ball to the keeper’s left before rolling it into the net from a tight angle to equalise.
It now looked odds-on a penalty shoot-out, but in the fifth and final minute of stoppage-time Watson skipped past Ibizugbe on the left before laying the ball across. Scarlett was on the edge of the box on the right to strike a left-foot shot low past Campbell to put Swans through.
Straight after the final whistle something triggered the melee that resulted in the three red cards being shown by the referee.
Swans’ Team: Luke Badiali, John Oyenuga, Regan Mendes, Ed Mason (Harry Mills 63’), Shannon Wallace, André Scarlett, Aaron Watson, Kadeem Ajeon (Jack Battie 60’), Myles Powponne, Shaquille McIntosh, Dominic Ogun. Sub. not used: Shawnikki Clement-Peter. Scorers: Powponne (90 + 1’), Scarlett (90 + 5’). Caution: Powponne (88’). Dismissals: Ogun (after final whistle), Powponne (after final whistle).
Chipstead Team: Campbell, Ibizugbe, Harding (Pink 66’), S. Betancourt, Panayi, Panayiotou, Scott (Kedze 57’), Webbe, Ogeah (F. Betancourt 77’), Murray-Price, Chick. Subs. not used: Gordon, Hampson. Scorer: Mendes, own goal (20’). Cautions: S. Betancourt (42’), Kedze (82’), Webbe (90 + 6’). Dismissal: Webbe (after final whistle).
