Tuesday 4 November 2014. Ryman League, Division One South.
Faversham Town 5 Walton & Hersham 0.
A win for the home side would guarantee them going top of the table, and they achieved their aim by beating Swans 5-0, but the score-line does not always tell the story of the match. Unfortunately, for all the good football Swans played on the evening, particularly in the first-half, they were again undone by a combination of wasteful finishing and poor defending.
They were totally on top for the first quarter of an hour, putting together some fine moves, and they should have taken the lead after nine minutes. Matt Reece was making his first appearance of the season after his long-awaited international clearance had been received following his spell playing in Sweden, and he was put through into the left of the box by André Scarlett, but with just home goalkeeper Simon Overland to beat he drove his shot wide.
Swans were punished for that miss as Faversham took the lead from their first attack after 16 minutes, the unmarked Renford Tenyue sending a glancing header into the far corner from a right-side cross.
Swans continued to dominate play, but after 21 minutes more slack play allowed Jack Harris to break clear, and it took a good save by onrushing keeper Gary Ross to prevent them going 2-0 down.
An opportunity to break back came when a free-kick was won on the right. Overland just managed to get a hand to the ball when Dominic Ogun sent the kick over, but it ran behind off Gareth Chendlik at the far-post.
Ross took a far-post header from Tenyue when Faversham got in a cross from the right, but Swans immediately broke through Nathan Daly on the right, and Dylan Cascoe was just denied at the near-post when he drove the ball low across. Tarome Hemmings’ free-kick from the left touchline almost found the head of Reece, but the ball ran through to Overland. Scarlett was fouled just outside the left corner of the box, and following the free-kick Jahmahl King tried to force the ball in at the far-post, but it was blocked on the line and put behind for a corner. From the kick the home side just managed to get the ball behind for another corner.
But instead of being back in the match Swans found themselves 2-0 down with three minutes of normal-time left of the half. A simple long ball down the middle was not dealt with and Dean Grant got clear to send a chip shot over Ross.
There was still time for Swans to have another great chance to score before the break when Reece was again sent racing clear, but this time Overland made a good block from a low shot.
Faversham had a half-chance soon after the resumption that Wayne Wilson drove over, but Swans again started the half well, and some good play by Chendlik on the left enabled him to get the ball over to the far-post, but Cascoe could not control it and another chance was lost.
A fine ball from Scarlett then got Reece into the left of the box, but Overland again made the save, pushing a strong left-foot shot wide of his near-post. A free-kick was then won just outside the edge of the box on the right, but Ogun’s shot was blocked. The ball was then just deflected behind at the near-post when Ogun took a corner from the left, to win another kick.
But all Swans’ efforts to get back in the game proved fruitless as Faversham increased their lead just before the hour. Another simple ball through a square defence on the left led to Harris turning and driving a shot past the exposed Ross. That effectively ended Swans’ challenge, and with just over a quarter of an hour left a right-side corner found Matt Bourne, who scored with a free-header from inside the six-yard box. Ross was soon making a good stop when Harris was played in on the right to drive in a low shot.
Swans tried to reduce the deficit and Scarlett got in a low shot from 30 yards that Overland got well behind. Scarlett then took a free-kick from deep on the right for Chendlik to get in a glancing header from six yards out that Overland stretched to tip over.
But with two minutes of normal-time remaining a free-kick taken by Faversham from close to the left corner flag led to the ball being deflected behind for another corner-kick on the right that Swans conceded from. The ball came to Harris in the left of the box, and he lashed a fine, first-time shot through a crowd of players and into the net. In stoppage-time Faversham sent a free-kick dipping in from 40 yards out on the left, and Ross just got his hands to the ball to tip it onto his crossbar.
Swans’ Team: Gary Ross, Nathan Daly, Dominic Ogun, André Scarlett, Jahmahl King, Harry Mills, Tarome Hemmings, Kwabena Osei (Anthony Oaks 83’), Gareth Chendlik, Matt Reece (Andrew Dalhouse 57’), Dylan Cascoe (Julian Bartos 67’). Subs. not used: Daniel Ranger, Vernon Francis.
Faversham Team: Overland, Bewick, Brown, King, Bourne, Scarborough, Tenyue (Oliver 39’), Wilson, Harris. Grant (Russo 80’), Stanford (Harvey 53’). Subs. not used: Monger, Carrington. Scorers: Tenyue (16’), Grant (42’), Harris (59’ & 88’), Bourne (73’).
