Tuesday 29 March 2011. Ryman League, Division One South.
Merstham 2 Walton & Hersham 2.
Swans saw another chance of getting into the last play-off spot disappear, as for the second match running they failed to take maximum points from lowly placed opponents, this time after taking a two goal lead. If anything this was an even more disappointing performance than the previous one against Corinthian-Casuals, as the home side pushed them all the way, showing great determination to get back into the game, and proving there are no guaranteed easy matches on the run-in. The final result of this match was in the balance until the final whistle as both sides went close to getting a winning goal. With Liam Collins already sidelined following the bad knee injury incurred in the previous match, Swans suffered another setback when Shaun Elliott had to drop out of the starting line-up at the last minute. A back problem picked up at work was aggravated again during the pre-match warm-up, and Chris Wales took over the left-back spot. Central defender James Nicholls had however recovered from injury and was able to return, and striker Reis Stanislaus, who was one of Chuck Martini’s first signings for Swans back in September, came in for a belated debut to partner the returning Graeme Purdy up-front. . After Stanislaus had signed for Swans he immediately went out on dual-registration, and has since been in excellent scoring form for Bedfont Town in the Zamaretto League. Glenn Stanley also came into the side, and with Victor Kiri returning, Kieran Knight and Gary Frewen dropped to the bench. Swans had a chance to take a tenth minute lead when a neat, flicked pass by Stanislaus sent Bakary Bojang clear, but in trying to make sure he delayed his shot and home goalkeeper Ian Chatfield was able to come out and block. Merstham’s first chance came when former Swan Adam Broomhead sent a free-kick into the box, and when the ball ran loose Harry Ottaway fired over.
Chatfield had to save on his line when the ball fell to Bojang in the right of the box, and he drove in an angled shot, but the home side had another chance when Michael Corbett’s long throw from the right got through to Daniel Harding, who put over the bar. Swans took the lead after 21 minutes when Richard Taylor hooked the ball over his head from out on the right touchline and into the box. Chatfield could not hold onto the ball under pressure from Stanislaus, and it ran loose for Bojang to score inside the left-post. From that point on however the home side started to come into the game, pressing Swans onto the defensive, and they had far the better of the remainder of the first-half. Soon after the resumption Stanislaus made a good run down the left, getting to the byline and sending in a low cross to Bojang at the near-post, but he failed to get the ball past Chatfield. The referee had however spotted a foul on Stanislaus and awarded a free-kick just outside the left of the box. Stanley’s kick picked out Purdy close-in at the near-post, but his header just took a deflection and the ball went over. Swans doubled their lead six minutes into the second half. A long ball over the top sent Stanislaus racing clear, but the chance seemed to have been lost as he tried to take the ball around Chatfield and his shot was blocked. Stanislaus showed great persistence however, and after regaining possession he cut inside from the right of the box before driving a low, left-foot shot that beat the keeper just inside the near-post.
Merstham soon showed they weren’t out of the match, and they had a clear chance of getting a goal back, but Ryan Adams got across to make a fine last-ditch clearance. Former Stompond Lane favourite Adam Moriarty then struck a terrific volley from 25 yards, but Swans’ keeper Gareth Williams saw it all the way and was well positioned to clutch the ball on his line. With an hour played Swans went desperately close to scoring a third goal that would surely have sealed a vital win. Taylor’s long ball down the middle bounced through to Bojang, who got his left-foot to the ball on the half-volley, but it clipped the top of the crossbar before going over. Stanley was then unlucky with a fine volley from 25 yards out that sent the ball dipping just over, but it was Merstham who were to score the next goal. With twenty minutes of the second-half played a high ball came into Swans’ six-yard box and Williams looked to be fouled as he twice tried to get to the ball, but in the ensuing scramble it finally just crept into the goal, with Dean Gunner being credited with the final touch. This galvanised the home side, and again they proceeded to dominate the game, throwing men forward and pinning Swans back, who were surrendering the midfield as they began to defend too deep. Williams had to make a good save at his near-post when Ottaway crossed from the left and Merstham substitute Omar Folkes drove in a shot from the right of the box. Harding then rattled the crossbar with a terrific strike from the right, and Williams was soon doing well to fingertip the ball away for a corner. Swans always looked like cracking under the pressure, and with just under a quarter of an hour remaining Ottaway was found in space inside the left of the box, and he slipped the ball past Williams for the equaliser.
There was now the distinct possibility that Swans could go on to lose a match they looked to have settled at one point, but they gradually began to regain some control. When Taylor sent in a long throw from the left with ten minutes remaining the ball was slipped just wide of the goal, and almost immediately Swans went desperately close to regaining the lead. Knight had only just replaced Purdy, and his first touch was to get in an overhead kick close-in at the left-post, only for the ball to strike the crossbar. Taylor’s free-kick from deep on the left picked out Ashley Quashie unmarked at the far-post, but he was just stretching too much for the ball, and his header went just wide. As the match entered the final five minutes, for the third match running Swans seemed to be denied what looked a clear penalty, as Adams made a run into the right of the box and appeared to be tripped. But Swans had to settle for a single point when they badly needed three, although even that could have been snatched from them in stoppage-time. Merstham won a free-kick deep on the right, and when Moriarty sent the ball to the far-post Sean Rivers put a header over. Moriarty then broke clear following a last-ditch Swans’ attack and went close to setting up a winning goal.
Swans’ Team: Gareth Williams, Ryan Adams, Chris Wales, Ashley Quashie, James Nicholls, Richard Taylor, Glenn Stanley, Victor Kiri, Graeme Purdy (Kieran Knight 80’), Reis Stanislaus, Bakary Bojang (Gary Frewen 71’). Subs. not used: Damian Matthews, Bernard Asante, Sheikh Ceesay. Scorers: Bojang (21’), Stanislaus (51’).
Merstham Team: Chatfield, Duke, Head (Rivers 73’), Moriarty, Broomhead, Corbett, Gunner, Graham (Folkes 58’), Ottaway, Harding, Saraiva (McDowell 58’). Sub. not used: Watts. Scorers: Gunner (65’), Ottaway (76’).
