Saturday 18 October 2014. FA Trophy, Preliminary Round.
Needham Market 1 Walton & Hersham 3.
A battling performance by Swans at the highly placed Suffolk club saw them through to play at Maidstone United in the next round of the FA Trophy. After leading 2-1 at the break Swans had to dig deep in the second-half as their hosts showed why they are riding high in the Ryman League Division One North, but an Andrew Dalhouse goal three minutes from the end of normal-time gave them breathing space, and they were able to ride out a nervy eight minutes of stoppage-time.
Several players were still unavailable for selection, including Andrew Mensah, Louis Clark, Vernon Francis, Nathan Daly and Louis Glace-Palmer. Although André Scarlett had served his suspension he was still unavailable due to a hamstring injury, but Josh Bonnett was able to return. Other changes from the team that had played at Dulwich Hamlet in the League Cup were Yinka Salami replacing John Oyenuga at right-back and Dominic Ogun dropping back to resume at left-back in place of Marvin Farrell.
Swans settled early, moving the ball around well, and a good build-up culminated in Dylan Cascoe doing well on the right before swinging the ball over, but home goalkeeper Shaun Phillips made a confident catch. It was Cascoe who was to lead indirectly to Swans taking the lead after nine minutes when he won a corner on the right after a good ball from Tarome Hemmings had got him away. Ogun swung the kick over, and with Dalhouse causing problems at the near-post the ball went over the line with Phillips unable to get to it.
Swans continued to be in control, but they nearly paid for a lack of concentration with just under a quarter of an hour played. The ball was lost in midfield and the home side immediately broke with Sam Newson being played down the left. Swans’ keeper Gary Ross dashed across to close Newson down, but the Needham Market striker was able to get in a low cross. A shot took a big deflection and the ball was looping into goal, but fortunately Ross had got back, and he made a fine clearance from under his crossbar. Luke Ingram then got in a dangerous cross from the right and Ross had to get back and fingertip the ball over.
Hemmings got in a good strike from 35 yards for Swans that flew wide of the left-post, but the home side were getting the ball quickly to their front runners, and when Newson got away he shot low from outside the box, but Ross got well behind the ball. Chris Hogg then put in a powerful strike from 40 yards out that fizzed wide. With five minutes of the half remaining Ross came out on the left to try to close Newson down, and in attempting to kick clear he sliced the ball behind, but he made a good catch from the corner-kick. Another corner came when Dan Cunningham sent in a free-kick from deep and Jahmahl King could only glance the ball off his head and over the bar. From the kick Sam Nunn got in a far-post header, but Ross went down to save.
The home side’s pressure paid off after 43 minutes when they again broke down the left to play the ball inside. Ian Westlake’s initial shot was well saved by Ross, but Newson followed up to score.
But having disappointingly lost their lead so late in the half Swans regained it in the final minute of normal-time with a fine goal. Ogun played a terrific ball from wide on the left into the six-yard box, and Cascoe came in at the far-post to catch the ball superbly on the half-volley and deflect it into the opposite corner.
There was still time remaining for Needham Market to cross the ball over from the left, and when it was played in from the right Ross kept out a shot with a great block with his legs.
The home side began the second-half where they left off, and when Cunningham played the ball in from the right Newson just failed to get a touch and it ran through to Ross. Newson then did well on the right before driving the ball low across, but it went harmlessly out for a throw-in.
Swans could not retain possession and the match was played out mainly in their half, but the pressure was temporarily relieved just before the hour when Cascoe made a great run into the box on the right to get in a low shot that Phillips saved at his near-post.
Ross again did well when Ingram put in a snap-shot from the left and the Swans’ keeper got well behind the ball at his near-post.
Although Needham Market continued to dominate, Swans were still having chances, and after 77 minutes Ogun put in a great cross from the left and Dalhouse was just denied at the far-post by Nunn, who headed behind for a corner-kick, the first of two in succession.
The home side’s Oliver Fenn was soon getting in a shot from the right of the box that Ross beat away with a strong right-hand. Just a minute later it looked like the Suffolk side would finally get the equaliser they had been threatening when a cross from the left picked out substitute Ryan Crisp inside the six-yard box, but his diving header thumped against the bar via the fingertips of Ross.
Swans won a free-kick on the right to relieve the pressure, and from substitute Kadeem Ajeon’s kick Dalhouse volleyed just over at the far-post, but the referee’s assistant had his flag raised for offside anyway. Then with three minutes of normal-time remaining Swans got the buffer they desperately needed. Kwabena Osei played a fine ball through the home defence to get Dalhouse into the left of the box, and he beat Phillips with a low, left-foot shot just inside the near-post.
The referee indicated that Swans would have to withstand seven minutes of added-on time, a figure that became nearer eight in fact. Newson was played in on the right, only to shoot wide of the far-post, and when the ball was crossed from the left Nunn volleyed over, but Swans held on for a memorable win.
Swans’ Team: Gary Ross, Yinka Salami (Daniel Ranger 71’), Dominic Ogun, Anthony Oaks, Jahmahl King, Ashley Thompson, Tarome Hemmings (Kadeem Ajeon 75’), Kwabena Osei, Andrew Dalhouse, Josh Bonnett (Julian Bartos 45’), Dylan Cascoe. Subs. not used: Mor Herczeg, Luke Martin. Scorers: Ogun (9’), Cascoe (45’), Dalhouse (87’). Cautions: Bonnett (45+1’), Bartos (48’), Ogun (49’), Osei (74’), Dalhouse (80’).
Needham Market Team: Phillips, Ingram (Crisp 75’), Coakley, Fenn, Hogg, Nunn, Westlake, Izzet, Newson, Morphew, Cunningham. Subs. not used: Heath, Howell, Brown, Mills. Scorer: Newson (43’). Caution: Newson (73’).
