Tuesday 11 October 2016. Cherry Red Combined Counties League, Premier Division.
Spelthorne Sports 2 Walton & Hersham 1.
A calamitous goal conceded two minutes from the end of normal-time put an end to Swans’ unbeaten league record in a match they really should have won. Their proud record of being the only unbeaten side in the league ended when a long ball down the middle caught them pushing up, and when goalkeeper Liam Beach dashed out to try to clear the danger the ball was played past him from just inside Swans’ half and into an empty net. Up to that point Swans had looked like the only winner as they put constant pressure on the home goal to try to score a second goal, but they were fatally caught on the break They have now gone three games without a win and find themselves dropping off the promotion pace.
Jake Newton missed his first game of the season as he was away on international duty for Guyana in Suriname for a Caribbean Cup match, while Alex Filipe came in for his debut at left-back after impressing for the reserve side. With Jamil Okai being unable to get to the ground on time Matt Rose-Hazel came in as a late replacement up front.
Elliott Simpson had two early attempts, driving a free-kick from 35 yards out on the left wide of the left-post, and then being set up by TJ Nkoma a similar distance out to hit a low shot that went through to home keeper Dane Buss.
At the other end Beach made a save down at his near-post as a low shot came in from the left.
Swans seemed to be denied a penalty for handball with under ten minutes played as a shot came in, the referee appearing firstly not to see and then ignoring the flag of his assistant. Play continued and Austin Gacheru drove in a shot from the edge of the box that Buss kept out of the top of his net. Nkoma won a corner with a run on the left, and from Simpson’s kick Lea Van Sullivan put a strong header just wide. Nkoma then cut in from the left to hit a right-foot shot from the edge of the box that tested Buss.
Beach had to tip over a speculative effort from 35 yards out by Lewis Flatman, while Filipe put a good left-foot strike just over at the other end from a similar distance. With just over half an hour played Swans put together a fine move that ended with Howard Newton having a shot blocked, and Newton then laid off to Filipe just outside the box, who struck a left-foot shot over.
With five minutes left to the break the home side’s Frankie Law was shown a yellow card for stopping Nkoma’s run on the left with a poor tackle, and his side were further punished by Swans taking the lead from the free-kick. Simpson’s kick from just outside the edge of the box was driven across the six-yard box to the far-post, where Jamie Thoroughgood bundled the ball into the net.
Spelthorne started the second-half with a shot from 25 yards that dipped just over. Swans then had a free-kick 35 yards out that Simpson drove low wide of the left-post. They were fortunate to scramble the ball clear when Spelthorne played a free-kick into the box from deep on the right, but another free-kick after 56 minutes cancelled out their lead. Flatman drove the kick in from the left, and the ball took a deflection before going in at the far-post.
Swans had a chance to regain the lead just past the hour when Nkoma found Gacheru inside the left of the box, but he failed to get any power in his shot and Buss saved easily.
A double substitution was then made, with Sam Bates coming on for Corey Haywood-Roye and Jordan Wisdom-Muir replacing Rose-Hazel, and this had the desired effect. Gacheru laid the ball in from the right for Simpson to strike a good shot just over from 22 yards, and Wisdom-Muir drove forward to the right edge of the box to send a low shot just wide of the far-post.
The ball had to be cleared off the line when Spelthorne took a corner from the right, but Swans had started to dominate. Nkoma made a run forward to the left edge of the box to hit a fine shot that Buss did well to turn wide of his left-post. Gacheru then cut in on the left to strike a right-foot shot that Buss pushed round the near-post. From Simpson’s corner on the left Wisdom-Muir turned in the right of the six-yard box to bring another block from former Swans’ keeper Buss at his near-post.
With just under ten minutes remaining Swans were shown the danger of their push for a winner as the home side broke away and Flatman got clear on the right, but Beach made a fine save from his shot.
Swans continued to press and Sullivan had a close-in header deflected over when Simpson took a free-kick from outside the right corner of the box. Nkoma had a shot from outside the box blocked and another corner was won on the right.
Buss had to go down to make another save as Gacheru cut in from the left to get in a low shot, but Swans were punished with just two minutes of normal-time remaining for their desire for all three points. A long ball caught the back line pushing up to half-way and Beach made the decision to leave his area to try to clear the threatr, but Tommy Mooney was able to get possession, and he sent the ball into an empty goal from just inside Swans’ half.
Swans’ Team: Liam Beach, Corey Haywood-Roye (Sam Bates 65’), Alex Filipe, Elliott Simpson, Lea Van Sullivan, Jamie Thoroughgood, Howard Newton, Louis Taylor, Matt Rose-Hazel (Jordan Wisdom-Muir 65’), TJ Nkoma, Austin Gacheru. Subs. not used: Jamil Okai, Victor Asombang, Cameron Gyeabour. Scorer: Thoroughgood (40’). Cautions: Thoroughgood, dissent (68’), Simpson, dissent (81’).
Spelthorne Team: Buss, Law, Richards, Dyett, Rees, Mooney, Hughes (Kelly 83’), Hicks, L. Flatman, Smith, Peel (Goodman 45’). Subs. not used: Remedios, Fuller. Scorers: Flatman (56’), Mooney (88’). Caution: Law, foul (39’).
