Saturday 9 April 2016. Ryman League, Division One South.
Walton & Hersham 0 Corinthian-Casuals 3.
Swans will never know what the outcome would have been had Michael Salako converted a great chance just a minute into the second-half that would have given his side a rare lead. But, just three minutes after the missed opportunity, Casuals had scored a brace of goals to put them 2-0 up and on the way to a win that realistically condemns Swans to a third from bottom, relegation spot finish. That chance for Salako was however a rare opportunity for a Swans’ side that seldom looked like ending their goal drought. Salako’s stoppage-time goal in the previous match at Guernsey is now the only time they have found the net in the last six games, and only the second in the last eight. Having held the visitors to 0-0 at the break Swans had hopes of breaking a run of nine consecutive defeats, but those hopes were blown away in those opening minutes of the second-half.
An unchanged starting line-up was named, a rare thing in this season of multiple personnel changes.
Swans’ Liam Beach was the goalkeeper to first see action after seven minutes, diving to take the ball after Josh Uzun’s shot from 25 yards out had taken a big deflection. Beach then had to take a looping, far-post header from Uzun after Warren Morgan had crossed from the right. Uzun went down at the far-post claiming a penalty when he tried to get on the end of Emil Salama’s driven cross from the right, but the referee saw no infringement. Casuals continued to have most of the attacking play, and Beach had to beat the ball away at the near-post after Salama had got to the byline on the right to drive the ball low across. Beach was again brought into action, making a fine save from a strong shot by Morgan, who had been played in on the right after Seb Castello had been caught out of position after his pass had been blocked.
Swans had rarely threatened, but just before the half-hour Gareth Chendlik almost got through and was clearly held back by his shirt, but the referee waved play on. Salako then forced a corner on the left, but Gary MacDonald just failed to get on the end of Mark Corbett’s kick at the far-post.
At the other end Beach punched the ball away from a cross and Niall Wright followed up to have a shot blocked before Jamie Byatt sliced well wide.
Corbett won another corner for Swans, but with just under ten minutes left of the half Casuals thought they had taken the lead when Shaun Okojie headed in at the far-post when Ben King took a free-kick from out by the right corner-flag, but the ‘goal’ was ruled out for offside.
As the half entered the final five minutes Chendlik played Corbett through, but his shot was blocked.
Casuals had the last opportunity in added-on time however when Byatt got in on the left and Lea Van Sullivan did well to clear behind for a corner.
With just over one minute played after the resumption the chance came for Swans to take the lead. Prince M’Bengui played Salako clear into the right of the box, but with just Casuals’ keeper Danny Bracken to beat he drove a low shot just wide of the far-post.
The visitors immediately broke and Okojie was put clear into the left of the box, and although Beach got a strong left hand to his shot the ball crept just inside the far-post.
Just two minutes later Salama laid the ball across from the left, and when it was not cleared Sekou Kaba passed it into the net for his side’s second goal.
Swans tried to hit back and Salako made a good run in on the left and Dave Hodges cleared the ball off the line at the near-post.
Swans struggled to create openings however, and with eighteen minutes remaining Beach had to make another fine save, pushing the ball wide when Okojie struck a strong shot from the left of the box. Casuals’ substitute James Cottee then headed over at the far-post from a right-side corner.
But with just under a quarter of an hour remaining Cottee challenged Sullivan on the left, and when the defender stumbled over the former Swans’ striker was left free to drive a fine shot past Beach and just inside the far-post.
Two minutes later Cottee almost got a second goal when he struck a fine half-volley from just outside the box, but the ball rattled the crossbar. It was then left to Beach to deny Casuals a fourth goal with two minutes of normal-time remaining, Swans’ young keeper making a superb tip-over save from a free-kick struck from just outside the left corner of the box.
Swans’ Team: Liam Beach, Connor Channon (Brett Cooper 69’), Sebastien Castello (Keanu Williams 75’), Gary MacDonald (Cristiano Goncalves Neto 77’), Lea Van Sullivan, Dylan Casey, Liam McManus, Prince M’Bengui, Mark Corbett, Gareth Chendlik, Michael Salako. Sub. not used: Kambo Smith.
Casuals’ Team: Bracken, Morgan, Hodges, King, Murray, Wright, Uzun, Kaba, Byatt (Cottee 62’), Okojie (Spencer 79’). Salama (Johnson 76’). Subs. not used: Strange, Joseph. Scorers: Okojie (47’ ), Kaba (49’), Cottee (76’). Caution: Okojie, dissent (72’).
