Tuesday 18 October 2016. Cherry Red Combined Counties League, Premier Division.
Walton & Hersham 1 Chertsey Town 1.
After taking the lead just past the hour in a match of few chances Swans looked like going on to pick up the three points as they then dominated their near neighbours, but a free-kick conceded just four minutes from time cost them as it resulted in the equaliser. They have now drawn three of their last five matches, all at home, and this is proving costly in their quest to stay in the league top spots.
With Olade Yusuf unavailable Corey Haywood-Roye returned at right-back, the only change to the side that had beaten Horley Town the previous Saturday.
Chertsey’s Emanuel Akiotu sent a shot from well outside the box yards over the bar after a minute’s play, and this set a pattern for the first-half, with few clear openings for either side and neither goalkeeper seeing much action.
Swans had an opportunity with a free-kick on the left, but although Howard Newton sent a good kick to the far-post no-one could get on the end of it and the ball went wide. With a quarter of an hour played a patient build-up led to Haywood-Roye on the right laying the ball inside to Jake Newton, but his low shot was taken comfortably by Chertsey keeper Jack Ogle.
The visitors’ Steve Newman became the first of seven bookings in the match for a crude tackle on Jake Newton, but again his brother Howard’s free-kick from the left into the box came to nothing as the ball was cleared.
Just before the half hour Chertsey got in on the left, and after a shot was blocked Swans had difficulty getting the ball clear. Akiotu then struck a low shot from 25 yards, and Swans’ keeper Liam Beach got his fingers to the ball before it went wide of his left-post. From the corner a header was on target, but a Swans’ head put the ball over the bar.
Jake Newton put TJ Nkoma on a run down the left for Swans, but his final cross went behind.
Haywood-Roye ran onto Howard Newton’s pass to win a corner on the right, but half-time came with neither side really looking like breaking the stalemate.
The best effort so far to end the deadlock came four minutes after the resumption when Swans’ Louis Taylor struck a terrific shot from fully 40 yards that brought a good tip-over save from keeper Ogle. From Nkoma’s corner on the right the ball was headed wide at the far-post.
Chertsey stole in on the right to get in a low shot that was deflected wide of the far-post, and from the corner swung in from the left Beach had to tip the ball over his far, top corner.
But Swans took the lead just past the hour when Victor Asombang, who had replaced Jamil Okai for the second-half, threaded the ball through to Nkoma in the right of the box, and he drilled a right-foot shot just inside the near-post.
Swans then looked the more dominant side and likely to add to their lead. With seven minutes remaining Asombang struck a great shot from the right of the box that brought another fine tip-over save from Ogle.
Chertsey went close when an attack on the left led to Connor Young striking a shot over the far, top corner from the edge of the box. But, with four minutes of normal-time remaining a free-kick was awarded to them out by the right touchline, and when the ball came in Joe Jones was unmarked as he scored with a strong header.
Swans’ Team: Liam Beach, Corey Haywood-Roye, Sam Bates, Jake Newton, Lea Van Sullivan, Jamie Thoroughgood, Jordan Wisdom-Muir (Elliott Simpson 82’), Louis Taylor, Jamil Okai (Victor Asombang 45’), Howard Newton (Benoni Kabuiku 75’), TJ Nkoma. Subs. not used: Casey Castle, Cameron Gyeabour. Scorer: Nkoma (61’). Cautions: Sullivan, Thoroughgood, Taylor, Okai, Nkoma.
Chertsey Town Team: Ogle, Newman, Geraughty, Batten, Nsubuga, Ross, Jones, Wadmore (Peterkin 89’), Pomroy (Thompson 73’), Crossley, Akiotu (Young 82’). Subs. not used: Aldridge, Cartwright. Scorer: Jones (86’). Cautions: Newman, Wadmore.
