Walton & Hersham 3    Lingfield 0.

Following two previous postponements, due firstly to a frozen and then a waterlogged pitch, Swans finally played their Senior Cup tie against the Sussex County League side, although on a bitterly cold night it was again touch and go whether the match firstly went ahead, and then got completed. Fortunately the tie was decided and Swans went through to a home quarter-final against Corinthian-Casuals, but there was an air throughout the match of a chore that needed to be got out of the way.

All three goals were scored by Graeme Purdy, giving him his second hat-trick of the month. Unfortunately Swans paid a price as Josh Webb damaged ankle ligaments early on, and he will now likely be out of action for a while. Several players were ineligible for the tie, including Dan Dean, Greg Andrews, Saul Otobo and Sol Patterson-Bohner, although Stuart Derry had finished his three match suspension and was able to return, while Adam Francis made a rare appearance up front. Swans’ passage was not as straightforward as the score-line suggests however as the visitors had a lot of the attacking play, and goalkeeper Rodney Chiweshe was certainly as busy as his Lingfield opposite number.

Swans had a good chance early on when Chiweshe’s long clearing kick found Phil Williams, to give him a run on goal from the left, but his shot was blocked by Lingfield keeper Reece Oscar. They went ahead however after nine minutes when they were awarded a rare penalty, Francis being tripped after getting into the right corner of the box. Purdy took the responsibility for the spot-kick and coolly beat Oscar.

With a quarter of an hour played Lingfield had a chance from a right-side cross, but Danny Oakins put his header wide at the far-post. Then after eighteen minutes Webb went down under a tackle close to the byline on Swans’ right and had to be stretchered off, with Josh Bonnett coming on. The visitors looked dangerous coming forward and Kai Bishard was played into the left of the box, but Chiweshe went down to save his shot. Swans replied with Williams sending in a dipping shot from the edge of the box on the left that Oscar took high up under his crossbar. Lingfield immediately got forward and Chiweshe had to go down to deny Louie Gallagher, who had got in on the left.

With half an hour played Liam Collins got in a fine cross from the right and Francis was just denied by Lingfield heading the ball over their own bar Francis was soon driving in a good shot from outside the box that flashed wide.

Lingfield’s Darryl Coleman tried a shot from 35 yards that Chiweshe got well behind just before Swans doubled their lead after 36 minutes. Purdy was found in space on the left, and seeing Oscar off his line he cleverly lobbed the ball over the keeper and into the net. With the first-half coming to an end Lingfield’s Darryl Coleman struck a free-kick well from 30 yards, but again Chiweshe was well placed to take the ball.

Soon after the resumption Swans should have settled the tie when Williams burst clear into the right of the box, but after taking the ball wide of the keeper he shot into the side netting with Purdy unmarked at the far-post. Williams then popped up on the left, leaving Michael Assopardi trailing and getting into the box, but his low cross was blocked behind for a corner. With an hour played Purdy played Williams into the left of the box, but he was having one of his frustrating matches and Oscar was able to deny him as the Swans’ player tried to take the ball around the keeper.

With the conditions such as they were the possibility was always there that if the visitors scored they would be well back into the tie, but after 36 minutes Swans scored a third goal to kill them off. Bonnett did well on the left to get past his marker before playing the ball in to Purdy, who neatly slotted past the keeper to notch his hat-trick.

With two minutes remaining Lingfield had one last chance to get on the score sheet when Simon Wallace got in on the right, but Chiweshe did well to tip his shot onto the top, right angle of the goal-frame and over. In the final minute Swans went close to making it 4-0 when Bonnett did well on the right before driving the ball in, but Francis’s close-in effort was deflected wide of the far-post.

Swans’ Team: Rodney Chiweshe, Josh Webb (Josh Bonnett 18’), Shaun Elliott, Adriano Moraes (Ashlee Quashie 59’), Stuart Derry, Dan Sintim, Liam Collins, Victor Kiri, Graeme Purdy, Adam Francis, Phil Williams (Harry Smart 67’). Sub. not used: Chuck Martini. Scorer: Purdy (9’ [pen.], 36’ & 81’). Caution: Moraes, foul (54’).                     

Lingfield Team: Oscar, Assopardi, R. Coleman, Oakins (Coulson 61’), Hughes, Courtney (Dean 73’ [Fisher 86’]), Sintim, D. Coleman, Bishard, Gallagher, Wallace. Caution: Coulson, foul (79’).  

Corinthian-Casuals 0    Walton & Hersham 2.

Swans bounced back from their abject performance of a week earlier to secure a fine win, the two goal margin not doing justice to their dominance over their neighbours. So many times this season their supporters have seen them dominate teams, creating numerous scoring opportunities, only to finish empty-handed, and for over an hour they must have thought this match was going to follow a similar pattern as Swans did everything but score. But the excellent Graeme Purdy finally got the goal his play deserved, and Greg Andrews made the score-line at least somewhat more reflective of the play in stoppage-time with his second goal in two games. Swans continue to remain an enigma however, as one week they can look a match for any side in the division, and another like relegation fodder, but with the obvious talent in their side the former should more regularly be the case.

They made a bright start, but it was the home side that had the first attempt on goal after seven minutes, Jamie Byatt’s good strike from 25 yards passing wide of the left-post. Swans soon attacked and could have taken an early lead as Andrews got down the left before striking a superb cross to the far-post where Phil Williams, coming in unmarked, should at least have got something on the ball. After twenty minutes some fine play by Purdy inside the right of the box enabled him to get the ball across the edge of the six-yard box, where it was just cleared away.

Adriano Moraes struck a shot from 22 yards after Shaun Elliott had laid the ball back from the left, but home goalkeeper Adam Peck got well behind the ball on his line. The Brazilian was soon driving another effort over the bar from a similar position, this time Purdy being the provider with a lay-back from the left. A fine ball from Liam Collins got Purdy into the right of the box, but he was just closed out, and Casuals quickly broke down the other end for Jamal Carr to put a shot just over from outside the box after Byatt had set him up. Swans immediately got forward again, and Williams cut into the right of the box to drive in a low shot that forced Peck into a save.

As the first-half entered the last ten minutes Collins played a good ball forward to get Andrews into the box, but he couldn’t get a shot away and the ball was put behind for a corner. Some fine play by Andrews enabled him to play Purdy clear into the left of the box, and he will be disappointed that he drove his low shot straight at keeper Peck. Andrews then did well on the left, getting to the byline before playing the ball across, but neither Purdy at the near-post, nor Williams at the far, could get a touch.

Swans had created the openings that should have seen them leading at the break, but the best chance came in the final minute of the half. A terrific ball by Andrews picked out Williams on the right, and he made a typical, jinking run into the box before laying the ball across to Purdy ten yards out, but with just Peck to beat he drove the ball over the crossbar.

The match had followed an all too familiar pattern for Swans this season, and soon after the resumption they could well have gone behind, had it not been for the fine goalkeeping of Rodney Chiweshe. Casuals’ Dave Hodges found space on the left before crossing to the far-post, where former Swans’ youth player Joe Hicks was unmarked to get in a downward header, but Chiweshe made a superb save.

Swans immediately had the chance to capitalise as Collins’ through ball sent Williams shrugging past the last defender to leave him with just Peck to beat, which he did with a low shot, but the ball struck the left-post. A fine ball by Purdy found Andrews in space on the left, and he struck a left-foot, half-volley that Peck just managed to beat away at his near-post. Casuals were soon clearing the ball off their goal-line, and Moraes followed up to drive in a shot that unfortunately struck one of his teammates to deflect wide. A clearance by Chiweshe then found the head of Purdy, who nodded through to Andrews on the left, but he shot straight at Peck at the near-post.

The first ten minutes of the second-half had seen Swans attack incessantly, and when Williams got the ball through to Andrews, he struck a fine, low shot from 25 yards that Peck just managed to push wide of his right post. With an hour played Collins took a corner from the left, and this led to Moraes playing a low ball into the box that picked out Dan Sintim close in by the left-post, but the ball ran off his foot and just wide.

Casuals almost took the lead totally against the run of play when Byatt got free into the right of the six-yard box after looking well offside, but his shot to the near-post was superbly blocked by Chiweshe.

Swans finally made the breakthrough after 66 minutes, and fittingly the goal was scored by the splendid Purdy. Moraes had a shot blocked, but the ball ran through to Purdy inside the right of the box, and he deftly turned to beat his marker before drilling a fine, left-foot shot low inside the left-post.

More good play by Purdy almost got Moraes through, but Peck was quickly out to fall on the ball to deny him. The home side had an opportunity when they were somewhat fortunate to be awarded a free-kick 25 yards from goal, but although Byatt got the ball through the wall Chiweshe saw it all the way and pouched it on his line.

With the match entering the final quarter of an hour Swans went close to sealing the points, but Purdy’s far-post header came back off the crossbar when Collins took a corner from the right. Andrews was then played clean through on goal, but was unfortunate when the referee’s assistant flagged for offside, seemingly against Purdy, who was not interfering with play.

Byatt had been Casuals’ main threat, and he volleyed over from inside the box as the ball was played in from the right. With three minutes of normal time remaining Casuals forced three corners in succession as they tried to gain an undeserved point, but Swans’ defence stood firm.

Then with the last of the five minutes of stoppage-time being played Purdy played Andrews into space on the left, and he struck a shot that Peck got his hands to but could not prevent entering the goal to seal the win for Swans.

Swans’ Team: Rodney Chiweshe, Josh Webb, Shaun Elliott, Adriano Moraes, Dan Dean, Dan Sintim, Liam Collins, Victor Kiri, Graeme Purdy, Greg Andrews, Phil Williams (Saul Otobo 71’). Subs. not used: Sol-Patterson-Bohner, Ashlee Quashie, Josh Bonnett, Sheikh Ceesay. Scorers: Purdy (66’), Andrews (90+5’). Caution: Purdy, foul (28’).                       

Casuals’ Team: Peck, Williams (Finnie 63’), Ellis (Stevenson 73’), Hicks, Hassell, Hodges, Carr, Green (Defoe 60’), Thompson, Byatt, Barilli. Sub. not used: Quintyne. Cautions: Hicks, foul (82’), Defoe, foul (90’).  

Walton & Hersham 1    Chipstead 4.

 Swans were hoping to build on their recent good form by getting a result against surprise play-off contenders Chipstead, but a series of first-half disasters put paid to those ambitions. Having conceded four soft goals before half-time, they kept a clean sheet in the second-half with an improved performance, but they seldom looked like reducing the deficit.

Shaun Elliott and Jerome Maledon were both fit to return to the side, while Greg Andrews, who scored 33 goals last season in helping Leatherhead get promoted to the Premier Division, started up front, having joined on-loan from the Tanners.

There were no signs of the problems to come as Swans made a confident start, and after ten minutes Andrews just failed to force the ball home following Elliott’s long throw from the left.

The ball was cleared to Liam Collins 22 yards out, and he sent in a good, low strike that was just wide of the left-post. But with seventeen minutes played the visitors were gifted the lead when Alex Wilkes got to the byline on the right before getting in a cross to the near-post. Dan Sintim was under little pressure as he stooped to head clear, but the ball glanced off his head and into his own goal.

Things got worse for Swans after half an hour when a free-kick was awarded against them on the left, and following the kick the ball was cleared out of the box. Chipstead got in a shot that was blocked, but fortuitously for the visitors the ball deflected through to find Marcus Cassiuss inside the left of the box, and he had the time and space to score with a low drive.

A further blow came to the home side’s hopes after 38 minutes when Sintim suffered a gashed head, and the central defender, one of Swans’ most important players, had to be replaced by Ashlee Quashie.

A two goal deficit at the break was not insurmountable, but Swans continued to press the self-destruct button, and with a minute of normal time left of the first-half they conceded a dreadfully poor third goal. They were somewhat unfortunate to have a free-kick awarded against them for handball thirty plus yards out, but Bruce Hogg was allowed to drill a low, left-foot shot inside the right-post. Whether or not Rodney Chiweshe did not have a good view of the ball, but the shot carried no great power and the Swans’ keeper will be disappointed to be beaten so easily from such a distance.

With Sintim off, Swans’ defence looked in disarray, and with three minutes of first-half stoppage-time played a simple pass sent Wilkes into yards of space on their left, and Dan Dean had to get across to clear for a corner as the ball was played in. But a minute later it was 4-0 as the referee’s assistant signalled the ball had crossed the goal-line before being cleared following more awful defending by Swans, with Cassiuss appearing to get the decisive touch.

There was still time left for Swans to pull a goal back, Andrews heading in off the bar at the far-post from a left-side cross, making it three goals in a six minute spell at the end of the first-half. So Swans went in at the break with their defence having collapsed completely, but wondering quite how they were trailing by three goals to a Chipstead side that had scored four goals without otherwise creating a real scoring opportunity.

Phil Williams soon replaced Maledon in the second-half, but Swans still struggled to create opportunities. Just past the hour they went close when Elliott took a long throw from the left, and an attempted clearance struck Victor Kiri close-in, but the ball passed just wide of the left-post.

Midway through the second-half a fine pass by Collins got Williams into the right of the box, but his low cross was cleared at the near-post. Williams was then the provider to get Graeme Purdy into a similar position, but again the cross was cleared.

Wilkes had been the visitors’ main threat with his runs down both flanks, and he made another good surge on the right before crossing to the left of the box, where Jordan Brown drove a shot over. Hogg tried his luck again from a free-kick 35 yards out, but although the ball was struck well Chiweshe got well behind it. Swans continued to find it hard to create openings and they were always likely to get caught on the break, and inside the final five minutes a Chipstead cross from the right picked out Wilkes at the far-post, but he put his header wide.

Swans’ Team: Rodney Chiweshe, Josh Webb, Shaun Elliott, Jerome Maledon (Phil Williams 53’), Dan Dean, Dan Sintim (Ashlee Quashie 38’), Liam Collins, Victor Kiri, Graeme Purdy, Greg Andrews, Michael Gordon (Saul Otobo 70’). Subs. not used: Josh Bonnett, Sheikh Ceesay. Scorer: Andrews (45+5’). Caution: Dean, foul (90+1’).                       

Chipstead Team: Northwood, Bedford, Hogg, York, Davies, Wilkes, Battams, Goodchild (Newman 87’), Thompson (Elliott 73’), Cassiuss, Brown (Grizzle 79’). Sub. not used: Watkins. Scorers: Sintim, own goal (17’), Cassiuss (30’ & 45+4’), Hogg (44’).  

Andrews was the Tanners’ leading scorer last season as they won promotion from Ryman League Division 1 South.

“He is a player I have been tracking for a while and will bring quality to the squad,” said Walton & Hersham manager chuck Martini.

Walton and Hersham Football Club are looking for Current Year 1′s and Year 2′s to train at Ashley School  11am – 12noon with our professional Mini Cygnet Coaches, with the intent to form mini football teams for 2012 and 2013 season.

If you are interested Please contact Paul Martyn-Jones Football Devleopment Director  pmartyn-jones@waltonandhershamfc.org.uk