Walton & Hersham 3 Bracknell Town 0

Saturday 28 August 2010.
FA Cup, Preliminary Round.

It was not until the final ten minutes, when substitute Will Jenkins scored twice, that Swans were able to kill off the challenge of the Hellenic League side and secure a place in the next round. After taking an early lead they created, but failed to accept, a number of chances, and their progression was always in the balance until Jenkins’s late double. John Crumplin kept faith with the side that had disappointed at Faversham during the week, Nick Barnes replacing the unavailable Avun Jephcott the only change.

Swans went close to taking the lead with just a minute played when Adrian Butler got down the left and Ray Powell finished the move by striking a shot against the crossbar. But they only had to wait a further two minutes to go ahead after being awarded a free-kick just outside the box on the left. Scott Todd laid the ball back to Matt York, and he struck a powerful shot that took a deflection before beating visiting goalkeeper Dan Tillson off the underside of the crossbar. The early indications were that Swans would go on to win convincingly against opponents a level below them in the pyramid, but that was to prove not the case.

A fine pass from Antonio Simeone played Ryan Lake in on the left to be just denied, and Lake’s free-kick from the left was just too long for York at the far-post. Powell was the next to be thwarted when Butler made a good run down the left to play the ball low across to him. Swans were fortunate however midway through the half when they were caught out expecting an offside flag as a through ball sent Bracknell’s Nathan Christian bursting clear, but he shot wide as keeper Dean Ruddy came out to close him down. A knock on by Butler found Powell in the left of the box, but the Swans’ striker had to stretch to get in a shot and Tillson made an easy save.

The home attacks continued to lack a cutting edge, Butler again being closed out when Powell nodded on from a clearance, and Tillson saving when Powell got in a downward header at the far-post from Todd’s free-kick from deep on the right. Barnes’s fine diagonal pass from the right got Todd clear into the left of the box, but his attempt to lob Tillson brought a good tip-over from the Bracknell keeper. Barnes was becoming more influential, and after putting Powell clear to bring a fine block from Tillson, he played the ball low across from the left for Powell to be just denied again at the near-post, forcing a corner-kick.

In the final minute of the half Barnes got forward to drive a left-foot shot over from the edge of the box. Swans’ one-goal lead was looking fragile, and straight after the resumption Bracknell’s Robert Yorke-Goldney almost got in on the left, the ball breaking to Christian, whose shot was blocked and the ball driven over from the rebound. Three home players were queuing up in the visitors’ six-yard box as Lake played a fine ball over from the left, but none could get a touch, and when the ball came back out to Powell on the left, his cross was just too high for Bernard Asante at the far-post. Swans’ keeper Dean Ruddy had been rarely troubled, but he had to dive out to take a dangerous ball in from the right by Dean Thomas.

Ruddy’s opposite number Tillson was again brought into action, saving at his near-post when Powell cut inside to drive in a shot from the left after being found by Todd. Tillson then made a scrambling save on his line when Lake drove a free-kick low through the wall from just outside the box after Barnes had been brought down. Swans had brought on Jenkins for Butler after an hour and Felipe Marques De Lima then replaced Todd. The young Brazilian born player was soon playing Powell down the right to cross to the far-post, where Jenkins volleyed over.

Jenkins just failed to get his head to the ball as he dived to meet a cross from the left by Lake, but as the tie entered the last ten minutes he calmed Swans’ nerves with a goal. Jenkins started the move by playing David Baker, who had come on for Lake, down the right, and when Baker crossed to the near-post Jenkins was there to get in a first-time half-volley, Tillson getting a hand to the ball but failing to keep it out. The big defender, in his part-time role as a striker, made it 3-0 in the final minute of normal time. Barnes crossed from the left and Jenkins was in the box on the right to guide a header across Tillson and just inside the far-post.

Swans know they will have to improve on this performance when they meet Zamaretto League Premier Division side Bashley in the 1st Qualifying Round at Stompond Lane on the 11th of September.

Swans’ Team: Dean Ruddy, Bernard Asante, Ryan Lake (David Baker 74’), Troy Oham-Strachan, Matt York, Antonio Simeone, Scott Todd (Felipe Marques De Lima 70’), Louis Clark, Ray Powell, Adrian Butler (Will Jenkins 61’), Nick Barnes.
Subs. not used: Bryan Neulube, George Olulode, Callum Donaghey, Frank Wilson.
Scorers: York (3’), Jenkins (81’ & 90’).

Bracknell Team: Tillson, Wyatt, Bursill, Wright (Page 83’), Nugent (Hancock 67’), Ryan, Whiting, Yorke-Goldney, Knight, Christian (Lyden 59’), Thomas.
Sub. not used: Walker. Caution: Bursill, foul (84’).