9/4/2008

Sport

Football - Improved Swans settle for a point

Eastbourne Town          0      
Walton & Hersham         0

AN improved performance from Walton & Hersham secured a point from a goalless draw with Eastbourne Town on Saturday.

Swans went close early on when Adam Moriarty's free-kick from the left sent the ball drifting just wide of the far-post, but they were grateful to 17-year-old academy player Jack Hollins, making his first start, for a fine tackle that denied Goodwin, who had been played in on the right.

Hollins made a fine run past a defender on the left to get to the byline and pull the ball back to Cedric Kabongo, whose first-time strike was saved by home goalkeeper Nessling at his near-post.

Eastbourne's Brockwell sent a free-kick from 35 yards dipping just over, and he was soon being denied by a fine block by Swans' keeper Rob Webb after getting clear into the left of the box.

James Campbell powered a header just wide from Hollins's right-side corner and Kabongo had a low shot from 25 yards deflected wide as Walton put together some good attacks.

But with 10 minutes left of the half the home side broke away following a Swans' corner.

Baitup beat Hollins by the centre spot to be left with a free run on goal, but Webb did superbly to narrow the angle  and get a hand to the ball, deflecting it for a corner.

Webb's opposite number Nessling then pulled off a terrific save, pushing the ball away after Julien Thompson had made a fine turn on the edge of the box to get in a good strike that took a deflection.

The game was very stretched, and with the break approaching Eastbourne's Catt slid the ball wide at the near post following Goodwin's run down the right, and Swans' Rob George drove in a shot from 25 yards that was unfortunately straight at Nessling.

Despite a strong wind now in their favour Walton were slow to settle in the second-half and only fine defending by Aaron Nowacki prevented Baitup getting in a shot after Piercy had played Goodwin into the right of the box.

Webb then made a good tip-over save when Simmonds laid a free kick off to Brockwell, who struck a fine shot from 25 yards.

Swans worked their way back into the game and Hollins sent a header looping just over following Will Jenkins's throw-in from the right.

Thompson then got down the left before cutting inside and into the box to get in a shot that Nessling did superbly to beat away, with the loose ball just evading Swans' players following up.

Moriarty tried a free-kick from wide on the right that sent the ball curling just outside the far post and Nessling just denied Thompson when substitute Jack Watkins played a ball over the defence, and the home keeper then did well to collect  Moriarty’s low cross from the right.

With 10 minutes left Swans were fortunate not to concede a penalty when Eastbourne broke away and Norwood broke into the box on the right before going down under a rash challenge by Hollins, only for the referee to wave play on.

The game entered stoppage-time with Swans still seeking to end their long winless sequence.

Thompson put a header wide at the far-post after Watkins had played the ball to Jenkins on the right to get in a cross, and when Jenkins played the ball inside to George, he struck a 25-yard shot over the bar.

First printed in: News & Mail Series