British Airways 0 Swans 6

Saturday 26th October 2019. Cherry Red Combined Counties League, Division One.

British Airways 0 Walton & Hersham 6.

Three goals up before the half hour, and four at the break, Swans proved far too good for their first-time opponents, and that half-time score could well have been at least doubled had they totally capitalised on their dominance. Although chances did not come quite as freely in the second-half, there were enough to add to the score-line before two late goals did so. Goalkeeper Ibrahim Ugradar, signed on dual-registration from Corinthian-Casuals, made his debut for Swans, but there was little opportunity to judge his capabilities as his goal was rarely threatened all afternoon. In persistent drizzle Swans attacked from the off, and they soon won a free-kick for handball on the left edge of the box, but although Alvin Sarmiento’s shot went under the wall the ball was cleared away. Tyreke Leslie then won the ball on the right to get into the box, but no-one was there to get on the end of his low cross. Leslie was soon getting free into the right of the box to force a save from home keeper Jordan Bruno, Sarmiento following up to have a low shot also kept out. Swans had totally dominated the early exchanges, and they took the lead after just seven minutes. A fine diagonal pass from Sam Marfo picked out Miguel Lopes de Matos on the left, and when he laid the ball inside to Simeon Dennis, he set himself before driving a right-foot shot past Bruno. Anderson Pinto-Nogueira drove the ball over from 22 yards when Dennis laid the ball in to him from the left, before Swans doubled their lead after a quarter of an hour. They gradually stretched the home defence before Pinto-Nogueira found Leslie on the right. He got to the byline before playing the ball low across for Lopes de Matos to tuck home from inside the 6 yard box. Swans continued to pin the home side in their own half, and Pinto-Nogueira cut across the edge of the box from the right to drive a low shot just wide of the right post. Leslie then got the ball in to Seb Osei-Obengo from the right, and when it came back to Leslie, his strong, low shot was just inches the wrong side of the near-post. Swans continued to feed Leslie on the right, and when Justin Hemmings got the ball to him he again got clear into the box to shoot across goal. Swans’ attacks were relentless, and Osei-Obengo struck a terrific shot from the right corner of the box that keeper Bruno did well to deflect just wide of his far-post. Marfo was then found in the right of the box by Pinto-Nogueira’s left-side corner to strike a half-volley just over the crossbar. Bruno beat down a strong shot from 25 yards by Osei-Obengo, before Swans made it 3-0 just before the half hour. The home defence had had no answer to Leslie’s darting right-side runs, and when he was found by Pinto-Nogueira’s diagonal pass, he burst past a couple of markers before clipping the ball superbly with his left-foot into the top of the net from the corner of the 6 yard box. It had taken the home side 35 minutes to pose any sort of threat, and they had an opportunity with a free-kick out on the right touchline, but the delivery was poor and the ball drifted wide of the far-post. Swans made it 4-0 with five minutes of normal-time remaining of the half. Leslie got the ball to Pinto-Nogueira in the right of the box, and he drove in a shot that Bruno did well to push away, but Leslie followed up to dink the ball into the net. It was almost 5-0 before the break when a long ball found Pinto-Nogueira on the edge of the box, and he made room to strike a low shot that Bruno just kept out of the bottom, left corner. There was still one chance left in stoppage-time when Lopes de Matos laid the ball in from the left to Sarmiento on the edge of the box, but he mishit his shot wide of the goal. Five minutes after the resumption Dennis played Osei-Obengo down the right, and he got forward to drive a shot over. Osei-Obengo was then clearly fouled after getting into the left of the box, but the referee surprisingly saw nothing wrong. Swans had not attacked with the same intensity in the second-half, and there were just under twenty minutes remaining before they had another good chance to add to their lead. Substitute Mo Ghailan got the ball to Pinto-Nogueira on the left, and he drove over a dangerous cross for Lopes de Matos to strike a shot over from inside the box. The home side had not created a single opening throughout the match, but with just over ten minutes remaining they won their first corner-kick, and followed this up with a second. But Swans continued to look to stretch their lead, and when they had a free-kick just outside the left edge of the box, Osei-Obengo crashed a shot against the crossbar off the fingers of the keeper. British Airway’s Jake Morten was sent to the sin bin to sit out the rest of the match on the bench, from where he saw his side go 5-0 down with five minutes of normal-time remaining. Osei-Obengo eyed up another free-kick, this one slightly further back by the left corner of the box, and this time he drove the ball low inside the near-post, with keeper Bruno static on his line. Ugradar, in Swans’ goal, saw a rare moment of action when he had to come out to deny a home player, but was clattered into and had to receive treatment. During the delay a red card was shown to British Airways’ substitute Steve Richards, leaving his side to see out the remaining minutes with nine men. Swans looked to take full advantage, and Bruno got behind a left foot shot from Osei-Obengo after Michael Winnister had laid the ball across from the right. Thomas Lim then put a clear chance over at the far-post after Osei-Obengo had made a terrific run on the left to drive the ball low across. But, with stoppage-time being played, Lopes de Matos crossed from the left for Pinto-Nogueira to deservedly cap a fine personal performance by leaping and sending a header into the far, top corner, leaving Swans with a 6-0 win that could well have been even greater.

Swans’ Team: Ibrahim Ugradar, Alvin Sarmiento (Michael Winnister 55’), Miguel Lopes de Matos, Sam Marfo, Jordan Simmons, Hamzah Williams, Tyreke Leslie (Mo Ghailan 65’), Justin Hemmings, Seb Osei-Obengo, Anderson Pinto-Nogueira, Simeon Dennis (Thomas Lim 74’). Subs. not used: Munashe Mwatsiya, Parish Muirhead. Scorers: Dennis (7’), Lopes de Matos (15’), Leslie (29’ & 40’), Osei-Obengo (85’), Pinto-Nogueira (90+2’).

BA Team: Bruno, Nimi, Khatoun, Rose, Sewell, Parfitt, H. Pasma, Morten, Shelbourne (Edwin 32’), Kusimo (Richards 67’), L. Nobes (Nosike 45’). Sub. not used: Singh. Cautions: Shelbourne, Sewell, Edwin. Sin-bin: Morten (83’). Dismissal: Richards (86’).