Walton & Hersham 3 Thame United 0
Swans came through a tough, first-ever FA Vase tie at Stompond Lane to take their place in the draw for the 2nd Round. Their Oxfordshire opponents are having a fine season in the Uhlsport Hellenic League, unbeaten and only kept off top spot by having several game in hand on other clubs, and for periods of the match they showed why, certainly having chances to score A lead taken just before the quarter of an hour by Swans began to look as if it would not be enough, and spurning a chance from the penalty-spot midway through the second-half that would have given them a two goal buffer could have proved vital. But two goals in the final ten minutes from Jordan Wisdom-Muir finally killed off the challenge of the visitors.
Swans needed to bounce back from their disappointing draw with Chertsey Town in midweek, and they did so with a fine, determined performance. They made a lively start, and good play by Wisdom-Muir on the right led to Jamil Okai putting a header over.
Thame soon had a better chance as they began to come into the game, Melvy Neomi crossing from the left and Matt Johnston having a free header blocked.
TJ Nkoma soon got down the left for Swans to play the ball in low, and Wisdom-Muir had a first-time, close-in shot blocked by Thame goalkeeper Henry Craven.
The game had quickly developed into an even contest, but it was Swans who took the lead after 14 minutes. Howard Newton took a long throw from the left, and when the ball finally came to Okai in the left corner of the box he drove a left-footed shot through a crowd of players and into the far corner.
Soon after the restart Louis Taylor laid the ball to Victor Asombang 25 yards out, and he sent in a good, low strike that Craven took on his line. Sam Bates then did well on the right to play the ball in low to Okai at the near-post, and the ball went behind for a corner.
Midway through the half Thame won a free-kick on the right, and when David Lynn swung the ball in it was headed away and a follow-up shot was driven well over. The visitors then won two successive corners on the right, both taken by Neomi. The equaliser should have come just before the half hour when the ball was driven in low from the left, but Andy Gledhill struck a great chance over the bar.
At the other end Wisdom-Muir set up Nkoma in the left of the box, but his low shot could only find the side-netting. Wisdom-Muir then made a good run on the right before playing the ball inside to Okai, who got in a left-foot strike that Craven did well to tip over.
As the half entered the final five minutes Lynn swung over another free-kick from the right for Thame and the ball was cleared away. A possible game-changing moment then came when Thame skipper Connor Hayes crossed from the left to the far-post, where Gledhill rose to get in a header that looked destined for the far, top corner, but Swans’ keeper Liam Beach pulled off a stunning, one-handed save, diving full-length to his right.
Soon after the resumption Swans won a free-kick outside the left corner of the box, but Howard Newton drove the ball well over, while at the other end Lynn had a long throw from the left cleared away.
Thame then broke into the box, but a fine tackle by Bates denied them, and a follow-up shot was driven over.
At the other end Wisdom-Muir stole the ball from Lynn on the right before crossing to the near-post, where Okai just failed to force the ball in. Okai immediately had another chance when he got into the right of the six-yard box, but his low shot went just inches wide of the far-post.
Thame’s Lynn had another chance to create something from a free-kick, but his ball in from outside the left corner of the box was well defended by Taylor, who headed behind at the far-post, and two corners followed.
Swans had the chance to give themselves breathing space with 25 minutes left when Nkoma made a run in on the left to have a shot blocked at the near-post, but the referee spotted that Aiden Bailey had clipped Nkoma’s ankles and awarded a penalty. Asombang struck the kick well, but Craven dived to his left to push the ball away.
A clash of heads with just under a quarter of an hour remaining led to Swans’ Bates and Thame’s Johnston both being unable to continue, Casey Castle coming on for Bates. At the same time Scott Todd replaced Asombang for Swans.
With ten minutes remaining Okai sent in a good, left-foot strike from the left of the box that Craven blocked, but the visitors’ keeper had no chance immediately after. Wisdom-Muir was found by the left corner of the box, and he curled a superb, right-foot shot into the far, top corner.
Okai had another chance when he got clear in on the left, only to put his shot well over. But with three minutes of normal-time remaining Nkoma made a terrific run on the right before playing the ball in to Okai, who couldn’t quite force it over the line. The ball finally came to Wisdom-Muir in the left of the box, and he drove a low shot into the far-corner to make it 3-0.
Swans looked like adding to their lead, and in stoppage-time Nkoma made another good run on the right before laying the ball back to Todd, who crossed into the box for Okai to put a header over.
Swans’ Team: Liam Beach, Howard Newton, Sam Bates (Casey Castle 76’), Jake Newton, Lea Van Sullivan, Jamie Thoroughgood, Jordan Wisdom-Muir, Louis Taylor, Victor Asombang (Scott Todd 76’), Jamil Okai, TJ Nkoma. Subs. not used: Benoni Kabuiku, Elliott Simpson. Scorers: Okai (14’), Wisdom-Muir (80’ & 87’).
Thame Team: Craven, Evans, Lynn, Harrison, Bailey, Ashworth, Connelly, Hayes, Gledhill, Johnston (Yearwood 76’), Neomi. Subs. not used: West, Blaik. Caution: Harrison, foul (64’).
