Convincing Swans performance at Chipstead

Nov 24 2009 By Mervyn Rees

Chipstead 0 Walton & Hersham 1.

Swans maintained their good run with a win that should have ended up more convincing than the single goal score-line.

The gulf between the two sides was particularly evident in the first-half as Swans virtually camped in the Chipstead half, with their goalkeeper Delroy Preddie hardly getting a touch of the ball, but despite their total dominance they had to settle for 0-0 at the break.

With conditions deteriorating in the second-half due to squally rain the home side came more into the game, but substitute Jordan Cheadle’s headed goal after 67 minutes was enough to give Swans the three points.

They put the Chipstead defence under pressure from the off, Michael Charles turning inside the left of the box to fire a right-foot shot just over and Chris O’Flaherty’s sending a low shot just wide from 35 yards.

Kevin Lock also went close and home keeper Rose had to tip the ball over from O’Flaherty’s free-kick, and as the half entered the final five minutes Charles’s far-post header was cleared off the line.

The half-time interval seemed to break Swans’ momentum and for the first quarter of an hour of the second-half they did not look as dominant.

Cheadle then came on for O’Flaherty, and he made the breakthrough midway through the second-half, powering a far-post header past keeper Rose from Graham Harper’s free-kick from the right.

Lock went close to doubling the lead, but as the match entered the last ten minutes the home side began to exert some pressure for the first time, and Preddie was forced into an excellent save following a free-kick from the right.

The single-goal lead was beginning to look less secure, but Lock almost settled it when he brought a good save from the keeper with a terrific volley.

As the match entered stoppage-time Chipstead almost rescued an unlikely point when a shot from the left was just wide of the near-post.

Swans’ Team: Delroy Preddie, Ryan Adams, Ryan Lake, Junior Kaffo, Adam Broomhead, Elliott Brathwaite, Graham Harper, Louis Clark (Peter Barkley 76’), Kevin Lock, Michael Charles (Will Jenkins 66’), Chris O’Flaherty (Jordan Cheadle 58’). Subs. not used: Jon Boswell, Aaron Murphy. Scorer: Cheadle (67’). Caution: Broomhead, foul (78’).

Chipstead Team: Rose, White, Deegan. Hollingsworth, Russell, Kiffin (Crane 83’), Mathews, Graham (Garner 73’), Rivers, Simpson, Freeman (Savage 73’). Subs. not used: Grizzle, Head. Caution: Graham, foul (39’).