Molesey 3 Walton & Hersham 1.

Although the Swans’ side that took the field at neighbours Molesey for a friendly showed numerous changes from their regular line-up, the problem of converting chances was still in evidence. Despite the overall disjointed display there were at least a couple of good points to come out of the match. Liam Collins played his first match since March following his bad knee injury and came through the ninety minutes well, showing most of the skills that have made him such a vital member of the team. Sean Bradley, who has been out on-loan most of the season, looked sharp when he came on, also showing good skill on the ball.

The home side took the lead after eleven minutes when Ross Chalke was found unmarked inside the right of the box to send a good shot dipping into the far, top corner. The equaliser should have come two minutes later when Collins’ ball over the top sent Paul Olima racing clear, but he shot straight at former Swans’ youth Wester Young in the home goal. Olima did better after eighteen minutes when Phil Williams’ neat through ball sent him clear into the right of the box. This time Olima took the ball to the right of the keeper before slotting home from a tight angle.

Two minutes later Williams got clear into the right of the box, but after taking the ball to the byline he found the angle too tight and the keeper blocked at his near-post. Williams regained the ball and laid it back to Ashlee Quashie, who drove his shot over. With ten minutes left to the break Matt Pattison made a fine, surging run forward to get into the left of the box, but the keeper did well to block his shot. Molesey had a chance when a header came in from a left-side cross and Swans’ keeper Sheikh Ceesay clutched the ball above his head.

The home side regained the lead just a minute after the resumption with the Swans’ defence showing a total lack of concentration. The ball was crossed high from the right and Paul Cross was totally unmarked at the far-post to send a header into the far, top corner.

Five minutes into the second-half Collins sent Adam Francis racing clear, only for the Molesey substitute keeper, who had only come on after half-time, to rush several yards out of his area to cynically hack the Swans’ player down. If it had been a competitive fixture the keeper would certainly have been shown a straight red card, but on this occasion the referee showed leniency and settled for a yellow. Pattison drove the resultant free-kick just wide of the right-post.

With an hour played Bradley made a fine run on the right to drive in a low cross that was scrambled away off the line. Williams then beat several players on a typical run into the box, but his final shot was blocked, and Adriano Moraes put a good chance over when Francis set him up.

Midway through the half Paul Cross was allowed to get clear on the left before lobbing the ball over Ceesay to make it 3-1.

Swans continued to create, but not finish chances, Bradley getting the ball over from the right for Anh-Tuan Tran West to have a shot blocked for a corner close-in at the far-post. Tran West then played Francis in on the right, but his shot went across goal and just wide of the far-post.