Walton 4 Marine 2

Pitching In Southern League Premier South | Saturday 26th April 2025

Walton 4 Marine 2

Posted by Keith Yeomans on April 27th 2025

Match Report from Pete Crockett

THE FAT LADY HAS SUNG - MARINE ARE DOWN

Defeat at play-off qualifying opponents Walton and Hersham confirmed Swindon Supermarine’s relegation. The next few days will be raw for those who care about the club. However, the sad reality is that that the run of bad results from February onwards made relegation increasingly likely.

Head coach Stuart Fleetwood in his post match interview articulated how relegation was not down to this one defeat but the team’s form over the past three months. He emphasised how the club only winning two games in the last 16 matches was what sealed Marine’s fate.

He also praised his players for giving their all in this defeat against strong opponents. In his post match interview the head coach articulated sadness for the club’s followers for the hurt they will be feeling.

This was a post-match interview that no one in a leadership position at a football club would want to face. On a human scale most will feel the Marine head coach deserves credit for facing an interview within minutes of the final whistle. No manager or coach wants to have to cope with the ignominy of relegation. However, he handled a difficult interview with dignity and personal integrity.

Most connected with Marine will have reached the view that if the club was left needing wins from one of their final two games against third placed Walton & Hersham and fourth placed Gloucester City it was going to be a tough ask. That, alas, is how it proved.

The initial stages of the match saw Marine survive an early scare when in the 13th minute the Swans Johl Powell squared a ball across the face of the goal that Dawid Rogalski failed to convert from decidedly close range.

Prior to that Sam Turl played in Harry Williams whose shot from an acute angle was parried by the host’s keeper. Harry Williams also went close a second time when he back heeled a Ioan Richards header just over the bar.

However, four minutes later the hosts were awarded a penalty. During a goal mouth scramble there was a voluble plea for a spot kick. The referee declined the award but within seconds, as the ball broke leftwards the official, one assumes, adjudged the home team’s Elliot Bolton to have been tripped by Marine’s Nick Peare.

As referee Poole pointed to the spot the consternation of the visiting players at this award was palpable. As Stuart Fleetwood stated in his post-match interview it seemed a soft decision. Having had the luxury of viewing the incident on video it is easy to see why the Marine players felt hard done by.

It is indeed rare to see a penalty awarded for a defender stepping over a player who had dived in front of them. The host’s Dawid Rogalski converted the spot kick firing the shot to Marine keeper Dan Brabham’s left which was nearly saved as the ball crept under his arm.

Minutes after the Walton penalty the small contingent of Marine supporters behind the goal their team was attacking felt a home team defender was guilty of a handling offence in the box. In fairness it was one of those situations that was decidedly difficult for referee or assistant to adjudge with confidence viewing through a crowded penalty area.

Marine had not been without other chances in the first half. A Ioan Richards header went close, and a swift counterattack saw Gabe Rievers get ahead of his marker and fire a shot just wide of the upright.

The early exchanges of the second half were even with the two sides both having spells of possession but struggling to create clear openings. On 67 minutes the hosts doubled their lead. Ralph Vigrass saw an effort hit the post. The Swans Sam Faniyan picked up the loose ball and played in Kai Jennings who netted from close range. Marine pulled one back in the 78th minute when a pressing Olly Mehew ceased upon defensive hesitation to calmly slot the ball into the back of the net.

The officials then had a run of decisions in quick succession that irked visiting players and supporters. A robust challenge on Sam Turl appearing to be initially unnoticed by an assistant who was within yards of the offence.

Then within minutes of this incident Michael Fernandes played in Marine’s Harry Williams to convert. However, the assistant, to the befuddlement of those directly behind him, flagged the Marine striker offside even though a defender appeared to be level with him. It was a tight call and those of a Marine disposition might quite reasonably question what happened to the benefit of any doubt being given to the attacker in such instances.

Had Marine got to 2-2 they might have gained some momentum to push for an unlikely victory. However, it was not to be and on 83 minutes the hosts got their third. This was an excellent individual effort from Mason Obeng after beating Nick Peare with a neat turn inside he sent a precision left footed shot past the keeper.

The goals were now coming quick and fast. The host’s scored their fourth in the 87th minute when an Alex Body shot was saved by Dan Brabham and Ralph Vigrass was the quickest to the rebound to slot home. In the last minute of added time Marine scored their second goal when Ryan Campbell hit a rasping twenty-five-yard drive past the diving Walton keeper Josiah Barker.

Between the last two goals Marine’s substitute Liam Angel, who had only been on the pitch for a few minutes, was the recipient of a red card for an injudicious comment directed at referee. This followed an incident where once again an officiating decision went against the visiting team. Michael Fernandes was clattered from behind; the ball broke to a Marine player who then played Henry Spalding in with a run on goal. His run was halted by referee Poole calling play back to award Marine a free kick in what was a disappointing failure to effectively utilise the advantage clause.

Relegation is a bitter disappointment, but it is something most clubs will experience at some point. The clubs that recover best from such a setback (a) calmly review the lessons to learn and (b) then swiftly start to plan for the next season.

Come on Marine!

Walton & Hersham Star Man: Eoin Bolger
Marine Star Man: Harry Williams
Attendance: 956

`Line Ups`

WALTON & HERSHAM
Manager: Billy Rowley
Colours: All Red
Line-up: 1. Josiah Baker 3. Eoin Bolger 5. Julian Eccleston (2. Paul Field 46’) 6. Riley Horan 9. Dawid Rogalski (16. Alex Body 57’) 10. Johl Powell (8. Mason Obeng 57’) 11. Sam Fanlyan 12. Bobby Taylor (7. Ralph Vigrass 57’) 14. Anis Nuur 18. Elliott Bolton 20. Thabo Kuaho (17. Karl Jennings 64’)
Subs not used: None
Goalscorers: Dawid Rogalski 19’ pen , Karl Jennings 66’ , Mason Obeng 83’ , Ralph Vigrass 87’
Cards:
Elliott Bolton 35’, Thabo Kuaho 61’ Yellow Card
None Red Card
None Yellow & Red Card