WALTON GOAL RELEGATES VISITORS.

FOOTBALL.

Walton and Hersham 1

Oxford City 0

Swans completed a Ryman League Premier double over hapless Oxford City at Stompond Lane on Saturday, repeating their single goal victory achieved in the away game 17 days earlier, and at the same time confirmed their visitors' return to Division One.

As at Oxford the winner came from Swans top scorer Andy Sayer. The ex-Wimbledon striker has seemingly been the single source of goals over recent weeks, notching his 24th of the season.

It was not until nine minutes from time, however, that Walton broke through against a plucky but limited City side.

Steve Moss swung in a free-kick from the right and Sayer, unchallenged, nodded past keeper Torres from close in.

This was a rare rewarding moment for the home supporters in the small crowd, those who chose to stay away to pursue other interests not seemingly having made the wrong choice.

In truth, the strong gusts of wind blowing down the pitch made control difficult, but the players did not help matters, particularly in a dire first half, by persisting in playing the ball in the air.

If anything the visitors, with the wind in their favour, had looked the more likely in that first period, but within five minutes of the second half Swans had won two corners and from the second created their first real chance.

Moss' kick from the left was flicked on by Trevor Baron's head to Matt Pearson at the back post, but the defender drove an angled shot over.

After 56 minutes Swans put together a superb passing move down the left that was totally out of context with the rest of the game.

Sayer, Baron, Alan Dowson and Curtis Johnson combined in a sequence of a dozen passes which unfortunately ended with Johnson blazing a good chance wide of the near post.

On the hour the home side had a lucky escape when a short corner on the left was knocked in by Oxford's Rhodes-Brown, and when Swans' keeper John Gregory - standing in for the suspended Delroy Preddie - failed to gather, Lee chipped the ball towards goal but Baron had got back to nod off the goal-line.

A jinking run by Barry Rake on the right set up a half chance for Sayer at the near post, but a swivel kick did not carry the power to beat Torres.

Ten minutes from time Concannon had a clear chance on the edge of Swans' penalty area but his shot carried little power and Gregory saved with ease.

That was to prove a costly miss, as Swans got the winner a minute later, although McSporran had a final chance to win a point for City but after eluding Baron and running clear, shot wildly over the bar.

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