Walton & Hersham 0 - Horsham 3

Match report by Charlie Hempstead

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A stiff breeze blowing straight down the pitch looked like having the biggest say in the afternoon’s proceedings until Charlie Hester-Cook took matters into his own hands. The midfielder opened the scoring in the 82nd minute and then provided assists for Jamie Yila and Daniel Ajakaiye to give the scoreline a convincing gloss that had looked unlikely up until the closing stages.

Having said during the week that his squad was looking to be in a better place leading into this match than had been the case ahead of last weekend, Dom Di Paola found himself able to name only four substitutes, after both Greg Luer and Jake Elliott failed to pass muster. One of those substitutes was fan favourite Ajakaiye, whose temporary stay with the club was extended to a second match.

The starting lineup showed five changes compared to that which took to the field against Chesham, with one debutant, one returnee and three previously absent stalwarts returning to the fold.

The debutant, as trailed, was goalkeeper Michael Dike, signed on an emergency loan from Brighton & Hove Albion. The returnee, also signed on the eve of the match, was Harry Hedges, who played seven times for the Hornets on loan from Wimbledon last season, while the stalwarts were skipper Jack Brivio, Danny Barker and Lee Harding.

For their part, the hosts have undergone major upheaval in their management and playing staff since clinching promotion last May, a fact reflected in a start to the season that had seen them lose their first seven matches before gaining a point away to Truro City last Saturday. The high-profile names of Mitchel Bergkamp and Ikechi Eze, the son and brother of Dennis and Eberechi, respectively, were among the Swans’ substitutes, while Kai Innocent, lately of this parish, started at left-back.

With the wind at their backs, Horsham were quickly on the front foot, with Hedges looking lively on the left flank, but they did not manage to test Dillon Addai in the home goal. The best opportunity of the opening exchanges fell to Ryan Bartley in the 18th minute as he met James Hammond’s devilish free kick from the right but, at full stretch, he was unable to control his volley and the ball flew well over the bar.

Hedges did then work Addai, whose save diverted the ball in the direction of Ashley Nadesan to the right of goal, but his effort bounced into the ground and wide of the target.

Now with the wind behind them figuratively as well as literally, the Hornets pressed forward and were presented with the unusual situation of an indirect free kick inside the penalty area after Addai picked up a back pass. Yila touched the ball to Hammond, but the wall was not to be breached and the effort was repelled.

Hedges and Walton’s Junior Dixon were both guilty of failing truly to work the goalkeeper when well placed, before a swift counterattack almost led to an opener for Yila, but full-back Laurence Ernest produced a superb covering tackle to turn the ball away for a corner.

With half-time imminent, Dike produced a remarkable reaction save after a goalmouth scramble, ensuring that the sides went into the break with the score still as it was at the start.

Half-time: Walton & Hersham 0 Horsham 0

Horsham were again quickly out of the blocks after the restart, with Yila skilfully setting up Hedges for a shot that Addai turned around his near post. Yila then had an effort blocked after lovely interplay between himself, Hammond and Hester-Cook, but it was at the other end that the deadlock came closest to being broken.

A good move down the left gave Innocent the chance to cut a cross back to Matas Skarna, whose left-footed drive was low and true, but Dike stretched full-length to his left to pull off an outstanding save.

Ajakaiye came on for Hedges with a quarter of an hour to play as Horsham tried to freshen things up, and it was not long before the all-important first goal arrived.

Good work down the left gave Harvey Sparks time to pick out Hester-Cook with an accurate cut-back, and the midfielder stroked the ball home with the aid of a deflection off home skipper Sam German.

Any thought that falling behind would deflate a Walton team that has become used to losing this season was quickly dispelled as they worked a good opening for substitute Joe Bennett inside the penalty area, but Dike was quickly out to narrow the angle and make a fine save with his leg.

Instead of being back on terms, the Swans found themselves two goals behind within a minute. Again the inroads were made down the left flank, this time with Hester-Cook being the man to deliver the killer ball and Yila the man to convert.

This time it really was all over, but there was one moment still to come, and what a moment.

Hester-Cook put Ajakaiye away in the inside-left channel, and the striker, who last scored for Horsham in November 2024, curled a lovely finish beyond Addai and into the far corner. The roars from the Lardy Army behind the goal were as loud as the smile on the face of the delighted goalscorer was broad.

The Hornets therefore go into the hat/bowl/velvet bag/software programme for the 3rd qualifying round draw, which takes place on Monday, with matches to be played on the weekend of 3/4 October.