Walton & Hersham 3 Rams 0

The Rams’ season started with a visit to Stompond Lane, home of Walton & Hersham. Walton have made a lot of changes in the close season, with very few of last year’s squad remaining. Despite the young Rams’ squad’s good showing against higher teams in pre-season, the first League game, away to a very experienced side, proved to be a very different matter.

The game started very evenly, with both sides playing flowing football from box to box but no attacks on goal. In the 12th minute Walton were awarded a freekick on the edge of the Rams’ area, but this first shot was off target. Three minutes later and Walton were awarded another free kick in a similar position, and while this one was on target ‘keeper Quinn saved well. In the 21st minute the home side broke the deadlock when a cross from the right landed in a melee of players in the area and, with the Rams unable to clear their line, Adrian Butler bundled it over the line past Conor Quinn at the far post. The midfield battle continued and, five minutes before the interval, Mitchell Sherwood’s low cross from the right was met by Warren Schulz’s head in front of goal, but although it had pace it was straight at ‘keeper David Wilkinson. In stoppage time the Rams had another chance to level the score but James Gregory’s freekick from25yds was tipped over by Wilkinson, and the resulting corner cleared by the Walton defence.

In the 2nd half Walton started confidently and in the 56th minute Ray Powell broke through on the left flank and cut inside to go one-on-one with ‘keeper Quinn, who pulled an amazing block at close range to deny the striker. Moments later, perhaps through frustration, Powell clattered the ‘keeper from behind, and received a caution for his trouble. It was Powell who doubled Walton’s lead in the 59th minute, when Warren Schulz’s midfield pass was intercepted, and the resulting cross was floated into the path of ex-Tonbridge Angels striker, who slotted past the oncoming Quinn to go just inside the left upright. In the 62nd minute Jim Ward gave the hard working Mark Lovell a new partner up front, with Tom Tsangarides replacing Gary Lockyer, and 6 minutes later adopted a more attacking formation with Ashley Groombridge replacing defender Luke Wheatley. Walton’s 3rd came in the 78th minute when substitute Nicky Barnes managed to beat Liam Quinn to a high cross, the first time any of the Walton players had managed this, and the former Maidstone and Margate player’s header went in just beneath the bar. A further change by Ward with 10 minutes to go, saw Curtis Winnett replace Lovell, but although the Rams kept chasing there was no way back.

After the match Ward confirmed “It’s a result that has left me a bit dumbfounded. I’m hoping that Walton & Hersham were just a good team on the day and we weren’t as poor as what we looked, but there are a lot of lads that just didn’t turn it on, especially after a great pre-season. Expectations today were really high and we’re all disappointed, but we’ll look forward to Tuesday night and see if we can turn the corner then. Nobody is injured, although a few of them have broken pride and a lot of the boys have got their tails between their legs at the moment, so we’ve got to get our confidence back for Chipstead on Tuesday and the FA Cup game next Saturday. There is life in that team yet, I’m sure there is. They don’t become bad players overnight, so we’ve got to try and be positive and move forward.”

Rams: Conor Quinn, Ollie Gray, Luke Wheatley (Ashley Groombridge 68), Aaron Beech, Liam Quinn, Ben Laslett (c), Mitchell Sherwood, Warren Schulz, Mark Lovell (Curtis Winnett 80), Gary Lockyer (Tom Tsangarides 62), James Gregory. Unused Subs: Ryan Harker and Paul Axon. (Attendance 133)

Tags: league, Walton & Hersham