BADSHOT LEA 4, WALTON & HERSHAM 3

BADSHOT Lea hope to have turned the corner with this battling win against a strong Walton & Hersham side.

Michael Charles’ men remain second from bottom of the Combined Counties Premier League and have played more games than the teams around them, but Benga Ogunseye’s hat-trick and a fighting team performance suggests that the Baggies can yet climb out of trouble with 14 games still to go.

Walton & Hersham, challenging for an immediate return to the Ryman League, were looking to put their recent poor form behind them and looked to be on their way when they took the lead on 12 minutes. Jamil Okai latched onto a TJ Nkoma through-ball and struck a right-foot drive that Brendan Norris could only help into the net.

Badshot Lea were behind for only nine minutes, though. James Pilgrim launched a free-kick into the box and Liam Beach could only push the ball into the path of Cameron Blackie, who snapped up the chance.

Three minutes later, Ainsley Everett was tripped by Jamie Thoroughgood just inside the box on the left and Ogunseye made no mistake from the spot. Badshot La in front.

The Baggies then had some defending to do as the Swans upped the pace, but Ogunseye had been a threat from the start and in the last action of the half, he got goal-side of Thoroughgood in the box, only to be denied by Lea Van Sullivan’s timely tackle.

The keepers were kept busy and distinguished themselves with some fine saves as both sides created decent chances in the second half.

Then, with little more than 20 minutes remaining, Ogunseye again showed his finishing prowess as he chased a ball down the middle and expertly beat Beach to give Badshot Lea a two-goal cushion at 3-1.

But it wasn’t over yet and in the 80th minute the Swans got themselves back in the game with a spectacular goal. Billy Marshall struck a terrific shot from well outside the area and although Norris got a hand to the ball, he couldn’t stop it passing inside the upright.

With Walton going for broke, they risked being caught short at the back and with four minutes of normal time left, that man Ogunseye arrived unchallenged in the box to shoot into the far corner for his hat-trick.

It was still not quite over. Okai volleyed high into the net for his second goal and it was 4-3 in the 88th minute.

Two minutes into stoppage time, Walton had a chance to snatch a point as Thoroughgood knocked the ball down to Okai just inside the box, but Norris got across to pull off a vital save.

Badshot Lea: Norris, Borishade, Wright, Pilgrim, Blake, Goulter, Somule, Blackie, Ogunseye, Frisby (Patterson 66), Everett. Subs (not used): Stepney, Charles.

Badshot Lea travel to fellow strugglers Raynes Park Vale this Saturday. A victory in this crucial game would lift the Baggies out of the bottom two.