Walton & Hersham defeated Basingstoke Town 3-0 to win their first visit to the Winklebury Football Complex since 2022.
The Swans were prepared for a tough test as they travelled to face 'Stoke, who they hadn't beaten since securing a 5-1 victory at the Xcel Sports Hub in April 2023.
It was a scrappy start to the game with it looking like either side could find the breakthrough, and it was the visitors who struck first when Johl Powell pounced on a loose defensive header to race through and calmly beat Joel Halliday.
Jakub Pietrzak's side saw out the first-half to take their lead into the break, but they were ready to face a Basingstoke barrage after half-time.
That didn't come however as frequent end-to-end play meant the closing stages at the Winklebury were set to be tense. However, with 25 minutes to play, the Swans were presented the chance to put a seal on victory when Powell was bundled over in the box to win a penalty.
A lengthy substitution-enforced stoppage ensued before Dawid Rogalski stepped up to take the spot kick and he coolly slot past Halliday to make it 2-0.
It went from bad to worse for the hosts soon after as with 10 minutes remaining, Marcus Johnson-Schuster was given his marching orders when he was shown a second yellow card, handing the Swans a man advantage.
The visitors made that count in stoppage time when Jack Wood robbed James Clark of the ball on the halfway line to race through on goal unchallenged. With the 'Stoke defenders tracking back, he cut inside before finding the back of the net to round off the scoring.
It was Walton & Hersham's first victory at Basingstoke since they managed a 1-0 triumph during the 2022/23 season and the win, coupled with Gloucester City's 2-2 draw at Wimborne Town, sent them seven points clear at the top of the Southern League Premier South table.
The Swans now face a quick turnaround as they travel to third-placed Poole Town on Tuesday evening.
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