Gloucester City manager Daf Williams voiced his disappointment after his team’s 2-0 defeat to table-toppers Walton & Hersham on Tuesday night, a result that stretched the gap at the top to 13 points.
Coming into the match 10 points behind the Swans, Gloucester City faced a must-win situation to keep their hopes of automatic promotion alive. The first half was tense and cautious, ending goalless as both teams battled to assert control.
Walton & Hersham broke the deadlock early in the second half. In the 49th minute, a corner kick led to a scramble in the box before Rogalski capitalized, sending the home fans into celebration. Despite Gloucester’s relentless efforts to find an equalizer, Walton & Hersham maintained their lead and added a late second goal in the 97th minute to seal the victory and move closer to the championship.
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Williams admitted the defeat was frustrating, particularly due to the team’s lapse on the first goal. “We showed a lot of naivety with how we conceded that corner,” he said. “It’s not acceptable. However, I thought our overall performance was outstanding. The players adapted well after going behind.”
He expressed frustration over a missed penalty appeal for a handball, noting, “Those moments can change games, and we missed a couple of chances to level.”
Injury concerns also marred Gloucester’s performance, with midfielder Ed Williams forced off at the 41st minute due to injury. “It doesn’t look good,” the manager said. “It affected the game, but Marcus stepped in and did a solid job. We’ll reassess Ed’s situation soon.”
Despite the setback, Williams praised the fans’ unwavering support and urged his squad to remain focused. “The crowd was fantastic tonight, and it’s gutting we couldn’t reward them with points. But there’s still a long season ahead. If we perform like we did, aside from that one moment, we have a great chance to meet our goals. We must dust ourselves off and prepare for Saturday.”
Lineups:
Walton & Hersham: Barker, Jones, Defise, Obeng, Rogalski, Powell, Wood (Bolton 91), Parkes (Horan 80), Nuur (Amartey 25), Kuaho, Fernandez.
Gloucester City: Thompson, Lewis, O’Regan, Williams (Day 41), Phillips, Spence (Baidoo 67), Watts, Hanks, Richards-Everton (Wildig 85), Pinchard, Mohammed.
Referee: Callum Parke.