ROYSTON TOWN FC v HEYBRIDGE SWIFTS FC

Saturday 30^th October 2022

Royston bowed out of the FA Trophy as step 4 Heybridge Swifts deservedly moved into the next round.

Heybridge grabbed the initiative straight from the start and took the lead with their first meaningful attack. The ball was played into the box and Ross Wall’s neat lay-off was slotted home by Rhys Henry who beat Dimi Kyriatzis at his near post.

The lead should have been doubled 3 minutes later as the Crows got caught short at the back. Rob Harvey raced down the left-hand side before squaring to an unmarked Lee Noble who saw his shot well saved by a quickly advancing Kyriatzis.

Heybridge should really have wrapped the game up in the first half as goal scorer Henry missed 2 good opportunities, first shooting wide in the 22nd minute and then wastefully chipping over from another good position 5 minutes before the break.

The second half saw little improvement from the Crows, although Swifts keeper Callum Chafer had to be alert to save from firstly Connor Furlong and then Adam Murray, who had been played through, but his slight hesitation enabled Chafer to close him down.

The game-clinching goal arrived in the 79th minute as Ross Wall was played in by substitute Jack Adlington-Pile. His crisply struck shot arrowed past Kyriatzis and sealed the Swifts passage through to Monday’s draw.

Royston: Kyriatzis, Da Silva, Nakatani-Brown, Murray ©, Henry, Mentis (Williams 80), Bell-Toxtle, Tshikuna, Bustamante-Macaire (Harness 53), Furlong, Bateman (Newton 53)

Unused – Crowther, Osei-Bonsu

MOM – Ronnie Henry