An old adage in football is that the League table doesn’t lie. For Swans, and their 2016-17 DPL campaign, they perhaps bucked the trend. For long periods, Tim Brown’s side were simply sensational, blowing teams apart with regularity due in no small part to the prolific strikeforce of Cameron Beard and Graeme Rose.

Just how Swans finished sixth is something of a mystery, but too many drawn games may go a long way towards answering that particular conundrum. Here was a side that beat the eventual Wessex League Champions Portland in the Dorset Senior Cup, and Bridport’s first team in the same competition also, but failed to beat DPL sides such as Parley and Gillingham reserves. Football really is a funny old game at times.
Perhaps another explanation for Swans’ curious form at times was their excellent cup form. Not an excuse, just a reason. Semi-Finalists in the Senior Cup before losing to Gillingham and then on April 1st, the side travelled to Holt United for a ‘home’ DPL Cup last four tie.

The match was switched to Petersham Lane after the original staging was called off, twice. Controversially, the DPL have introduced a two strikes and you lose home advantage in the DPL Cup rule and given the fact Swans did everything they could to get both ties on, that ruling was particularly harsh, although the DPL rulebook would soon become Swans’ friend again.

Holt won the Semi-Final 2-0, but crucially they signed a player after the original staging was cancelled. Of course he was not eligible to play. Swans protested, and Holt were excluded from the competition.

Ironically, Swans took on their final opponents Gillingham reserves seven days before the Final, which took place at Weymouth’s Bob Lucas Stadium and were comprehensively beaten 2-1. The win meant Gillingham finished eighth in their first DPL season, although they will ply their trade in the Senior League for 2017-18 and the Gills first team have voluntarily dropped two divisions owing to financial matters.
Before last weeks results, Swans would have rightly been overwhelming favourites to lift the Cup, but Gillingham’s win would have given their manager Nick Squires a renewed sense of optimism that his side could bow out at Step Seven with a cup to nestle in the Hardings Lane trophy cabinet.

All the pressure would therefore be on Swanage and it showed in the matches early stages as Brown’s side looked nervous although it must be noted that Jack Watson in the Swans goal was a mere spectator during the opening 45. Clear cut chances were at a premium and the sides went into the break scoreless.

The same theme continued after the interval until Rose finally broke the deadlock with nine minutes left. The prolific former Merley man slotted home after his initial shot rattled the post. Immediately the pressure lifted from Swans’ play as they loosened the shackles and Rose got his second of the match just two minutes later.

Skipper Paul Best claimed the assist as Rose made no mistake from six yards out and the Cup was on its way back to Day’s Park for the first time since 2010. Then, under Jason Phillips, the club, for a variety of reasons went backwards after that famous 3-0 victory over Westland Sports should have been the springboard for bigger and better things.

On this occasion though, history won’t be repeating itself as the club look to be on a much firmer footing than seven years ago. The preverbal millstone around its neck, the Day’s Park lease has been finalised, the Council are pushing forward with a total ground redevelopment and on the pitch, Brown is moulding a team more than capable of achieving promotion to the Wessex League.

The manager, along with his assistant Tony Parrot and coach Brian Churchill have done a remarkable job turning round the fortunes of a team which had bags of potential, but were wallowing around the lower reaches of the DPL prior to Brown’s appointment.

Stability was achieved on the field and in the dressing room too during 2015-16 and a trophy win in the season just gone can only be viewed as excellent progress. The exciting part is there is so much more to come from one of the most exciting Swanage teams for many years. With one or two more additions to an already excellent squad, days like yesterday, with Swans players, management, supporters and officials celebrating triumphantly will become no doubt become a regular occurrence.

Swans: Watson, Arthur, Gregory (M Beard, 70), N Scott, Robinson, Harrop, P Best, D Best, A Scott (Mullins, 67), Rose, C Beard. Subs not used: Beeston, Langdon.