AFC Totton
GLOVERS WIN TIGHT TUSSLE AT TOTTON
AFC TOTTON 1
Matty Burrows 71mins
YEOVIL TOWN 2
Rhys Murphy 2mins; Olly Thomas 66mins
Visitors Yeovil Town triumphed in a tightly contested encounter at newly promoted Southern League Premier Division South AFC Totton at the Snows Stadium.
Yeovil’s Frank Nouble pounced on Benny Read’s misplaced pass early on. Jordan Maguire-Drew received the ball and took aim with a shot that was blocked. It fell kindly for Rhys MURPHY to put the Glovers ahead. Shortly after, Murphy drove a shot against Stags’ keeper Lewis Noice’s legs.
Ethan Taylor twice came close to equalising for Totton. Firstly, he curled a free-kick narrowly over. Then, early in the second half, he galloped clear of his marker to latch onto Jordan Ragguette’s sweeping pass up the left flank before trying to lob Will Buse in the Yeovil goal, but his effort was too high.
AFC Totton debutant Jake Scrimshaw had a glorious opportunity to score against his former club when Josh Carmichael’s through ball sprung him clear into a one-on-one with Buse, but the keeper kept his nerve to make the block.
Zachary Bell spurned the chance to extend Yeovil’s lead when he intercepted Charlie Kennedy’s pass from defence but the midfielder blazed his shot over the bar.
Yeovil threatened with several promising moves down their left. The Stags put up stubborn resistance until substitute Olly THOMAS capitalised upon a trialist pressing Totton down the middle, finding himself in space in the box to fire into the bottom-left corner, doubling the Glovers’ advantage on 66 minutes.
Totton halved the deficit five minutes later when Matty BURROWS side-footed home Ragguette’s low left-wing cross from 10 yards. Charlie Davis had a late half chance to make it all-square but fired over.
AFC Totton manager Jimmy Ball was positive, despite the defeat.
“We conceded due to two lapses in concentration against a very good side. But if we put in performances of that quality in our division throughout the season, I won’t have many complaints.”
New Forest East representative Julian Lewis MP visited for a tour of Snows Stadium. He watched the club’s pan disability and walking footballers in action, while learning about the AFC Totton Women’s and Under-11s girls’ teams, and the weekly coaching sessions encouraging female participation. The club also provides meals and warm spaces to homeless people and helps to rehabilitate offenders.
The Stags entertain Hamworthy United next Saturday in their final pre-season friendly before a trip to Harrow Borough on the opening day of the 2023/24 season.
Author: Ben Rochey-Adams (AFC Totton)
Photos: Craig Hobbs Photography
