AFC Totton
Image Courtesy of Fin Hall
By Josh Cole
The Stags put on a perfect away performance at The Fusion Aviation Community Stadium, coming away with a clean sheet and the three points, beating Horsham 0-2!
Jimmy Ball made one change to his last starting XI, bringing in Hisham Kasimu for his first league start in replacement of Malachi Linton.
In the first eleven seconds of the game Christie Ward did test the ‘keeper but he didn’t strike it cleanly enough for it to bulge the back of the net.
Ten minutes in Horsham mustered a good chance from a clever set piece routine, working it short and then playing the ball into the late run of Lucas Rodrigues but his shot was saved well by Ryan Gosney.
The Hornets continued to push with the game being quite open in the first half and they were using all the voices from the Lardy Army behind them.
This spearheaded them to get a three-on-two chance in the 16th minute, breaking away from a Totton corner but luckily for The Stags, despite different options, Charlie Hester-Cook dragged his shot wide of the post, a real let off.
After the 30th minute Totton started to gain more control of the ball, with the management team tweaking things to turn the game in our favour.
The Stags had two opportunities from free kicks just outside the box but unfortunately both ending up coming to nothing.
In the 43rd minute AFC Totton took the lead through, who else but TONY LEE with his seventh goal of the season so far!
It was a corner kick from the right-hand side, Craig Tanner delivered a ball in towards the back post where it met Lee and he fired a shot into the roof of the net at the near post, thumping Totton into a one-goal advantage.
They would carry that into half-time allowing the team talk to be positive in the dressing room.
Coming out into the second half, the weather had turned horrendous with the meaning ‘weather the storm’ being a perfect description of the match.
This provided a different challenge for The Stags players as not only are they playing on a surface they’re not to use too but now that was a very slippery surface.
Totton were now dominating possession and really controlling the second half despite not really creating clear cut chances.
In the 79th minute, it would be route one that would open up the Horsham defence as Gosney kicked it long and Lee would knock it into the path of ASHLEY CLARKE who's deft touch took it past Lewis Carey, and it rolled over the line to send the visiting fans into raptures.
Now with the two-goal advantage Totton were defending resolutely and running the clock down, which hit full-time and The Stags emerged victorious.
AFC Totton XI: 13. Ryan Gosney, 5. Luke Hallett, 9. Scott Rendell © (Jay Emmanue-Thomas 70’), 10. Tony Lee, 17. Dec Rose (Mike Carter 82’), 19. Christie Ward, 20. Ryan Jackson, 21. Christos Batzelis, 26. Tyler Cordner, 27. Craig Tanner & 29. Hisham Kasimu (Ash Clarke 45’)
Unused subs: 8. Lee Hodson, 16. Josh Dolling, 22. Luke Bennett & 23. Ralph Vigrass.
Attendance: 1,286.
GO STAGS
