THE LONG READ: AFC TOTTON 1-0 BERKHAMSTED, EMIRATES FA CUP 3RD ROUND QUALIFYING

EMIRATES FA CUP, 3rd Round Qualifying
Saturday 30 September 2023 | Snows Stadium, Totton | Att: 486

TOTTON MADE TO WAIT BUT RENDELL FINDS BREAKTHROUGH AND THE STAGS MARCH ON IN THE FA CUP

AFC TOTTON 1
Scott Rendell 70mins

BERKHAMSTED 0

SCOTT RENDELL’S FIFTH GOAL of the 2023/24 Emirates FA Cup campaign - and his ninth in all competitions - booked AFC Totton’s place in Monday’s draw for Fourth Round Qualifying by ensuring The Stags overcame a stubborn Berkhamsted side at the Snows Stadium on Saturday (30 September 2023).

Reigning Southern League Division One Central Champions Berkhamsted, who lost at the same venue around the same time last year in the Isuzu FA Trophy and suffered defeat at the hands of Totton again in the end of season Champion of Champions Super Cup at Chesham United’s ground in April, brought a largely changed squad a new manager following a summer upheaval at the Bridgwater Stadium in Hertfordshire, which the club’s own literature puts down to an unwillngness among many of the previous squad to undergo the extra travelling involved with the move from Step 4 to Step 3 football. Their early-season league form has seen them win just one of their opening 10 matches, although goal difference currently keeps them above the relegation zone in the Southern League Premier Division Central.

The Comrades beat Isthmian League South East Division side Beckenham Town 5-4 at home in First Round Qualifying, before winning 3-1 at Eastbourne United of the Southern Combination Premier Division in Second Round Qualifying to set-up their second trip to the Snows Stadium in 12 months.

Totton, who beat local rivals Sholing 5-1 and National League North side Gloucester City 3-0 in the previous rounds, came into the game looking for a positive reaction following Wednesday night’s league defeat at Gosport Borough. Benny Read retained his place in the team but was shifted to left-back to cover the absence of Jordan Ragguette, who had to come off at half-time at Privett Park with his arm in a sling after an awkward fall. Charlie Kennedy, who operated in midfield against Swindon Supermarine last weekend, moved to right-back and the AFC Bournemouth U21 loanee Ben Winterburn returned to the starting line-up to partner Adam Tomasso in the engine room. Winger Matty Burrows, who lit up the latter stages of the game at Gosport on Wednesday, came in for his first start in four games, with striker Alfie Stanley dropping to the bench to make way.

AFC TOTTON
Starting XI
1. Lewis NOICE
5. Charlie KENNEDY
15. Sam MAGRI
7. Joseph OASTLER
2. Benny READ
8. Adam TOMASSO
14. Ben WINTERBURN
17. Leon MALONEY
10. Ethan TAYLOR
9. Scott RENDELL (Capt.)
11. Matty BURROWS
Substitutes
3. Jordan RAGGUETTE
4. Mike CARTER
6. Luke HALLETT
13. Nico TROJANOWSKI
16. Alfie STANLEY
18. Jake SCRIMSHAW
20. Harry THOMAS

Before the match, AFC Totton honoured Adam Tomasso and Ethan Taylor, who both recently played their 100th games for the club. Like Lewis Noice last weekend, they were each presented with a magnum of Champagne. There was also a presentation to Dave Penny, who stepped down as Matchday Physio but will remain as the club’s Vice-Chairman.

THE GOOD DOCTOR: Stags boss Jimmy Ball (left) and CEO Steve Brookwell (right) present Dave Penny with a signed AFC Totton shirt to mark his retirement as Matchday Physio.

The Stags wore their all-white changed kit - which has been nominated as their “cup kit” for this season - and Berkhamsted were in yellow shirts with blue shorts and socks.

Berkhamsted kicked-off, attacking towards the end where a new Aldi supermarket is currently under construction. But The Comrades soon found themselves defending a long ball from Sam Magri. They did so effectively, then Kyal Williams stopped Matty Burrows breaking through from a through-ball. From the resulting corner, the ball was driven in low and Joe Oastler shot wide. From another corner shortly after, which Burrows had won for Totton, Charlie Kennedy got his head to it but the ball skimmed off him and flew wide.

In the eighth minute, the visitors won a corner a free-kick to the right of the Totton box. Connor Toomey’s cross found Sam McClelland, but the big defender up from the back for the set-piece steered his header wide of the far post.

Adam Tomasso was shown a yellow card for a foul on McClelland on the edge of the Berkhamsted penalty area when the ball got away from him as he was winding up to shoot after a lengthy period of Totton possession enabled Ethan Taylor, Scott Rendell and Leon Maloney to carve out an opening from the left-hand side. Berkhamsted’s Adam Martin was also booked for his retaliation on Tomasso, for a foul which looked worse at first glance then it turned out to be for the felled defender.

Benny Read and Maloney had to double-up to prevent Lewis Johnson delivering the ball into the Totton box from the left, at the expense of a throw-in. Adam Martin wound up a long throw, which was headed clear.

I'LL RACE YOU: AFC Totton's Ethan Taylor takes on the Berkhamsted defence during The Stags' 1-0 win in Third Round Qualifying for the Emirates FA Cup.

A long ball from right to left was knocked down by Rendell but the ball was cleared for a left-wing corner before Taylor could progress. Totton didn’t capitalise on the corner but a few minutes later, Magri’s cross from deep was slightly too high for Burrows but fell to Maloney, who teed up Rendell for a long shot that was charged down by a defender and bounced meekly through to Jamie Head in the Berkhamsted goal.

From Totton’s next corner, Maloney crossed from the left wing, sending the ball beyond the far post where a combination of Kennedy and Magri managed to steer it back into the middle with successive headers. Rendell closed in as the ball dropped near the edge of the six-yard box, but Head claimed the ball safely for the visitors.

Totton retained possession for a few minutes but were unable to find a way in past the Berkhamsted defence. They almost snuck in on the counter-attack, though, when a Berkhamsted move broke down and Burrows sent the ball forward towards the inside-right channel. Left-back Kyal Williams appeared to be well-positioned to intercept the ball until it sneaked under his foot and Taylor raced onto it, advancing into the penalty area. McClelland had tracked his run. So he back-heeled the ball to the overlapping Burrows who went down under a challenge from Williams. All heads turned to the Referee, who indicated for a goal-kick.

Adam Martin’s long throwing ability posed a threat to the Totton defence. His hurl from the right-wing touchline caused confusion at the near post, and the clearance only went back out to the wing where Jordan Frederick whipped in a low cross that flashed across goal too quickly for any of the Berko forwards to get a decisive touch.

Tomasso scored two goals in the 3-1 win over Swindon Supermarine a week earlier, and he had his shooting boots on again when Maloney laid off Rendell’s headed knockdown to the midfielder 20 yards from the Berkhamsted goal. His effort was well-struck but McClelland threw his torso in the way to block. Maloney then tried his luck from a similar distance, curling a shot with his right instep which Head saved to his left.

Martin needed treatment after colliding with Rendell close to the dug-outs in front of the recently renamed Southampton Freight Services Stand (of SFS Stand). Soon after play resumed, Taylor managed to glide into a dangerous position along the left-wing byline and tried to slip the ball past Head at the near post, the goalkeeper diverting the ball away with his right leg.

The first half ended with Berkhamsted on the attack. A cross from their right struck Read’s hand at close distance. The Berko players appealed for a penalty but the Referee took that opportunity to blow the half-time whistle, prompting Lewis Johnson to say something he shouldn’t have and he was shown the yellow card as other players were walking off the pitch and down the tunnel.

HALF-TIME
AFC TOTTON 0
BERKHAMSTED 0

Berkhamsted kept their hosts waiting for a couple of minutes before re-appearing for the second half. When play did get going, Kennedy played the ball down the right wing for Burrows to advance to the byline and fire in a low cross that McClelland did well to get to before Rendell could apply the finish from about six yards out. The defender was hurt in the process, though, and after receiving treatment for a short while, he was replaced by recent summer signing Hedley Ogbebor.

Play resumed with a throw-in to Totton in an advanced position on the right. Kennedy threw it short to Burrows who benefitted from a lucky bounce to turn his marker but his low cross to the near post took a deflection and feel kindly for Jamie Head.

Totton tried to the play their way through the centre of the Berkhamsted defence, until Winterburn, Maloney, Rendell and Burrows all converged into the same space and crowded each other out, as much as the presence of the visiting defence, contributing to a muted start to the second half.

Kennedy and Rendell tried to make progress down the right wing. Berkhamsted won it back and the Totton defence was briefly exposed until Ben Winterburn stepped in to make an important interception in midfield. Then, Rendell was flattened in the centre-circle by defender Dan Newton, who was lucky to escape without a booking.

Read displayed his pace to beat Johnson to a high diagonal out towards Berkhamsted’s right-wing touchline before turning the ball back to Lewis Noice in the Totton goal. Shortly after, Berkhamsted found some space on the opposite flank, where Max Bustamante-Macaire glided infield before smashing an ambitious effort over the crossbar from the edge of the area.

Jamie Head was called into action just before the hour mark when Taylor ran onto Read’s pass down the left wing and took on his marker to fire a left-footed shot from a tight angle. Head parried out to the edge of the box where Winterburn gathered the ball and slipped it to Maloney on the right, who managed to squeeze a shot past Ogbebor but not past Head, who saved close to the foot of his left-hand post.

Maloney and Tomasso tried to get into the inside-right channel. Berkhamsted cleared and Tomasso raced back to intercept in midfield.

By this point, Berkhamsted had started to run down the clock. Jamie Head was taking every opportunity to waste time from goal-kicks, constantly taking the ball to the opposite side of his six-yard box and earning a talking to from the Referee for failing to go and collect the ball after it had bounced out of play and hit one of the advertising hoardings close to his goal. Totton appeared to take offence and began to inject greater urgency into their game. Burrows won a corner on the left and from Maloney’s cross, Taylor attempted a scissor-kick which struck a defender and flew back out to the wing, where Maloney got it back under control and sent in a curling cross that this time picked out Taylor on the edge of the six-yard box with time and space to connect with a free header. But the winger took his eye off the ball and glanced Totton’s best chance of the game so far wide of the right-hand upright.

Matty Burrows was then withdrawn by Stags boss Jimmy Ball, with Alfie Stanley coming on to replace him. Berkhamsted sent on Nathan Frater in place of Connor Toomey.

Berkhamsted had two corners in quick succession, which Totton defended stubbornly. And then Totton tried to attack with high balls towards the forward line, which pitted the diminutive Alfie Stanley against a pair of hulking centre-backs. However, The Stags made the breakthrough in the 70th minute. Sam Magri had the ball on the Totton right, close to the halfway line. His high diagonal picked out Rendell in the middle, about 30 yards from goal. He flicked it on to release Taylor behind the right-back Anthony Ball to scamper to the left-wing byline and clip the ball across goal to the edge of the six-yard box where Scott RENDELL dashed in to beat Williams to the dipping cross full on the volley with his right-instep, finishing into the bottom-right corner out of Head’s reach.

IN THE GOALS, AGAIN: Scott Rendell's ninth goal of the season in all competitions was also his fifth in this season's FA Cup campaign and secured Totton's place in Monday's Fourth Round Qualifying draw.

Before play restarted, Jordan Ragguette came on in place Adam Tomasso. Totton were in again within a minute. Lewis Noice took a free-kick midway inside the Totton half, finding Maloney on the right touchline. He fired in a low cross that was only inches out of Taylor’s reach, about eight yards from goal. Then, Taylor and Maloney combined again from the left-hand side. Maloney had a brief chance to shoot but decided to try and set-up Stanley to his right, the pass lacking the strength to reach the striker allowing the Berkhamsted defence to clear.

Totton were briefly caught out and found themselves on the wrong end of a four vs three counter-attack, until a poor pass presented the ball to Benny Read, who drove forward down the middle of the pitch. Kennedy joined him in support and tried a long shot that was blocked. Berkhamsted then swept forward down their left wing. Williams played the ball low across the edge of the area and Bustamante-Macaire diverted it towards goal with a deft flick which Noice collected with sharp reflexes.

Luke Hallett made his return from an injury lay-off of several weeks by stepping off the bench to replace Benny Read. Hallett took up the right-back position. Taylor made a bustling run into the Berkhamsted penalty area that was taking him wide to the left, before Rendell took over and tried to dance between two defenders before his shot was blocked.

A slip by Jordan Ragguette, operating at left-back, gave Johnson a sight of the Totton goal. Joe Oastler blocked Johnson’s first attempt, Magri the second and Oastler completed the clearance. Then, after Berkhamsted had made their third and final substitution by bringing on Aaron Austin in place of Jordan Frederick, Johnson isolated Ragguette again on the Berkhamsted right, twisting and turning his way into the box before sending in a cross-shot that flitted across goal and out of play beyond the far post.

A Berkhamsted free-kick just off the corner of the penalty area on the Totton right tempted Kyal Williams into trying a right-footed curler which bent narrowly wide of the near post, with just two minutes of normal time remaining. When the board went up to confirm the amount of stoppage time to be played, it read five minutes.

Amid a series of late throw-ins and corners, Berko goalkeeper Jamie Head came forward to lend his presence to the aerial assault. A free-kick was knocked out for a corner on the visitors’ right, so he stayed forward, but the next delivery was caught by his opposite number Lewis Noice, who preferred to lay on the ball for a few seconds, ignored pleas from the crowd to “Shoot!” over the retreating keeper for an ambitious drop-kick goal.

Well-timed interventions from Sam Magri and Charlie Kennedy prevented Berkhamsted building any further attacks, before the Referee’s final whistle sent AFC Totton into Monday afternoon’s draw for Fourth Round Qualifying in the 2023/24 Emirates FA Cup.

FA CUP AFC Totton v Berkamsted Jimmy Ball.jpg

After the match, AFC Totton Manager Jimmy Ball (pictured) said:

“Berkhamsted were well-organised, physical and quite direct, which is difficult to play against. So, we had to make a slight tactical change to move them around a bit more and give ourselves a bit more width, and fortunately that worked and we got the win. Benny Read came off just as a precaution. We had Luke Hallett itching to get back involved again so it made sense to make the change. Luke has played at right-back for us before, so it was good to get him back on the pitch.

“I’m reasonably pleased with our start to the season, but I am disappointed with the three league defeats - a few splinters I’m not able to pluck out. We will just have to keep improving; keep working on what we do well and working on those areas where we need to improve. It’s difficult to judge where teams are going to finish in the league until about mid-February, when the games are coming thick and fast, injuries are piling up and teams’ budgets change and so on. We just have to focus on winning football matches and see where we are come the end of the season.

“As for the FA Cup, it’s great for the football club to be in the draw for the next round. I’m pleased for the players and the fans, and for everyone who works so hard for this club. I’ve always had difficult draws in the FA Cup throughout my career, but at the end of the day we’re in a great position. We’re one win away from getting anyone. I would like a top, top side to have to come and play here, because it would be a great occasion for the fans. But, whoever we get and wherever we have to play them, bring it on. I’m sure it will be a great game, regardless.”

The draw for Fourth Round Qualifying in the Emirates FA Cup will be broadcast live on Talksport2 at 3:15pm on Monday 02 October.

By Ben Rochey-Adams and Jessica Lee

Images courtesy of Craig Hobbs Photography