AFC Totton
SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIV.1 SOUTH
Matchday #12; Full-Time
AFC TOTTON 1
Jordan Ngalo 75mins
MELKSHAM TOWN 0
In the first Southern League Div.1 South match to be held at Snows Stadium since the 0-3 defeat to Slimbridge in mid-September, AFC Totton entertained Melksham Town last night (Tuesday) and took all three points thanks to a blistering drive by midfielder Jordan Ngalo.
Faced with the imminent suspension of captain Harry Medway following his red card against Frome Town in last weekend’s epic FA Trophy encounter, the Stags’ Interim 1st Team Manager Dan Sackman took the opportunity to pair Ade Olumuyiwa and Stephane Zubar at the heart of his defence, with Callum Baughan returning to the starting line-up at right-back. Jack Masterton was absent due to work commitments, so Lewis Waterfield and Jordan Ngalo came into the midfield, with Jack Hoey dropping to the bench. He was joined among the subs by the returning Adam Tomasso, who has recently been playing for AFC Portchester in the Wessex Premier League on a dual-registration.
Melksham Town manager Richard Fey named as his No.1 on-loan Southampton goalkeeper, Matthew Hall, who had a trial with AFC Totton last year. Striker Luke Ballinger was the first England Futsal player to notch 100 caps, and came into this match with 7 league goals to his name so far this season.
When the two sides met in Wiltshire on Matchday 2, the Stags triumphed by a single Hisham Kasimu goal and Totton almost took the lead in bizarre circumstances after just 4 minutes of this return match, when Stephane Zubar spotted Matthew Hall a long way off his goal-line and launched a free-kick from mid-way inside his own half over the keeper’s head, the ball dropping narrowly wide of the left-hand post with Hall scampering back to chase it.
The home side were quickly into their stride. Jordan Ngalo took possession in midfield and fed the run of Ethan Taylor, in acres of space on the right-hand side. Taylor had the option to shoot from an angle but elected to square it for Hisham Kasimu, who arrived at pace but couldn’t keep his shot down, firing over the bar from close range. Ngalo found Taylor again, just a minute later, and the winger checked inside onto his left foot and hit a curling shot that pulled an impressive save out of Hall, diving to his right.
Melksham, wearing their away kit of maroon-and-yellow, were already struggling to find a foothold in the match and had their left-back, Vaughan Covil, to thank for blocking another Taylor effort after a quick Ben Jefford throw-in freed Sam Griffin down the left wing to pick out his teammate to the right of the D. The in-form Griffin was at it again, soon after, slipping Kasimu in down the inside-left channel to shoot from a tight angle, sending the ball fizzing across goal and wide of the far post.
The visitors’ centre-back Aaron Parsons was reduced to the role of spectator when the livewire Kasimu raced away from him in the same area of the pitch, Matthew Hall’s knees saving Melksham on this occasion as the young keeper got down to block another low drive.
Stags left-back Ben Jefford picked up a yellow card in the 16th minute for a late tackle. Shortly after, a right-wing corner from Taylor was glanced wide by the head of Zubar. Then, Town mounted their first meaningful attack of the match, the right-back Will Christopher getting forward to deliver a cross to Sam Hendy, but the striker fluffed his lines and miss-hit his shot. Christopher then demonstrated his defensive capabilities by tracking a dangerous run by Griffin and intercepting Ngalo’s attempted through-ball.
But Sam Griffin continued to pose a threat, wriggling between two defenders near the left-wing byline before playing the ball low across the 6-yard box where Kasimu was agonisingly close to getting a decisive touch. Taylor immediately retrieved the loose ball on the right wing and laid it back to Lewis Waterfield on the edge of the penalty area, whose right-foot shot curled wide of the left-hand post.
Callum Baughan made several key interventions in the Totton right-back position, as Albie Hopkins, Jake Mawford and then Covil all tried to create something from Melksham’s left wing. The Town skipper Greg Tindle had his name taken by the referee for wrestling Kasimu to the ground when the wispish striker threatened to race away with the goal in his sights.
I'M WATCHING YOU: Callum Baughan pays close attention to Melskham's attacking players (Image courtesy of Craig Hobbs Photography).
Kasimu again almost opened the scoring on the half hour, when he got free at the back post to head Zubar’s cross from the right-wing, but Hall closed the angle quickly and made the save - the on-loan Saints keeper making an early bid for Man of the Match, as his teammates continued to struggle to compete with the home side.
In the 35th minute, Kasimu received the ball from Waterfield’s right-wing throw and switched the play to find Griffin on the left, just inside the penalty area. He jinked onto his right-foot to gain half-a-yard on Christopher and drove a low shot against the left-hand upright, the ball bouncing back into play where Melksham were able to scramble it away, with a grateful Hall watching on, as the visitors’ clean sheet continued to live on borrowed time.
But for all their dominance throughout the first half, Totton failed to create any meaningful chances during its last 10 minutes, while still defending well and enjoying the majority of possession in midfield.
HALF-TIME: AFC TOTTON 0-0 MELKSHAM TOWN
Dan Sackman signalled his attacking intentions by bringing Jack Hoey, who has 8 goals in all competitions this season, off the bench to replace the more defensively-minded Freddie Read in midfield.
Ngalo got forward, shortly after the restart, to fire another warning shot across Melksham’s bows, the ball flying narrowly wide before crashing into the advertising hoarding beyond the left-hand post. Then tempers flared between Town striker Hendy and Zubar, whose aerial duel culminated in a spot of grappling once they had hit the deck. Both players were booked by the referee.
Matthew Hall showcased his promise as a goalkeeper, once again. Hisham Kasimu gathered the ball in the centre-circle, as Totton looked to mount a counterattack, and picked out the run of Griffin down the left-hand side. The winger tormented defenders by twisting and jinking his way to the edge of the penalty area before striking with the outside of his right foot, forcing Hall into a brilliant one-handed save to push the ball over the crossbar - the applause from the 282-strong Tuesday night crowd no doubt appreciating the shot and the save in equal measure, irrespective of their football team allegiances.
From the sublime to the ridiculous. Stephane Zubar missed the best chance of the whole evening by heading meekly wide from within the 6-yard box from Ethan Taylor’s high chip. Then, Hall performed a ‘Cruyff Turn’ inside his own penalty area to evade Kasimu’s press.
Adam Tomasso made his Snows Stadium return shortly after the hour mark, coming off the bench to replace Lewis Waterfield in midfield, as Dan Sackman looked to utilise Tomasso’s defensive discipline to release the strong-running Jordan Ngalo into more advanced, attacking areas. But Melksham boss Richard Fey made an offensive change of his own, bringing the ineffective Ballinger off in favour of Jay Malshankskyj, who has a reputation for scoring goals from an attacking midfield position.
Malshankskyj made his presence felt straight away, harassing the Totton defence into an error that enabled Mawford to unleash a half-volley that went narrowly wide. Then, Taylor brought another smart save out of Hall at the other end, Griffin latching onto the rebound and working the space between defenders from just outside the area, before firing over the crossbar.
It was beginning to look like one of those nights. Ngalo and Griffin linked up down the Totton left. The winger’s first-time cross was met by a flying header from Ethan Taylor, but Hall extended his arms and legs in the starfish-style synonymous with Peter Schmeichel, to make another crucial stop. It came at a cost, though, for the young goalkeeper who needed treatment from the Melksham physio.
Directed by a determined Sackman from the sidelines, Totton tried to ramp up the pressure. A promising move down the left flank petered out when Taylor’s shot rattled against two defenders and fell kindly for Hall to scoop up. Then, a high searching cross by Baughan from deep on the right-hand side was claimed by Hall, with Kasimu lurking with intent.
Jordan Ngalo had been posing a threat to the visitors all night, constantly marauding through midfield and drawing opposition players to him to create space for his teammates. When he picked the ball up inside the Melksham half in the 75th minute and drove a path towards goal with Taylor, Griffin, Kasimu and Hoey all making runs, the Town defenders didn’t know whether to stick or twist. As they backed off and allowed the powerful midfielder to keep on coming, Jordan NGALO tried his luck from 20 yards, smacking a low right-footed shot across Hall and against the foot of the left-hand post, the rebound taking it into the net to give the Stags a long-awaited but well-deserved lead.
TAKE YOU ALL ON: AFC Totton Man of the Match Jordan Ngalo charges through the Melksham Town midfield at the Snows Stadium, last night (Image courtesy of Craig Hobbs Photography).
The goal reinvigorated Totton and Jordan Ngalo, in particular. First, he picked out Taylor with a long diagonal pass, enabling the winger to shoot left-footed, Hall catching the ball in front of his face. Then, a one-man charge from centre-field out to the flank had Malshanskyj, who had been brought on to pose a greater attacking threat, scampering back towards his own left-back position to prevent Ngalo inflicting more damage upon his team.
Centre-forward Brett Williams stepped off the bench in the 82nd minute to replace the luckless Hisham Kasimu. Jack Hoey restarted play with a free-kick from 40 yards out which he dinked onto the head of Zubar, who nodded over but was flagged offside, anyway.
Jake Mawford and Albie Hopkins both showed flashes of skill in a late attempt by the away side to get something out of the match. Quick feet from Hopkins to the right of the D enabled him to dance his way through Zubar and Tomasso but the under-employed Amad Skrzyniarz was alert to the low shot. And Totton held firm, despite a late flurry of free-kicks and corners that gave Mawford the opportunity to deliver the ball into the Stags’ penalty area, Ade Olumuyiwa and skipper-on-the-night Zubar heading away anything that wasn’t overhit.
Ethan Taylor had the chance to extend Totton’s lead from a breakaway attack during the indicated 4 minutes of stoppage time, but attempted a toe poke finish when the situation called for a hearty strike. And the signs were ominous for the home side when Melksham were awarded a late free-kick on their left-hand side, midway inside the Totton half. With everyone except Matthew Hall loaded into the Totton penalty area, Jake Mawford sent in a high cross that dipped dangerously over the head of Skrzyniarz - but landed on top of the net, at the top-right corner.
As they often do, the referee allowed the goal-kick to be taken and waited for the ball to be in mid-air before blowing his final whistle to confirm the three points for AFC Totton and their first home-and-away league double over an opponent this season.
THREE POINTS IN THE BAG: Ade Olumuyiwa celebrates with Harry Brookwell after the final whistle of AFC Totton's 1-0 win over Melksham Town (Image courtesy of Craig Hobbs Photography).
by Ben Rochey-Adams
