AFC Totton
SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIV.1 SOUTH 2022/23
MATCHDAY #37 - Tuesday 18 April 2023
AFC TOTTON 1
Scott Rendell 7mins
FROME TOWN 1
Lewis Graham 85mins (pen)
10-MAN FROME TOWN DENIED AFC TOTTON a win in their final home game of the regular league season last night (Tuesday). The Robins forced a draw with a late penalty, despite going behind after just eight minutes when The Stags’ top scorer Scott Rendell put himself into pole position for the Southern League Div.1 South’s Golden Boot award by pouncing on a defensive error to calmly slot past the goalkeeper. It was still a night of celebration for Jimmy Ball’s team, though, who were presented with the division’s shield by the Southern League Chairman after the match, confirming their status as Champions.
With the league title safely in the bag, Jimmy Ball cast his eye to the future by handing AFC Totton debuts to two young players with family connections to the club. On-loan AFC Bournemouth U18s goalkeeper Mack Allan is the Manager’s nephew; he came in to replace Lewis Noice. And at right-back, Leo Taylor, the younger brother of Totton winger Ethan and the son of former Stags centre-forward James Taylor, came in for his Stags debut. He has been playing for Hamble Club in the Wessex League Premier Division. Captain Mike Carter was rested, so Jack Masterton shifted into midfield, making way for Jordan Ragguette at left-back for his first start since mid-February. Adam Tomasso replaced the injured Luke Hallett at centre-back, so Marcus Day took the No.8 shirt. Tommy Wright started for the first time since the goalless draw at Tavistock AFC (…was that really only two weeks ago?), and Matty Burrows returned at No.11. Both of the Read brothers, Benny and Freddie, were named among the substitutes, together with Mike Carter, Ethan Taylor and Conor Whiteley. Charlie Kennedy once again wore the captain’s armband.
AFC TOTTON
Starting Line-Up
1. Mack ALLAN
2. Leo TAYLOR
3. Jordan RAGGUETTE
4. Jack MASTERTON
5. Charlie KENNEDY (Capt.)
6. Adam TOMASSO
7. Charlie DAVIS
8. Marcus DAY
9. Scott RENDELL
10. Tommy WRIGHT
11. Matty BURROWS
Substitutes
14. Mike CARTER
15. Ethan TAYLOR
16. Benny READ
17. Conor WHITELEY
18. Freddie READ
Former AFC Totton midfielder Jonathan Davies took the kick-off for the visitors. Totton wore their usual blue-and-white home kit, while Frome Town were decked out in all red. Leo Taylor saw plenty of the ball in the very early stages, putting in a cross that just eluded Matty Burrows and then winning a free-kick deep in Totton territory.
The first shot in anger came from Tommy Wright, taking aim from distance but missing the target. Two minutes later, Davies drove a left-footed shot from the edge of the home side’s box, but Mack Allan was equal to it, parrying and then pouncing on the rebound before any red shirts could react.
Totton took the lead after just 7 minutes. Samuel Teale won a headed challenge against Matty Burrows, but when the ball was chipped back to him by a teammate, The Robins captain failed to get enough weight behind his attempted header back to goalkeeper Kyle Phillips, presenting Scott RENDELL with the simplest of tasks to pounce on the ball at inside-right and slot past Phillips for his 28th league goal of the season, and his 34th in all competitions.
GIDDY-UP, RENDERS: Charlie Davis congratulates Scott Rendell following the centre-forward's early opener against Frome Town at the Snows Stadium.
Tomasso cleared for a corner, which Jonathan Davies took. His delivery found Teale at the far post but the centre-back could only direct his header a foot wide of the upright. Then, a short kick out from Allan, intended for Burrows, was intercepted by Owen Humphries. The Frome No.10 let fly from left of the D, his shot striking the crossbar and bouncing away to safety from the home team’s point-of-view.
Two minutes later, both Tommy Wright of Totton and Humphries of Frome were left prone on the deck from separate challenges, prompting the first involvement of both teams’ physios. Then, in the 19th minute, Humphries was allowed to have another go from a similar area from where he’d hit the bar earlier, this time sending his shot straight at Allan, who got his body behind the ball but didn’t keep hold of it. Charlie Kennedy was pushed over the ensuing scramble and free-kick was awarded to Totton inside the six-yard box.
The game took an unexpected turn midway through the first half when Jonathan Davies made a poor, late challenge on Kennedy near the halfway line on Totton’s right-wing touchline. The Referee produced the red card to send the former Stag off the pitch, ensuring that he failed to complete either of the two league matches against his former club this season, having been substituted with an injury during his side’s 0-1 defeat at Badgers Hill back in August.
Frome tried to attack down their right flank, but Jordan Ragguette had other ideas. He tried to clear the ball up the line; it was blocked by Humphries but the rebound spun harmlessly back to the possession of Mack Allan in the Totton goal. Their numerical advantage gave Totton the opportunity to pass the ball around and get into their usual rhythm. Rendell and Wright took it in turns to drop into the centre-circle to take part in the rotation of possession amongst the blue shirts.
OI, COME BACK: Sporting a tasteful new hairstyle, Jordan Ragguette escapes the reaches of a Frome Town player.
Adam Tomasso picked out Matty Burrows on the right-wing with a pinpoint pass from inside his own half. He laid it back to Leo Taylor, whose forward pass down the line fed Charlie Davis into a dangerous area, and his cross was deflected behind for a corner on the right. Jack Masterton took it, arcing a high ball towards the far post where Rendell headed down and Burrows had his shot charged down and cleared by the Frome defence.
A sweeping move between Rendell, Marcus Day and Masterton allowed Ragguette to dart down the outside left of the penalty area, forcing a tackle from Joseph O’Loughlin that resulted in a throw-in high up the pitch for the home side. Then, Sam Teale’s name was taken by the Referee when he brought down Leo Taylor, after some neat skill by the full-back on the opposite flank. Masterton sent the free-kick into the area and Phillips spilt it, the goalkeeper then reacting bravely to block the follow-up shot from Davis. The ball came out to Kennedy on the right, who crossed to the far post but lifted the ball just a little too high for a Totton head to reach it.
Charlie Kennedy took possession just inside his one half, immediately side-stepping a challenge that then opened up the situation in front of him invitingly. He carried the ball forward and slipped a short pass to Burrows, who had the ball hacked off his toe and into touch. Shortly after, Marcus Day latched onto a high ball near the left corner of the Frome area, checked onto his right foot and fired over the bar.
An aerial assault by Frome had Masterton and then Ragguette heading the ball clear, until a third delivery found a Robin in an offside position. Then, Leo Taylor conceded a free-kick on the halfway line which was launched into the Totton box, Allan taking it cleanly at his near post despite the considerable physical presence of Teale.
Rendell took a long diagonal pass from Kennedy under control on the right touchline. Burrows made an underlapping run and received the pass, his low cross resulting in another Totton corner. Masterton’s delivery was a good one but there was a free defensive header. The ball came back into the box from the right-hand side to Rendell, who headed it back across the goal. A defender forced the ball out to the edge of the area where Wright took a touch to set himself, before his shot was bravely charged down by Conrad Essifle-Conduah.
ALL WRIGHT ON THE NIGHT: On-loan Havant & Waterlooville striker Tommy Wright leads the charge on another AFC Totton attack.
A neat one-two in midfield between Wright and Davis created a brief opening, but Wright couldn’t thread it through the gap to play Burrows in, as the winger was poised to race through at inside-right. Then, Burrows was involved in an off-the-ball incident that left him on the ground, holding his face; nobody appeared to have seen what had happened.
As the first half drew to a close, a neat move down the Frome right from Jack Witcombe and Essifle-Conduah enabled the latter to cross. Leo Taylor headed the ball away in the middle and, when it came straight back into the Totton box, the same player volleyed clear to ensure The Stags led at the break. As the teams walked off the pitch into the tunnel, regular Stags No.1 Lewis Noice could be seen offering words of advice and encouragement to Mack Allan.
HALF-TIME
AFC TOTTON 1
FROME TOWN 1
Matty Burrows did not emerge from the tunnel with his teammates for the second half. Ethan Taylor came on to replace him, joining his younger brother Leo in an AFC Totton team for the first time.
Essifle-Conduah sent an early shot way over the crossbar with the first shot of the second half. Then, Jordan Ragguette exploited the space ahead of him to make a surging run into the Frome Town half, before squaring the ball infield for Wright, who in turn fed Davis, the midfielder taking a touch and then slipping as he tried to execute a 22-yard strike that fell kindly at the feet of Phillips.
Kennedy’s cross-field pass drifted over the head of Rendell on its way to Day on the far touchline. With plenty of red shirts back in defence, Day played the ball back into the Totton defensive line and it was soon returned to Kennedy who strode forward and played a short pass for Wright. With defenders either side of him, Wright opted for a lob that looped just a little too high over the crossbar.
DANGER MAN: Winger Marcus Day takes on a Frome defender in front of the visiting team's dug out at the Snows Stadium.
Rendell then duelled with Mitchell McCann in the air, near the halfway line. When the ball dropped, Davis took over, poking the ball to Wright on the right wing, who’d done well to keep himself onside. Davis sprinted forward in support and another one-two with Wright put the striker into a shooting position to the right of goal, but a covering defender managed to block. Totton quickly regathered the ball and worked it out to the left-hand side, where Day’s short pass played Ragguette in to fire a tight-angled shot behind the near post and wide.
Leo Taylor got caught in possession near the halfway line, and Frome were able to spring forward on the counter-attack. An exchange of passes between Essifle-Conduah and Lewis Graham allowed the former to shoot from 22 yards, but he spooned his effort high over the crossbar and even over the tall netting that’s supposed to stop footballs landing in the Post Office depot on the Calmore Industrial Estate. The younger Taylor appeared to have been winded during the challenge that dispossessed him and, not wanting to take any unnecessary chances, Jimmy Ball decided to replace him with Benny Read.
Wright held up a long ball forward down the Totton right. He laid it back to Benny Read, who slipped the ball to Ethan Taylor. The winger was then tripped to win a free-kick. Davis took it quickly to free Taylor down the right side of the Frome area. His low, right-footed cross struck a defender and came back to him, see he tried to float one in on his favoured left foot, but put too much weight behind it.
Owen Humphries was shown the yellow card, presumably for something he said to the Referee. Ragguette made another raid down the Totton left wing. His cross was turned away but the home side regained possession and switched it to the right flank, where Ethan Taylor was caught off the ball by O’Loughlin, to the audible annoyance of the winger.
Day put a tempting ball across the Frome penalty area from the left-hand side, but while it beat Phillips in The Robins goal, there was nobody there to apply the finish for Totton. Then, Charlie Kennedy’s determination not to give up the ball on the halfway line put a swift kibosh on the visitors’ intentions of launching a counter-attack.
OFF THE BENCH: Ethan Taylor came off the AFC Totton bench to share the pitch with his younger brother Leo, who started at right-back.
Ethan Taylor and Marcus Day combined on the left-hand side in the 58th minute, before Taylor ran the ball infield and passed to Davis, who fed Benny Read on the right-wing overlap. The full-back’s cross was deflected wide for a corner. Davis played the corner short to Taylor, who tried to turn onto his left foot and shoot, but there were two defenders right behind him to prevent his effort finding its way to goal.
Kyle Phillips was out quickly to claim the ball at the feet of Charlie Davis, when the midfielder broke from deep to beat the offside trap and latch onto a high bouncing ball towards the right side of the Frome penalty area. The visitors then made two substitutions to freshen things up among their reduced ranks.
Tomasso had to clear from the edge of the six-yard box when one of those subs, Ben Starr, found space on the left to centre. Kennedy was then called into action to turn away another cross-shot from the same player, after Masterton had slipped on the ball in midfield.
Day, popping up on the right-hand side for Totton, had a brief sight of goal from a tight angle, but Teale got across to make the block. Then, Masterton dismantled a Frome move in the making by tackling back in the centre-circle and returning the ball to Kennedy to begin passing the ball around, again.
By midway through the second half, it had become apparent that Frome were determined to dig in and limit the damage to one goal, operating a 5-4-0 formation that left the ball to the Totton defenders whenever it came beyond the halfway line. But, they were able to spring forward on the counter-attack on occasions, and Benny Read picked up a yellow card for foul on Starr. The free-kick from the Frome left was headed away by Rendell from the far side and went out to a Frome player on the far side. His ball back into the box was probably intended as a cross, but it very nearly caught Mack Allan out, fortunately hitting the crossbar and bouncing down to Essifle-Conduah, who was surrounded by blue shirts and couldn’t get a shot away.
Totton’s third and final substitution saw the return to action for midfielder Freddie Read, who has missed several matches over the last few months while taking Accountancy exams.
Frome won a free-kick, dead centre of the Totton half, about 35 yards from goal. Joseph O’Loughlin fancied his chances, but only succeeded in driving the ball into the defensive wall. That was enough to prompt Frome manager Danny Greaves to instruct his captain Samuel Teale to lend his height and weight to the attack.
THE RED SHOES: Substitute Benny Read puts Frome forwards on the back foot by leading a raid down the Totton right wing during the Southern League Div.1 South match at the Snows Stadium.
Benny Read’s refusal to give the ball up in the Frome penalty area enabled him to lay the ball off to Wright. Freddie Read darted into the pocked of space near the right-wing corner flag, but he was shrugged off the ball by O’Loughlin, who then cleared upfield.
Kennedy kept his wits about him as a high bouncing ball threatened to allow substitute Laurent Davis-Wilson to steal in behind him. A strong sliding tackle halted Ragguette’s progress as he tried to conduct another sortee down the left flank. Then, Rendell and Davis created an opening for Benny Read to come forward, again. With red-shirted roadblocks in his path, he checked and fed the run of Davis to the byline who crossed to the far post. A defender knocked the ball away from Rendell at the back post, and as the ball dropped at the edge of the area, either Ethan Taylor or Tommy Wright could have volleyed at goal, but they got in each others way and the chance was gone.
The home side paid the price late on when a high ball towards Davis-Wilson just inside the Totton penalty area came off some combination of the Frome forward and Totton defender Charlie Kennedy. Adam Tomasso shifted his feet to make the clearance but as he did so, the ball bounced up and struck his arm, prompting appeals for a penalty that the Referee duly obliged by awarding a spot-kick. There was a lengthy delay before the penalty could be taken while Ethan Taylor received treatment for a knock sustained during that aerial challenge. Some five minutes after it was awarded, Lewis GRAHAM stepped up to fire the penalty into the top-left corner of the net.
Wright received the ball from Masterton on the Totton left, and sent an in-swinging cross into the box for Rendell to challenge Phillips. The keeper managed to push the ball out as far as Davis, who was closed down before he could shoot. The ball came out to Ethan Taylor, his effort took a deflection and ricocheted into the possession of Phillips, who was by now back between his posts.
Seven minutes of stoppage time were indicated from the sidelines. Teale went unpunished for chopping down Freddie Read in full flight on the Totton left. Then, Masterton had to react quickly to prevent Frome getting in when they momentarily isolated Kennedy in the defensive line.
As the last few minutes ticked by, the game resembled an Attack vs Defence training session, with Frome content to sit back and hold on for a point. Totton’s build-up play was patient but the occasional misplaced pass had them converging on the ball quickly to win it back. The home side fashioned one last chance when Ethan Taylor was brought down 30 yards from goal in a fairly central position. Davis floated the ball to just beyond the penalty spot where Adam Tomasso headed narrowly over the bar, just seconds before the Referee blew the full-time whistle.
The Southern League Chairman David Martin then presented the AFC Totton players with their Southern League Div.1 South winners’ medals, before handing the shield over to captain Mike Carter to hold aloft and display to the Snows Stadium faithful.
AFC TOTTON, SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIV.1 SOUTH CHAMPIONS, 2022/23: (From left) Scott Rendell; Jordan Ragguette; Freddie Read; Luke Hallett: Marcus Day; Jack Masterton; Conor Whiteley; Ethan Taylor; Charlie Davis; Mike Carter (holding shield); Ben Jefford; Benny Read; Lewis Noice; Matty Burrows; Mack Allan; Leo Taylor; Tommy Wright; Charlie Kennedy; Adam Tomasso; (Not pictured: Mitchell Speechley-Price; Josh Carmichael).
After the match, AFC Totton Manager Jimmy Ball (pictured) said:
“I thought we were outstanding, today. I was as pleased with that performance as I have been all season. You see it throughout leagues, all over the country; a side does enough to win their division and then they take the foot off the gas for the last couple of games, as though just going through the motions. We made a couple of changes but the lads who came in did really well and I thought the team as a whole put in a gutsy, competitive performance - which sums these lads up, really. They all want to win every game, just like me, even after a long, hard, tiring season, and I’m very proud of what I saw from my players, tonight.
“After the sending off halfway through the first half, they try to camp in their own half of the pitch, which always makes things difficult. But we passed the ball and were patient and probably a bit unlucky not to win, in the end. I’m not sure about the hand-ball rule anymore, it looked accidental to me, but if the ref says it’s a penalty, then it’s a penalty and you just have to get on with it. It’s a shame for Mack Allan, though, who I thought had a good game and deserved to come away with a clean sheet. But that wasn’t to be.
“Young Leo Taylor was excellent at right-back, too. There’s another young player everyone at the club can get excited about, and it shows the kind of strength in depth we have. The personality and character of all the players tonight was spot on, especially when you consider how many games they’ve had to play in recent weeks, and Leo in particular looks like a real competitor. The other lads who came in also did very well. It’s not been easy, coming into a side that was already flying and winning football matches. You have to be patient and wait for a chance. But they’ve all handled the situation personally, we haven’t had any grumbles, and we’ve become a top team by working hard and recruiting properly. We will be competitive again at Evesham on Saturday, give the league and the competitiveness of the competition the respect it deserves right up until the final game. Then we’ll switch our attentions to the match against Berkhamsted, followed by the Southampton Senior Cup Final with Sholing.”
Latest Southern League Div.1 South league table
View AFC Totton’s fixture list for the 2022/23 season
By Ben Rochey-Adams
Images courtesy of Craig Hobbs Photography
