AFC Totton
SOUTHAMPTON SENIOR CUP 2022/23
3RD ROUND - Tuesday 20 December 2022
AFC TOTTON 3
Jake Adams 9mins; Silvano Obeng 25mins; Ethan Taylor 90+3mins
AFC STONEHAM 0
DESPITE FIELDING A MUCH CHANGED STARTING LINE-UP, AFC Totton continued their defence of the Southampton Senior Cup on a bitterly cold December’s evening at the Snows Stadium last night (Tuesday), with a comfortable 3rd Round victory over Wessex League Premier Division promotion-chasers AFC Stoneham.
Manager Jimmy Ball took the opportunity to shuffle his pack, giving several senior players a rest while handing full first team debuts to Wigan Athletic-loanee Joe Adams and returning centre-forward Silvano Obeng. Charlie Davis was shifted to right-back, allowing Freddie Read to slot into midfield - he being one of several players making their first start in an AFC Totton shirt for more than a month. Among the substitutes was Academy player Owen Pelham and 18-year-old defender Joshua Stream, who is dual registered with Totton & Eling and has impressed with his performances for The Millers this season. The experienced Adam Tomasso, operating in central defence, was named captain in the absence of Mike Carter.
AFC TOTTON
Starting Line-Up
1. Lewis NOICE
2. Charlie DAVIS
3. Jordan RAGGUETTE
4. Freddie READ
5. Ben JEFFORD
6. Adam TOMASSO
7. Jack MASTERTON
8. Joe ADAMS
9. Silvano OBENG
10. Conor WHITELEY
11. Jake ADAMS
Substitutes
14. Charlie KENNEDY
15. Ethan TAYLOR
16. Matty BURROWS
17. Owen PELHAM
18. Joshua STREAM
It was always going to be a cold night but the pitch was in good condition, so AFC Stoneham - who beat Bishops Waltham 8-2 in the 2nd Round after receiving a bye in the 1st - got the game underway in their changed kit of white shirts, black shorts and white socks, with Totton in their usual home kit of blue and white.
Totton managed to wrestle the ball away from their visitors early on, and the pattern of the game was quickly established with The Stags hoarding possession in defence and midfield for a long period, as every player got a few touches of the ball. Jordan Ragguette received a pass in space wide on the left, and advanced upon the Stoneham penalty area before striking a shot that defender Ben Clarke did well to divert wide for a corner, that Totton didn’t capitalise upon.
The Purples briefly threatened in the fourth minute, cultivating an attack in the inside-left channel before Adam Tomasso pulled off a well-timed sliding tackle on the edge of the area. Good skills on the ball by Jake Adams had the visitors back-tracking in their own area shortly after, but they survived that and came back with another forward foray of their own, a cross from their left-wing finding Duarte Martins in the middle but, under pressure from Ben Jefford, he hooked his effort over the crossbar from six yards.
Picking the ball up near the half-way line, Ragguette rode a challenge from Lewis Nagle and charged forward down the left wing before bending a low cross into the middle, which was hacked away for a throw-in, prompting another extended period of Totton possession. When the move came back to the left-hand side in the 9th minute, a short incisive pass by Conor Whiteley allowed Jack Masterton to attack the byline and stand a cross up into the middle. Silvano Obeng out-jumped his marker to meet it with a firm header that left goalkeeper Tom Parker-Trott standing only to rebound off the post, presenting Jake ADAMS with the simplest of tasks to convert from close range.
INFLUENTIAL: Jake Adams capped an impressive display for AFC Totton with the opening goal in his side's 3-0 Southampton Senior Cup win over AFC Stoneham.
Encouraged by the early goal, Totton came forward again soon after the restart with a swift move involving Joe Adams, Whiteley and Charlie Davis, whose cross was headed over his own crossbar by full-back Tommy Barnes. Totton’s short corner routine eventually led to an offside flag, though.
Stoneham then earned themselves a corner on their left wing. The cross was headed partially clear, falling to Jamie Ovington about 12 yards out but he fired his shot too high.
A rare lapse of concentration in The Stags’ possession football required Ben Jefford to put in a strong block tackle to prevent Nagle exploiting an under-hit pass on the edge of the Totton penalty area. Then in the 15th minute, a counter-attack instigated by the two Adams boys led to Freddie Read playing Whiteley in on the right-hand side. But with space to advance into ahead of him, he opted for an early shot which he dragged across the goal and wide of the left-hand post.
A poor kick from Lewis Noice in the Totton goal - who in his new yellow and green goalkeeper’s kit, looked like a 1970s Norwich City tribute act - struck the Stoneham captain Jim Orvis and fell kindly for ex-Stag Jamie Bulpitt to the left of the D. Noice redeemed himself, though, standing up well to block the shot and grab the ball at the second attempt, as it briefly tried to spin away from him.
Jake Adams was playing an increasingly influential role from the left-hand side. He slipped the ball into the path of Obeng, who’d made a diagonal run to the left of the penalty spot, but he pulled his shot wide of the far post. Then, Jake Adams popped up on the right-hand side to combine with Masterton in the creation of a chance for Whiteley who, under pressure from a sliding challenge, prodded his shot wide of the near post.
Totton were half-a-yard sharper than their opponents, but another good chance went begging when Read played a straightforward pass into the feet of Whiteley on the edge of the area and, with time to pick his spot, he drove his effort across goal and wide. Then in the 22nd minute, an up-and-under clearance out of defence by Tomasso caused problems for the Stoneham back line, enabling Whiteley to take possession in the middle and feed Obeng, who also sent his shot wide of the left-hand post with the goal at his mercy.
Duarte Martins managed to get a shot in from the edge of the Totton area, which flew over the bar. Adam Tomasso remonstrated with the Referee for what he felt was a clear shove in the back as the two players were chasing back towards the Totton goal, and earned a lengthy talking to for his trouble, though he was not booked. Then, Noice had to bravely claim the ball at the feet of Scott Hills, as the left winger tried to latch onto a through-ball down the middle.
Having wasted several opportunities to extend their lead, Totton finally registered a second goal in the 25th minute. As one attack wave subsided, The Stags retained possession and Masterton found Ragguette on the left-hand side. He crossed to the centre and Silvano OBENG marked his return to AFC Totton with a debut goal, heading home from close range.
OFF THE MARK: Silvano Obeng celebrated his second AFC Totton debut with a goal against AFC Stoneham at the Snows Stadium. (Photo credit: The White Lines)
Stoneham tried to hit back immediately. A dangerous cross from their right wing had to be whipped off the toe of Martins by Charlie Davis, coming in from the right-back position to make the crucial intervention.
Another long period of possession from the home side led to Obeng dragging the ball back near the penalty spot, to turn his marker, but Masterton took over with a left-footed shot that deflected over for a corner. Defensive interventions turned one corner into a series of three, before an over-elaborate short corner broke down and forced the home side to regroup in midfield.
Orvis’s cross from the Stoneham right was knocked out of play by Jefford. From the throw-in, the ball sat up invitingly for Lewis Nagle, whose left-footed snapshot from distance required a two-fisted parry by Noice. Obeng got back to head the corner away.
Another sliding tackle by skipper-on-the-night Tomasso halted Stoneham’s progress on the edge of the area, in the 36th minute. Then, Jake Adams picked Bulpitt’s pocket to keep a Totton attack alive, quickly exchanging passes with Whiteley on the edge of the box before setting up Joe Adams for a left-footed drive from the right of the penalty spot that Parker-Trott pushed wide of the far post. The corner was half-cleared but Totton came back again, Ragguette passing to Masterton in the middle, and his short pass leading to a Whiteley cross-shot that was cleared off the line.
Centre-forward Duarte Martins was forced back into his own defensive third to help his team defend a clever passing move between Joe Adams and Masterton. Then, Freddie Read drilled a low diagonal cross-field pass out to Jake Adams in space on the left wing. Advancing upon two retreating defenders, The Stags’ No.11 skipped between them and took aim at goal. His shot was deflected and almost fell kindly for Obeng, until Parker-Trott snatched the ball off his toe.
Jefford’s block on Bulpitt’s right-wing cross resulted in a corner to Stoneham, on the brink of half-time. But their chances of halving the deficit before the break were scuppered by a foul on Lewis Noice, as he tried to catch the cross.
HALF-TIME
AFC TOTTON 2
AFC STONEHAM 0
Totton kicked-off the second-half with both sides unchanged. Their dominance of possession continued but, despite winning several corners and free-kicks, they didn’t create much in the way of goalmouth action.
Shortly before the hour mark, Ben Jefford lunged in to make a tackle near the half-way line that left his opponent prone on the Snows Stadium pitch, for which the Totton defender was shown the yellow card. While the Stoneham player was receiving treatment, Jimmy Ball used the opportunity to send on substitutes Charlie Kennedy and Matty Burrows, replacing Charlie Davis and Silvano Obeng, who had also received treatment on the pitch shortly before.
Kennedy was quickly into the action, making a defensive header to repel one Stoneham cross, before Tomasso had to throw himself in the way of another as it dipped towards the Totton six-yard box. Stoneham won a corner on their right wing, which Ragguette headed away at the near post, before the ball was lofted into the area again and the eventual shot was fired high and wide.
Whiteley received the ball on the left-wing touchline and was able to make his way to the byline to pull it back into the middle. It rolled behind Jake Adams but Joe Adams, coming in from the right wing, was able to shift onto his left foot and shoot, but his shot was blocked.
Stoneham tried to counter, with their No.10 Matt Bainbridge spreading the play out to the right touchline. But when the cross came in, Noice again commanded the situation and plucked the ball out of the air before Stoneham could take advantage.
STAND-IN SKIPPER: Adam Tomasso captained the team against AFC Stoneham in the absence of Mike Carter, and led his team to a comfortable 3-0 win.
Totton’s first-half intensity had dropped away, but there was little sign that Stoneham saw an opportunity to get themselves back into the cup tie. Another flurry of substitutions saw Owen Pelham step off the Totton bench to replace Joe Adams. The dynamic young midfielder almost made an immediate impact on the match, recovering from his own heavy touch near the half-way line to win the ball back with a strong tackle and slip it square to Jake Adams, before setting off on a forward run for the return pass. Adams delivered the ball into his path, playing Pelham in on goal at inside-left, but as he struck the ball, Jamie Ovington made a last-ditch sliding block that successfully defended his team’s goal, if at some personal cost to himself. Ovington received lengthy treatment before having to be carried off the pitch by two members of the Stoneham medical staff. Isaac Evans came on to replace him.
Stoneham started to get on the ball more often. Orvis passed to Hills, the left winger taking on Tomasso, who had been shifted to right-back when Kennedy came on, and crossing to the centre where Bulpitt was unmarked but sent his free header over the top from eight yards.
An intricate passing move between Pelham, Tomasso and Burrows brought the ball into the Stoneham area. Jake Adams received the ball but his forward progress was blocked, so he laid it off to Burrows who had to take the ball wide to make an angle to cross. Parker-Trott came off his line but couldn’t make a clean catch, imploring one of his defenders to kick the ball clear for him, instead.
Jefford stood strong at the back, once again, as Stoneham tried to penetrate the inside-right channel. Then, Jimmy Ball brought Jack Masterton off to be replaced by Ethan Taylor, and he also handed an AFC Totton debut to Joshua Stream, who came on at left-back in place of Jordan Ragguette. An in-swinging cross from the Stoneham left curled into the Totton box, bouncing dangerously at the far post until Stream smuggled the ball behind for a corner. Stoneham took it short but when they eventually crossed the ball, Noice was well-positioned the catch at his near post.
STRONG AT THE BACK: Ben Jefford operated as a central defender and did his part in keeping a clean sheet against a talented Wessex League Premier Division side.
Totton went to sleep for a moment, allowing Hills to get free on the left wing and cross to the centre, where Bainbridge met the ball with a diving header. Just as the entire 250-strong crowd expected to see the net bulge, Lewis Noice somehow managed to make a point blank save, catching the ball virtually as soon as it came off Bainbridge’s head.
Stream had to chase back towards his own end to track Nagle’s attacking run, and the youngster did well to win a goal-kick. But space continued to appear over the pitch where it hadn’t previously existed for the visiting side. Jake Adams tried to arrest that development with six minutes to go by getting stuck into a challenge in midfield, but the Referee took exception and awarded a free-kick. Adams then tapped the ball away as Stoneham were trying to restart the game, earning the Referee’s wrath and the second yellow card of the night. Another high delivery into the Totton box was dealt with comfortably by Noice.
Lewis Nagle then followed Adams into the Referee’s notebook for similarly throwing the ball away when a throw-in decision didn’t go his way. But the winger made a late impact on the game by taking advantage of an awkward bounce from a long ball to spin Josh Stream on the touchline and race down the wing, exchanging passes with Orvis to get into the penalty area where Stream tried to redeem himself with a lunging tackle, that only resulted in the award of a penalty to AFC Stoneham, in the 90th minute. Captain Orvis stepped up to take it, shooting right-footed and lifting his shot over Lewis Noice’s crossbar, before turning away with his head in his hands.
Stoneham managed to open up the Totton defence in stoppage time, when a cross from the right went beyond the far post but was fired back into the middle by Hills, before Kennedy managed to block the shot and hack the ball upfield. Totton managed to get the ball under control in midfield and began knocking the ball around, no doubt waiting for the full-time whistle. When the ball came back to Lewis Noice, his long kick to just beyond the half-way received a deft flick on from the considerable fringe of Matty Burrows and, although the defender initially looked like the favourite to get to the ball first, Taylor darted past his left shoulder and shrugged his man off as he put an extra yard between them. With time to stride forward a couple of paces and shift the ball onto his left foot, the serenely- composed Ethan TAYLOR slipped the ball to the left of the diving Parker-Trott to roll the ball into the back of the net to add some gloss to the final score.
After the match, AFC Totton manager Jimmy Ball (pictured) said:
“Our performance tonight was very good; thoroughly professional against a good side that would win matches in our league. We went about it in the right way and earned a positive result to take us forward in this competition.
“We made several changes to the team tonight, but nobody was a square peg in a round hole. Charlie Davis has played right-back before and Adam Tomasso is an accomplished central defender, even though both of them usually operate in midfield. We’re fortunate to have such a strong squad and to be able to rest one or two players while still putting out a very strong, talented side that’s capable of winning football matches. It’s taken me a while to assemble this squad, but it’s a good one.
“It may be Christmas but nothing changes for us in our preparations for the Lymington Town game on Boxing Day. We will have the group in twice for training between now and then. These guys are very committed and they know how to prepare properly during this period. They are footballers and footballers work over Christmas.
“But to everyone celebrating, I hope you all enjoy a happy and healthy Christmas. Most importantly, I hope everyone will take the time to be kind and to think of those less fortunate than ourselves.”
NEXT UP: AFC TOTTON vs LYMINGTON TOWN
Southern League Div.1 South | Matchday #17
Snows Stadium | Monday 26 December 2022 | Kick-Off 3:00pm
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 (unless otherwise stated)
