AFC Totton
SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIV.1 SOUTH
Matchday #23
AFC TOTTON 3
Ethan Taylor 15mins; Shaquille Gwengwe 21mins; Hisham Kasimu 90+1mins
MANGOTSFIELD UNITED 0
First-half goals from Ethan Taylor and Shaquille Gwengwe set AFC Totton on their way to a comfortable home win yesterday (Saturday), with Hisham Kasimu adding a third in stoppage time, as the Stags recovered from recent back-to-back defeats on the road to take all three points against lower-table strugglers Mangotsfield United on a cold and windy afternoon at the Snows Stadium.
Manager Dan Sackman, who spent his Friday night facing questions from supporters at the Club’s first Fans’ Forum under the new Chairmanship of Stephen Snow, brought defensive midfielder Adam Tomasso back into the starting line-up following his recovery from injury, while Shaquille Gwengwe was given the nod to take the No.9 shirt ahead of Hisham Kasimu, who dropped to the bench. Freddie Read pulled a thigh muscle during the warm-up, so his 11th-hour replacement Jordan Ngalo took to the field at kick-off wearing the No.14 shirt.
THE ORIGINAL STARTING LINE-UP: No.14 Jordan Ngalo started for the Stags after Freddie Read injured himself in the warm-up.
Mangotsfield United kicked-off in maroon coloured shirts and shorts, with light blue socks, and their left winger Joe Beardwell soon had Ade Olumuyiwa engaged in a foot race to the byline, which the Stags right-back won with the help of a hefty shove on the shoulder to upset his opponent’s running rhythm.
The home side also favoured the left-wing byline for an early excursion into enemy territory, with Jack Hoey spinning quickly away from his marker to latch onto Jordan Ragguette’s throw-in before feeding Shaq Gwengwe on the left edge of the 6-yard box. His shot was nudged into the side-netting by Mangos goalkeeper, Marko Radovanic, but Ethan Taylor’s cross from the corner was caught by a strong wind that forced the ball to drift harmlessly behind the visitors’ goal.
Momentary hesitation by centre-back Matt Davis almost let Gwengwe in straight down the middle from Adam Tomasso’s hooked clearance but the defender recovered in time to clear into touch. Then, Jordan Ngalo dribbled to the byline before being crowded out by maroon shirts before he could locate a team-mate.
Striker Kye Simpson, recognisable on the pitch as sporting the combination of short sleeves and gloved hands, stole in down the left-hand side for the visitors and, from a tight angle, fired the ball past Lewis Noice. Skipper Harry Medway had the presence of mind to get back onto the goal-line to head the ball away, Kpohomouh and Ragguette smothering the attempted follow-up.
In the 8th minute, Jordan Ragguette responded to being nutmegged in the manner of any self-respecting Southern League Div.1 South footballer by hacking his opponent’s ankle. The referee showed leniency by keeping his yellow card in his pocket.
After a short stoppage to allow Mangos midfielder Tabu Minzamba to receive treatment for a head injury suffered during an aerial duel with Medway, Ngalo intercepted a pass near the centre-circle and led a one-man charge against the opposition’s defensive ranks. After advancing in a diagonal left direction, he then switched to burrowing infield across the edge of the penalty area before letting fly with a right-foot shot that soared wide of the right-hand post.
OPENING GOAL: AFC Totton's Ethan Taylor put the Stags ahead in the 15th minute with his 21st goal of the season in all competitions.
On 15 minutes, Dan Sackman’s team went ahead when a long pass towards the inside-left was headed on by Shaq Gwengwe, freeing the unmarked Ethan TAYLOR to latch onto it, skip around Radovanic to the goalkeeper’s right and roll the ball into the empty net from the edge of the 6-yard box. The referee took a moment to go over his Assistant on the opposite touchline before confirming that the opening goal for AFC Totton did indeed stand.
The away side went straight on the attack from the restart and Joe Beardwell threw himself full length in an attempt to head the ball at Lewis Noice’s goal, but couldn’t get his effort on target. Then, Mangotsfield substituted Tabu Minzamba for Luke Smith, before Medway was forced to head away under pressure from Beardwell’s left-wing cross.
Totton found themselves defending deep inside their own penalty area whenever the visitors won throw-ins within hurling distance of central defender Samuel Larkins’ trebuchet-like arms. One such attempt looped over the stretching Medway but Mangotsfield were unable to take advantage before the Stags forced the ball away.
A 21st-minute trip on Ethan Taylor earned a free-kick for Totton on the right-hand side, midway inside the Mangotsfield half. Taylor took it himself and floated his delivery over Davis to find Shaquille GWENGWE 10 yards out, the ball dropping over his head but connecting with his shoulder before looping over Radovanic to double Totton’s advantage, leaving the Australian keeper to lead the inquest into how the Stags striker managed to be unmarked so close to goal.
Medway and Noice managed to deal with another Larkins missile from the visitors’ left touchline before Noice tried to set Gwengwe away on the counter-attack, Davis intervening for Mangotsfield. Then, when Daniel Mcbeam’s free-kick was turned away by Totton, right-back Emmanuel Oke fed Mcbeam again down the right flank from where, with some nimble footwork to evade Ragguette, he fired the ball into the near post area. Beardwell came rushing in at pace and made a solid connection but his effort was deflected wide for a corner. Ragguette managed to get the ball clear from the cross, but Oke latched onto it outside the area and drove in a low shot which Noice saved low to his left.
Taylor managed to twist away from his marker to deliver an in-swinging cross to the far post, which proved just too long for Griffin. Then, a well-timed interception from Davis prevented Griffin’s clever through-ball putting Taylor in on goal, again. And Taylor, who recently returned from a three-game suspension, was deservedly shown a yellow card for a cynical foul in the centre-circle to put an early end to a Mangotsfield counter-attack.
Totton successfully defended the free-kick and launched a counter-attack of their own. Noice sent the ball long to Gwengwe on the left touchline and the former Worthing striker drove infield before picking out Taylor on the right side of the D. His touch teed up Jack Hoey for a signature long-range curler, which was quickly charged down, but Taylor took advantage of the bounce to bundle his way through before Radovanic dived at his feet to claim the ball on the 6-yard line.
STARTING STRIKER: Shaquille Gwengwe was handed the No.9 shirt for AFC Totton today in their Southern League Div.1 South match with Mangotsfield United.
Larkins hurled in another long throw from the right, which came of someone in a ruck of players on its way to Simpson, whose shot across goal was pushed away for a corner by Noice. Larkins demonstrated he’s a multi-faceted threat from set-pieces by connecting with the cross with a flying header that flew wide to the right.
Radonavic had to be alert to prevent Taylor going round him again, after the Stags winger judged the bounce better than left-back Tyler Jackson to steal in behind the defender, the Queensland-born keeper getting out quickly to narrow the angle as Taylor tried to convert with his weaker right foot.
Mangotsfield were within inches of pulling a goal back shortly before the break. Joe Cattermole found Kye Simpson in space to the left of goal and the striker - whose brother Kane is among the top scorers in this division with Frome Town - shot into the ground, forcing Lewis Noice to scramble and stretch to flick the ball away with his left hand. The right-wing corner found Simpson free on the far side despite the presence of several Totton defenders, and he had the time to allow the ball to drop and strike a ferocious effort smack into the left-hand post, the power of the shot so great that the ball effectively cleared itself on the rebound. Shortly after, Medway had to head another long throw away from under his own crossbar and Cattermole’s volley on the follow-up was too high, leaving Totton’s lead in tact at the break.
HALF-TIME
AFC TOTTON 2
MANGOTSFIELD UNITED 0
Callum Baughan came on before the second half got underway to replace Ade Olumuyiwa at right-back for the home side.
Some Sam Griffin wizardry down the left presented a shooting opportunity for Ngalo from 20 yards out, Radovanic saving low to his left. Then, after a promising Totton attack fell apart due to an overcooked one-two between Gwengwe and Taylor, the match descended into a series of long, aimless punts that were prone to the influence of the strong winds swirling above the Snows Stadium.
Mangotsfield substitute Jadyn Crosby made an immediate impact by darting to the left-wing byline and crossing to Cattermole on the edge of the penalty area. His shot ricocheted across goal and out for a corner on the left. The cross to the far post was met with a powerful header by the on-rushing Larkins, which was straight at Noice, the keeper catching the ball next to his left-hand post.
WHACK!: AFC Totton midfielder Jordan Ngalo takes aim from distance.
Larkins then showcased his defensive abilities by sliding in to halt Taylor’s progress, after a Lewis Noice drop-kick was headed on by Griffin. Then, Dan Sackman introduced the Stags’ top scorer Hisham Kasimu from the bench, with Jack Hoey making way.
A low drive by Adam Tomasso from a partially-cleared corner was turned away by the Mangotsfield defence, shortly before Harry Medway picked up a yellow card for an innocuous challenge on half-way, which prevented the away side from springing clear on the counter.
Mangotsfield, who came into this game third from bottom of the Southern League Div.1 South table, were capable of threatening Totton in isolated situations without ever hurting them, with Medway and Kpohomouh coping ardently with whatever Larkins, in particular, could throw at them. And, when the Stags broke away on the counter, Gwengwe battled valiantly in the middle to release Kasimu on the right flank, only for the referee to fail to see the advantage and pull the play back for a free-kick, much to the annoyance of the Totton faithful beyond that touchline.
Gwengwe needed treatment after going down close to the left-wing corner flag, as he tried to take on two Mangotsfield players. And the striker won a free-kick further back down the left flank shortly after, forcing Larkins to take emergency action when he caught the defender in possession. Taylor’s delivery was inch perfect for Medway on the 6-yard box, but the defender stood firm on his goal-side to make the block.
A miss-directed header by Callum Baughan allowed Simpson to dart in behind him but from a tight angle to the left, he dragged his shot across the face of goal and harmlessly away on the far side.
More of the high balls going nowhere in particular followed from both sides. The forwards were all willing to close down defenders but often gave away niggling fouls that slowed the game down and kept Mangotsfield at bay, where Totton wanted them. Dan Sackman made a late change, bringing Lewis Waterfield on to protect Ethan Taylor from a potential second yellow card. Then, with a few minutes to go, Joe Cattermole decide to try his luck from a 40-yard free-kick that was firmly struck but sailed well wide of the right-hand post.
As the digital board was displayed to confirm that a scrappy second half would be extended by four additional minutes, a sudden burst of life down the Totton inside-right tempted Radovanic out to the edge of his penalty area, where Hisham KASIMU sprung his trap, hopped around the keeper and knocked the ball home to add a layer of gloss to a routine home win.
GOALS, GOALS, GOALS: AFC Totton's Hisham Kasimu makes a late cameo appearance to grab a third for the Stags.
The French striker came close to adding a fourth soon after, when he drifted in from the right wing to position himself just behind the penalty spot for a left-foot rasper that Radovanic did well to catch.
Totton physio Andrew Hanley had to lend his support to his Mangotsfield counterpart when two United players clashed heads near the half-way line. And when play resumed, Simpson and Cattermole both had shots blocked by a resolute Totton defence, before Larkins’ last attempt to cause chaos in the box with his long throw was thwarted by Noice punching clear, moments before the referee sounded the final whistle.
The win moves Totton into 3rd place in the league table. Leaders Cirencester Town dropped two points with a goalless draw at Sholing, while in Somerset, 2nd-placed Frome Town left it late to eventually beat Bideford 2-0. Meanwhile, an Oliver Bailey hat-trick saw Winchester City to a 3-0 away win at Highworth Town, leaving them behind the Stags on goal difference and one point ahead of the Boatmen. Plymouth Parkway, whose four games in-hand keep them in contention for the play-off spots, lost ground with a 0-2 defeat at home to Bristol Manor Farm.
Totton’s next match is the away trip to Frome Town on Saturday 05 February, for a 2nd vs 3rd encounter. The Stags are unbeaten in the two meetings between the sides this season, both of them at the Snows Stadium, but will be preparing themselves for a thorough examination from a highly-talented team that includes ex-Totton favourite, Jonathan Davies.
Match Report by Ben Rochey-Adams
Images courtesy of Craig Hobbs Photography
