AFC Totton
SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIV.1 SOUTH 2022/23
MATCHDAY 32 - Wednesday 05 April 2023
TAVISTOCK AFC 0
AFC TOTTON 0
TABLE-TOPPING TOTTON went to West Devon for a rainswept midweek fixture at Tavistock AFC’s Langsford Park, on Wednesday night. In difficult conditions, The Stags dominated possession but despite hitting the home team’s woodwork on two occasions and forcing their goalkeeper to make at least one spectacular save, they couldn’t find the crucial breakthrough against a stubborn Lambs defence.
Jimmy Ball went with the same matchday squad as the one that beat Wimborne Town 4-0 at New Cuthbury on Saturday, with the same five players on the bench.
AFC TOTTON
Starting Line-Up
1. Lewis NOICE
2. Benny READ
3. Jack MASTERTON
4. Mike CARTER (Capt.)
5. Ben JEFFORD
6. Luke HALLETT
7. Charlie DAVIS
8. Adam TOMASSO
9. Scott RENDELL
10. Ethan TAYLOR
11. Tommy WRIGHT
Substitutes
14. Matthew BURROWS
15. Mitchell SPEECHLEY-PRICE
16. Josh CARMICHAEL
17. Conor WHITELEY
18. Marcus DAY
The home side, decked out in red-and-black shirts, black shorts and red socks, took the kick-off. The temperature wasn’t particularly cold but there was a constant sheeting of light rain spraying across the pitch at the whim of the wind, like a murmuration of birds, as highlighted by the orange glow of the Langsford Park floodlights.
In the early stages, both teams took turns getting the ball into positive positions in wide areas but neither could muster a decent enough delivery to create a viable chance. Tavistock were the first to take aim at their opponents’ goal in the third minute, when Edward Harrison pounced on a miss-kick by Hallett that sent the ball upward to provide Joshua Parry with a shooting chance that he fired over the top. Then, another defensive error was tidied up by Jack Masterton heading back to Lewis Noice, although the goalkeeper had to stretch to make sure it didn’t loop over him for an own goal.
But the pattern of the game soon became apparent, with Tavistock sitting off Totton and inviting their visitors to come forward. Jimmy Ball’s team pushed the ball from left to right across their back four and looked for opportunities down both flanks, but frequently found their pathways blocked by well-drilled defensive play.
HEADS UP: Scott Rendell competes for high ball at Tavistock FC's Langsford Park.
Rendell had a brief glimpse of goal when he managed to turn his marker inside the box, only for a covering defender to stab the ball away. Wright’s follow-up cannoned back off another red-and-black shirt. Davis also had a low shot blocked, as Totton began to dominate the ball. Then, Jefford intercepted from a promising move for the home team to enable Totton to spring forward. Davis crossed from the right but the ball eluded Taylor, sliding in on the wet surface in the middle of the goal.
Wright received possession from Carter’s header to drive a 22-yard snapshot that was well-saved by Joshua Oak low to his left. Then, at the other end, strong hold up play by Tavistock’s Harrison enabled him and Ben Cross to create an opening in the inside-right channel for Oscar Massey. He advanced and shot into the side-netting.
Benny Read got forward from right-back from Hallett’s long pass, and laid the ball back for Davis to centre. Tavistock’s defenders dealt with it easily enough and although, in similar situations, Totton would often win the ball back again quickly in midfield they found it difficult to fashion shooting chances. And while Tavistock were limited in the number of times they were able to launch counter-attacks, they were far from being overwhelmed within their own defensive third.
A 29th minute corner from the Tavistock left soared narrowly over the heads of everyone in the middle, the ball nicking off a blue head for a throw-in to the home side on the far side. Ben Cross took it and received the ball back to deliver into the box, where Hallett headed away for Totton and the ball bounced up to strike a Tavistock arm for a rather harsh hand-ball decision in The Stags’ favour.
Captain Mike Carter could be heard barking instructions, demanding higher levels from his team in terms of touch, control and concentration. Fouls by Masterton and, a minute later, Wright inside the centre-circle produced free-kicks for the home side but their high deliveries into the Totton box were dealt with, Noice taking the ball confidently on the second occasion.
WRIGHT IN THE THICK OF IT: Tommy Wright does battle with two Tavistock players, including No.7 Tallan Burns.
Masterton got forward on the left-hand side, overlapping with Davis to get the cross in from close to the corner flag. Taylor Scarff made the block for Tavistock. Then, Davis gave chase to Jefford’s searching ball down the left-hand side. He managed to wrestle his way past Cross at the byline but Scarff was immediately on him to force a goal kick.
Noice had to come racing out to kick clear an under-hit back pass from Adam Tomasso, during a period in which Totton players were struggling to content with one another, although not operating quite on the same wavelength. Two minutes before the break, the heavy pitch took its toll on Tommy Wright, who is still working his way back from a serious long-term injury, so he was replaced by Matty Burrows but there was little time to make an impact before the half-time whistle sounded.
HALF-TIME
TAVISTOCK AFC 0
AFC TOTTON 0
Taylor was taken down early in the second half, as he tried to latch onto Masterton’s pass down the left-hand side. Davis sent the free-kick towards the far side, where it was left untouched to flash past the post. Then on 50 minutes, Taylor put the ball in the net from Rendell’s cutting pass, but the offside flag ruled it out.
Matty Burrows - who, contrary to previous recent reports describing him as a teenager, is actually 21 years-old - gave chase to a lobbed pass through the middle from Mike Carter, but Oak came off his line to get to it first. Then, Carter made an important intervention to crowd Massey out through the middle. Totton went forward and won another free-kick on the left, this time Hallett jumped between two defenders to head a Davis cross wide at the far post.
Hallett then turned provider, freeing Taylor to attack down the left flank. The winger first attempted to cross but the ball was blocked and when it bounced back to him, he unleashed a right-footed shot that beat Oak and smacked against the far post. Then, Davis and Masterton earned a corner on the left that was only partially cleared. Benny Read fired an angled shot from through a crowd from the edge of the box; Oak reacted sharply to parry over the crossbar.
GET OUT: Ben Jefford makes an important defensive header from a Tavistock set-piece.
Read, Carmichael and Carter combined on the right to enable the latter to send a high cross towards the penalty spot, where Rendell headed over the bar under pressure. Then, at the other end, Read headed a Tavistock cross away on the edge of his own six-yard box from their right-hand side after a swift counter-attack, preventing the ball reaching two red-and-black shirts lurking at the far post.
A Burrows cross from the Totton right was only half-cleared. Davis worked hard to keep the pressure on, having one attempted shot charged down and reacting quickly to regain possession, but Totton couldn’t find a way through. As the game became increasingly frenetic, Carter slipped Taylor in at inside-left and the Totton No.10 again beat the goalkeeper only to see his effort rebound off the bar.
Tomasso, Davis and Carmichael tried to make progress down the Totton left but misplaced pass enable Tavistock to counter down their right wing. Masterton was booked for a foul close to their right-wing corner flag. Tallan Burns took it, striking an in-swinging cross-shot with his left foot that flew across the six-yard box and curled around the far post, going narrowly wide.
Burrows pounced on a defensive miss-kick but a covering defender managed to get his foot in before The Stags’ sub could sprint through on goal from the Totton right. Then, in the 68th minute, a cross from Burns on the left was intercepted by Tomasso in the middle, but he ran into the prone figure of Harrison. The ball rebounded to Massey, who was free to the right of The Stags’ penalty spot with the whole goal to aim at; Lewis Noice sprung off his line and repelled the shot with his legs.
NEARLY THERE: Hunting his 50th AFC Totton goal, Ethan Taylor hit the woodwork twice as Totton came within a whisker of taking all three points from a tough encounter in West Devon.
Taylor tried to weave his way into the left side of the Tavistock box, making considerable progress before his shot was deflected for a corner. Davis took it, send an in-swinging cross to the near post area; it wasn’t clear who direct it as goal but it was hacked off the line by a Lambs defender. Then, headers from Hallett and Carmichael landed the ball at Rendell’s feet. He clipped a pass out to the right-hand side for Burrows, who won a throw-in, from which Read and Carmichael were able to work a one-two to play Burrows into space on the right, but his low cross was turned away for a corner. Masterton curled towards the near post where Rendell and Hallett both attacked it, the ball striking the latter on the shoulder and rebounding harmlessly and high into the Devon night sky.
As time ticked on, Totton were looking the more likely to break the deadlock. Masterton released Taylor down the left and he wriggled his way past Cross to send in a low angled cross-shot. Rendell slid to try and get a foot on it but Oak claimed it bravely on the ground.
With 11 minutes to go, Jimmy Ball sent on Conor Whiteley in place of Charlie Davis. A corner from Masterton on the Totton left was headed out. Read managed to get it under control about 25 yards out and tried his luck with a well-struck shot, which was only just over the bar.
Tomasso dealt with a lone wolf attack from a Lamb in red-and-black clothing, before passing out to the right-hand side to enable Read and Burrows to combine to get forward, but they were eventually crowded out by Tavistock’s hard-working defence and midfield. Totton had their hosts pressed back into their own defensive third, as they passed the ball across the field, looking for a route to goal. The home side were by this point content to run the clock down, with Oak shuffling across his six-yard box for every goal kick and throw-ins taking twice as long as usual. The Referee did little to hurry them along, although the stated three minutes of stoppage time was extended to seven.
Read worked his way into the right of the penalty area amid several red-and-black shirts. He cracked a shot that deflected off one defender to prompt a scramble to the left of the penalty area, which was eventually ended by Burrows fouling one of the Tavistock defenders. Then, deep into the extended stoppage time, Jack Masterton crossed high from the left for Scott Rendell to head back across goal. Ethan Taylor raced in ahead of his marker at the left-hand post to get to the ball first, but moving so quickly he could only steer the ball over the bar from close range, ending a tough night on the road for The Stags, who nevertheless remain unbeaten in their last eleven league games.
After the match, AFC Totton boss Jimmy Ball (pictured) said:
“That was very tough on a difficult surface and the players had to work very hard to get something from the game. They dug in and they fought and scrapped for everything. The home team didn’t really want to come out and play, which always makes it difficult, but our lads did everything they could to find ways in and to try and get that goal. It wasn’t to be, and credit to Tavistock for that - they did what they did very well - but I was proud of my players for their willingness to work and fight, and just to keep going on a heavy pitch, on the kind of night that really saps the strength out of you.
“We hit the woodwork twice and their keeper had to make an excellent save. I think Noicey was only called into action once, really. There was only going to be one winner. But, sometimes you don’t manage to find that crucial breakthrough or you don’t get that little bit of luck you need. As I always say, though, if you can’t win, then don’t get beat. They stretched us once or twice, playing on the counter - you expect that, with us being the away side - but other than that one chance Lewis saved with his legs, they didn’t really hurt us.
“Tommy Wright is still working his way back from an injury that kept him out of the game for more than 18 months, so he still needs a bit of TLC. He’s done really well in the time he’s been with us, but tonight took it out of him and it was necessary to give him a rest and protect him from further injury.
“The fans were unbelievable, again, tonight. Coming all this way for midweek game to get behind the team is fantastic and on behalf of the whole team, I want to thank them on behalf of all the players and backroom staff. Having them there to cheer us on really makes a difference to us. We’ve always said it’s not going to be a procession - there will be ups and downs along the way - but stick with us and keep helping us to fight on in every game. The Melksham Town away game has now been scheduled in for next Wednesday, which I think is a crazy decision by the Southern League to give us three games in five days. But, bring it on; we will take whatever challenge they or anybody else want to throw at us, and we will approach it all in the right way to maximise our chances of getting positive results, and being up there where it counts come 22 April.”
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By Ben Rochey-Adams
Images courtesy of Ian West
