AFC Totton
Photo courtesy of Fin Hall
By Josh Cole
The Stags make the journey to Kent to take on Ebbsfleet United this weekend for matchday 28 of The Enterprise National League South!
In our last match on the 24th of January we beat Dover 3-0 at home, you can recap what happened that day by clicking here and reading the match report.
IMPORTANT: Unfortunately, there will be no Stags Radio commentary at Ebbsfleet tomorrow due to home stadium rules only allowing BBC to commentate and no one else. We apologise for this but there was nothing we can do. Updates from the game will still be going out on our X page and on our Instagram stories!
EBBSFLEET UNITED – THEIR SEASON SO FAR:
The Fleet currently occupy a place in the playoffs, sitting in 5th on 50 points from 30 games. CLICK HERE to view the full league table.
After relegation from the National League last campaign, Ebbsfleet started this season hot, with three wins out of their first three games against Dagenham & Redbridge (0-2), Chippenham (1-0) & Chelmsford (1-0), without conceding a goal in those games.
But their form didn’t carry as they then went winless in their next three, losing away at Slough 2-0, drawing at home against Bath City, 1-1, and losing away at Hampton & Richmond 3-2. Then came another two draws in the league but against good opposition in 3rd placed Hemel Hempstead and 1st placed Hornchurch.
In their first FA Cup game they beat Ashford Town (Middx) 5-0 to progress into the third qualifying round to which they beat Faversham Town, 2-1. Sandwiched in between those Cup games was a league loss at Plainmoor to Torquay (1-0).
Ebbsfleet’s league form continued to suffer, with a 2-2 draw at home against then bottom of the table Eastbourne Borough. However, their Cup form continued to be good as they beat Cray Valley 1-4 in the Kent Senior Cup and then beat National League opposition in Solihull Moors in the FA Cup 4th qualifying round, 2-0.
League form for the Kent side picked up, with two wins in three to round out October. Then came their first-round proper match away at EFL league two side Grimsby, to which despite taking the lead and leading 0-1 at half-time, unfortunately for Ebbsfleet they did end up conceding three and losing the match.
Ebbsfleet managed to win four in a row, two in the league and two in cup competitions after that FA Cup defeat to Grimsby. That run ended with a 1-0 away loss at Weston-super-Mare and this started an inconsistent run with just one win and one draw in five games.
The Kent’s side form picked up again in another run of fixtures which saw six wins out of eight, five of which came in the league. After a 3-0 loss away at fellow Kent side Maidstone, Ebbsfleet’s recent form of one win and three draws has seen them leapfrog into 5th and firmly inside the playoffs.
LAST FIVE: EBBSFLEET UNITED
Vs Enfield Town | Home | ENLS | Drew 2-2
Goalscorers: Dominic Samuel 27’ & Josh Passley 83’
Vs Salisbury | Away | ENLS | Drew 1-1
Goalscorer: Dominic Samuel 55’ (PEN)
Vs Hemel Hempstead | Home | ENLS | Drew 2-2
Goalscorers: Toby Edser 3’ & Ben Chapman 56’
Vs Maidenhead United | Home | ENLS | Won 3-0
Goalscorers: Ronny Nelson 71’ Dominic Samuel 77’ & Kwesi Appiah 90+5’
Vs Maidstone United | Away | ENLS | Lost 3-0
LAST FIVE: AFC TOTTON
Vs Dover Athletic | Home | ENLS | Won 3-0
Goalscorers: Scott Rendell 27’, Luke Hallett 34’ & Tony Lee 49’
Vs Tonbridge Angels | Away | ENLS | Lost 4-1
Goalscorers: Ash Clarke 30’
Vs Enfield Town | Home | ENLS | Won 3-2
Goalscorers: Tony Lee 24’ 90+2’ & Ralph Vigrass 45+4’
Vs Chippenham Town | Home | ENLS | Drew 1-1
Goalscorer: Tony Lee 68’
Vs Salisbury | Away | ENLS | Lost 3-1
Goalscorer: Craig Tanner 47’
COMPARING THE STATS (all comps)
|
Ebbsfleet United |
AFC Totton |
|
|
40 |
Matches Played |
35 |
|
60 |
Goals scored |
52 |
|
45 |
Goals conceded |
62 |
|
+15 |
GD |
-10 |
|
13 |
Clean sheets |
6 |
OPPOSITION PLAYERS TO WATCH:
GOALIE/DEFENCE: CHARLIE SEAMAN
The right-sided attacking wing back arrived at the Kuflink Stadium in summer 2025 having reached the National League South promotion final with Maidstone United.
His previous experience saw him turn out for Doncaster Rovers in Leagues One and Two while he has also played in the National League for Eastleigh, Wealdstone and Hartlepool United. Seaman started out in Bournemouth’s academy and his first taste of senior football was in the Scottish Championship with Dundee United.
MIDFIELD: TOBY EDSER
Signed at Ebbsfleet following a successful trial period in July 2022 after leaving Aldershot.
He spent his formative years with Fulham and Charlton Athletic, moving on to Nottingham Forest on a two-year scholarship in 2018. He won the U18s league at the City Ground and captained Forest’s U23 side before gaining senior experience in two loan spells in the National League with Woking.
Following his departure from Nottingham Forest, Edser was snapped up by Aldershot Town.
He had a memorable first season in a Fleet shirt, scoring 13 goals on the way to the National South title and he was a regular in the National League last season, appearing 37 times.
He ended 2023/24 with his first England C cap and passed the 100-appearance mark for the Fleet and is now into his fourth season at the Kuflink Stadium.
ATTACK: DOMINIC SAMUEL
Experienced striker signed in October 2023 who began his career coming through Reading’s youth ranks. He enjoyed loan spells with clubs including Gillingham before a three-year stay with Blackburn Rovers, helping the club to promotion from League One to the Championship.
In 2020 he returned on a permanent basis to Gillingham, staying with the club for a season before a move north of the border with Ross County.
He spent two years in the SPL before a move back south brought him to the Fleet and he scored on his debut for the club at Hartlepool, having a knack of scoring crucial late goals.
He has battled back to fitness following a leg break at Braintree at the beginning of last season.
MATCH OFFICIALS:
Referee - Richard Wharton
Assistant Ref 1 - Harry Yellen
Assistant Ref 2 - Sam Wigington
Fourth Official - Joseph Gray
GO STAGS
