AFC Totton
It was a frustrating and disappointing day at the office for AFC Totton as they hosted Slough Town at The Snows Stadium, which saw The Rebels come out 1-0 winners.
Slough started positively in the opening exchanges, with Kyle Brooks firing a shot that was
comfortably saved by Ryan Gosney within the opening minute. This was followed by a
throw-in from Slough which caused some trouble for The Stags, but again Gosney came to
deter the threat.
After an opening exchange of possession going back and forth between both teams, 8
minutes in, Kyrie Jay Victor Pierre received the ball on the edge of the box and launched a
shot that flew high and wide for a goal kick. That was followed minutes later as, on 10
minutes, Ruben Shakpoke received the ball in the box, which he held up well and turned to
fire a shot that went into the side netting.
Totton’s first sniff of goal came in the 14th minute as Tony Lee held up the ball just outside
the box and gave a cheeky backheel which fell to Josh Sims, whose squared ball was
intercepted before it could reach Sol Wanjau-Smith. At this point, Totton began to be in
control of the game with a barrage of throw-ins and corners in the Slough final third. The
peak of the possession came in the 19th minute as Craig Tanner whipped a corner that was
met by Tyler Cordner, whose glancing header went just wide of the goal.
In the 20th minute, Godlove Oppong broke into the box and unleashed a shot that was well
blocked by Harry Mills.
Godlove Oppong would get another opportunity in the 26th minute as he had a shot from a tight angle, but it got deflected and went out for a throw-in. From the throw-in, Totton went on the attack with Tony Lee holding up the ball and setting up Sol Wanjau-Smith, whose shot from the edge of the box was saved by Stevie Bausor.
Slough grew more and more into the game, and in the 29th minute, Slough broke forward
with the ball, which led to a shot from Joseph Morrison which was valiantly blocked by Tony
Lee, who had to briefly go down due to the effects of it.
In the 33rd minute, Slough broke down the left, and Jaiden Drakes-Thomas had a shot
which was well blocked by Charlie Betts, which ricocheted out to Kyle Brooks, who fired
over. That attack was briefly followed by a speculative effort that flew over the bar from 20
yards out by Shay Spencer.
In the 37th minute, the ball was worked well between Harry Mills and Sol Wanjau-Smith that resulted in Sol Wanjau-Smith whipping a square ball into a dangerous area, but it was
cleared by Keenan Quansah, who could only slice it, resulting in Tony Lee fouling Stevie
Bausor, who came to claim it.
Slough finished the half on top with Joseph Morrison getting on the end of a cross and hitting a well-struck volley that curved away from the goal and went out.
At half time both teams were level at 0-0.
After 47 minutes, Slough broke down the left-hand side of the pitch, and the ball fell to Kyrie
Jay Victor Pierre, whose shot was blocked by Charlie Betts.
The first yellow card came out in the 53rd minute as Ruben Shakpoke was admonished for a
high foot on Luke Hallett, however, minutes later in the 55th minute, Slough went on the
counter-attack following Totton having possession high up the pitch and broke down the left
side of the pitch, with Ruben Shakpoke bursting through on goal to slot it past Ryan Gosney
to make it 1-0 to The Rebels.
In the 62nd minute, Charlie Osborne whipped a free kick in with Tony Lee being the intended target; however, the striker received a massive shove, which the referee said wasn't a penalty.
Slough kept creating good chances but couldn’t make them accurate enough to test Ryan
Gosney, but on 68 minutes, just after coming on, Ibrahim Olateju got on the end of a free
kick, sending his volley narrowly wide. Ibrahim Olateju had an opportunity 4 minutes later in
the 72nd minute as it was well worked down the left with Harry Mills whipping a low cross
into the box that Olateju got to, but Stevie Bausor made a good save to deny him.
In the 75th minute Slough broke down the left and cut in setting up John Goddard for a long
range shot that Ryan Gosney parried into the path of Luke Holness whose shot was
amazingly saved by Gosney as well to deny both Slough players. 1 minute later in the 76th
minute a shot from Luke Holness was deflected out to Jared Myers whose shot was
brilliantly saved by Gosney who was at full stretch to deny Slough a second goal.
Totton began to bombard the Slough goal in search of an equaliser as in the 78th minute
Ralph Vigrass drove forward unleashing a shot on the right side of the box which hit the side
netting followed by a free kick from Declan Rose that was flicked on by Luke Hallett but it
went out of reach of Tony Lee.
In the 85th minute John Goddard picked up a yellow card for delaying the restart from a
corner, the resulting corner ended up with Ryan Gosney making a good save to deny Luke
Holness as the ball fell to his feet and his shot was saved down low to Gosneys’ right.
In the dying embers of the game Totton bombareded the Slough goal with Luke Bennett
whipping a cross into Ibrahim Olateju who knocked it down to set up Tony Lee whose shot
was really well saved by Stevie Bausor. In the 94th minute of the game Totton had a chance
to equalise late on when Charlie Osborne launched a free kick into the box, Luke Hallett met
the cross which was saved by Stevie Bausor who spilt it resulting in a goal mouth scramble
but Bausor reclaimed it to see of the game.
Totton return to action on Saturday the 19th September against Gloucester City in the FA
Cup.
AFC Totton Line-up: Gosney, Betts (Rose 80’), Hallett, Cordner ©, Mills, Tanner (Fleet 60’),
Osborne, Sims, Wanjau-Smith (Olateju 68’), Vigrass (Bennett 90’), Lee
