Match Report: Stags bow out of Trophy.

Attendance – 180

AFC Totton headed to Devon this afternoon to take on Tiverton Town in the Preliminary Round of the FA Trophy. Missing from the squad were Jack Simpson and Tony Rolls.

The game started fairly evenly with both sides attempting to get the upper hand in the tie. For Totton, Mike Gosney played Nathaniel Sherborne in behind the defence, but the shot was scuffed and ran through to the keeper. For the home side, James Richards delivered a Freekick that Jake Wannell could only head over the bar. With just under 15 minutes on the clock, Craig Feeney forced an excellent save from the keeper, who had to tip round the post. From the resulting corner, Feeney headed narrowly wide.

Tiverton then went on to dominate for long periods of the first half, having lots of the ball, but not necessarily troubling the Stags back line. Richards then made some headway down the right hand side, but as he pulled back, looking for yellow shirts, Luke Dempsey was on hand to clear. That was until just before half time, when following some ‘pinball’ in the area, Steve Mowthorpe had to be alert to the danger and threw himself on top of the ball as it spilled goalwards. HT 0-0

The second half began disastrously for Totton as they found themselves a goal down within a minute of the re-start. After an original effort was pushed away by Mowthorpe, Tiverton’s Owen HOWE was in the right place at the right time to score. This seemed to trouble The Stags as they then struggled to find any rhythm and build any momentum. The hosts kept the ball well and frustrated Totton. Credit to Tiverton, they worked hard to do just that.

With 15 minutes left, Gosney had an opportunity to shoot, but on his right foot, the shot went agonizingly wide as the writing started to appear on the wall for the travelling supporters and with only 6 minutes remaining, ‘Tivvy’ substitute Dan WESTERN doubled their advantage after another rebounded effort fell into his path and effectively knocked The Stags out of the FA Trophy. FT 2-0

The Stags started the tie quite brightly and perhaps would’ve gone a different way if they’d have got their noses in front. But as it happened, Tiverton seemed to break up Totton’s play quite well and left them struggling to build any sustained pressure in the final third. They have a chance to rectify that when Tiverton are the visitors to Testwood Stadium for Non-League Day (Saturday 10th October, 3pm) with reduced admission prices (Adults £5, Conc. £3, U-16’s £1).

Before that though, there is a trip to local side AFC Stoneham on Wednesday 7th October, 7.45pm in the Hampshire Senior Cup.

Stags Lineup: Mowthorpe, Hibberd (c), Diaper, Williams*, Dempsey, Roden, Watts, Allen, Feeney, Sherborne, Gosney.

Subs: Rawkins*, Burgess, Brewer, Manning, Hollick.