AFC Totton
WOOD WIN AS STAGS FALL SHORT
AFC Totton 0-2 Shortwood United
Attendance: 215
AFC Totton took on Shortwood United this afternoon, who’d won one and lost one heading into this game. The Stags were without Diaper, Allen, Manning, Roden and Dempsey.
The game got off to a quick start and with little over a minute on the clock, Shortwood were in front. The goal came from The Stags left hand side, Price was able to get the ball across to WHITE who poked home from close range. In truth it was a soft goal to concede and unfortunately, there was still worse to come. With just 8 minutes on the clock, the visitors found themselves 2 nil up, courtesy of a long range free kick from just inside The Stags half. HADDOCK looked up and caught Steve Mowthorpe off his line and duly lobbed him from all of 45 yards. Totton were 2 down less than 10 minutes into the game and in truth, it was their own doing. Then to make matters worse, Mike Gosney went off injured (back) and was replaced by Mark Lilley.
As The Stags attempted to fight their way back into the game, they struggled to create any real noteworthy opportunities, save for Feeney shooting wide with a couple of mis-connected efforts. Totton put a nice move together with around half an hour gone, as Lilley chested the ball down for Watts, his shot was blocked and the rebound fell to Jake Burgess, who just got under his shot and it went over. The half then petered out, although Feeney had one more effort which went well wide after harassing a defender into a mistake. HT 0-2
At the start of the second half, Totton made a substitution with Tony Rolls going off for Taylor Edards, having fell awkwardly during the first period. The Stags started the second half with a tad more determination about them than the first, when Mark Lilley and then Nathaniel Sherborne tracked back from their advanced positions to make a good slide challenge each, to try and help break up Shortwood’s play, but it wasn’t quite enough to provide the spark The Stags needed and the half soon settled down with the visitors taking control. Goalscorer Joe White had 2 good chances in 10 minutes just after the hour mark, first he just missed a pull back into the area, then, he volleyed over what was a chance with ample time and space to have a go from the edge of the area.
As the game drew to a close, Stags boss Steve Hollick threw on Jake Rawkins and having only just 6 minutes to impress, he made a good impact, haring away down the left hand side to put in 2 good crosses, which, in the end, Shortwood dealt with, but he perhaps seemed to have the spark that Totton were looking for this afternoon. FT 0-2
Needless to say, this reverse result caps off a disappointing week for The Stags after pre-season left everybody at the club with a very positive outlook on the new season. However, football has a cruel habit of disrupting the best laid plans and it’s well worth noting that The Stags were without 3 out of 4 of their 1st choice defenders when Rolls went off injured and have now had a different back line in each of their opening 3 Southern League Division 1 South and West games. But it also seemed that The Stags lacked that ‘spark’ this afternoon and will certainly leave food for thought for manager Steve Hollick and his management team, heading into Wedneday nights game away to Larkhall Athletic at 7.45pm.
Stags Lineup: Mowthorpe, Hibberd(c), ***Attrill, **Rolls, Beckles, Williams, Burgess, Watts, *Gosney, Sherborne, Feeney.
Subs: Greene, **Edwards, ***Rawkins, *Lilley, Ferguson.
