AFC Totton
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THEY SAY THE LEAGUE TABLE NEVER LIES but in the case of the dramatically improved Lymington Town, the Southern League Div.1 South table is telling great big whoppers!
After narrowly avoiding relegation back to the Wessex League last season, The Linnets lost all of their opening seven games of the 2022/23 season and, at one point, looked dead-on certainties to suffer the drop at the end of the current campaign. But, following a mid-season recruitment drive, the team’s performances on the pitch have vastly improved to the extent that 19th place in the rankings belies their recent form.
A creditable 1-1 draw at Frome Town in mid-October put Lymo’s first point on the board, and then a late winner from ex-Stags midfielder Lewis Waterfield resulted in Lymington’s first league win of the season against a Hamworthy United side that has already taken four points from its home and away encounters with AFC Totton. And Lymington made it back-to-back wins by defeating Melksham Town 3-2 in their next match.
Even since the up-turn in fortunes, there have been some bumps in the road. Tavistock AFC helped themselves to a 7-3 away win at the Lymington Sports Ground in November and, having dispensed of Totton & Eling in the Russell-Cotes Cup, Lymington’s interest in that competition was brought to an abrupt end by a 0-8 thrashing at home to Bashley – albeit with a weakened side.
They can consider themselves very unfortunate to have not taken a point from their most recent match, when a goal from Edward Butcher eight minutes into stoppage time gave Paulton Rovers a valuable away win. That was way back on Saturday 03 December, though, since when Lymington’s league games at home to Bishop’s Cleeve and away to Westbury United, and a Hampshire Senior Cup 3rd Round trip to Baffins Milton Rovers that was scheduled in between, have all fallen foul of the cold weather conditions – meaning that Manager Dave Lewis will bring his team to the Boxing Day encounter at the Snows Stadium with them not having kicked a ball in anger for more than three weeks.
Lewis Waterfield isn’t the only familiar face within Lymington’s ranks. Goalkeeper Amadeusz Skrzyniarz was with The Linnets on loan last season, before being recalled due to an injury to Lewis Noice. He made a total of 16 appearances for The Stags during the 2021/22 campaign. He returned to the Sports Ground in the summer and, despite having switched to AFC Portchester for a while, he is now the established No.1 at the Sports Ground. Former Weymouth defender Jack Seddon had a short spell with AFC Totton this season, making his debut in the Southampton Senior Cup win at Ringwood Town and featuring in Isuzu FA Trophy win at Merthyr Town among a handful of games for Jimmy Ball’s team, before moving to Lymington on a permanent transfer.
West Totton resident Nathan Hurst (pictured below, left) is now restored to the Lymington midfield after spending the second half of the 2021/22 campaign as a Stag. Midfielder Jason Brookes lists Totton, Bashley and Dorchester Town among his former clubs. Young striker Harrison Cable scored in his only AFC Totton appearance, in the 13-0 drubbing of Durley in the Southampton Senior Cup in mid-January. He stepped off the bench to score Lymington’s winner at Bideford AFC a month ago; that 2-1 win is their most recent success in the league. Also on target that day was Jireh Oyebamiji, who is currently on loan from Totton & Eling. That was JJ’s second Lymington goal; his first delivered a 2-1 win at home to Larkhall Athletic in mid-November.
HEADS UP: Opposing captains Nathan Hurst and Harry Medway engage in an aerial dual during the match between these two sides at the Snows Stadium the same time last year, when Totton wore their fluo yellow away kit in support of Shelter's #NoHomeKit campaign.
These two sides met three times last season, the first of those matches taking place at the Lymington Sports Ground on the last day of August 2021. Two goals from Ethan Taylor, a Jack Hoey penalty and an own goal by Lymington defender Tim Stephenson gave The Stags a handsome 4-0 away win. On Tuesday 02 November, just three days after Totton had overcome Dorchester Town in the FA Trophy in Dan Sackman’s first game in charge, a late goal by Freddie Bullard eliminated Totton from the Southern League Challenge Cup. The Stags got their own back, though, when Lymington returned to the Snows Stadium for the Boxing Day round of matches that actually took place on 27 December. An AFC Totton side clad in their away kit of fluo yellow thrashed their New Forest neighbours 7-1 with goals from Jordan Ngalo, Shaquille Gwengwe, Sam Griffin, Hisham Kasimu, Harry Medway and a brace from substitute Jack Hoey.
Since 2002/03, the two sides have met on 13 occasions. Totton have won 7 and drawn 2; Lymington have 4 wins.
As they did last year, AFC Totton will again wear their away kit when they entertain Lymington on Boxing Day, in support of the homelessness charity Shelter’s #NoHomeKit campaign.
By Ben Rochey-Adams and Macolm Tombs, Club Historian
Image courtesy of Craig Hobbs Photography
