AFC Totton
MATCH VENUE
The County Ground, Blamford Close, Hamworthy, Poole BH15 4BF
Reigning Wessex Premier League Champions Hamworthy United will be the first team to entertain Jimmy Ball’s travelling party in this fledgling Southern League Div.1 South 2022/23 season on Tuesday night, when AFC Totton go to The County Ground in search of a second consecutive win following the 2-1 comeback success over Bishop’s Cleeve at a baking-hot Snows Stadium on Saturday.
The Hammers romped to their Step 5 title last season, dropping only 21 points from a possible 120 and losing just once to ensure a 9-point gap over their nearest challengers Bashley, who were also promoted. And, like Totton, Hamworthy began the new campaign as they mean to go on by recovering from an early Joseph Charles strike to defeat Bideford 2-1 in North Devon at the weekend, despite having only three substitutes in their matchday squad – but they left it late, with Aiden Shepherd stepping off the bench to become the hero with the winner on his debut two minutes into added time.
Managed by former England C international striker Tim Sills, who enjoyed the kind of nomadic footballing career across virtually every club in Southern England to which our very own Brett Williams, Scott Rendell and Yemi Odubade can all relate, the Hammers kicked-off on Saturday with two familiar names in their starting XI and another conspicuous by his absence.
Goalkeeper Shane Murphy is fondly-remembered at the Snows Stadium, having served the Stags with distinction for two seasons from 2017, during which he fought back from an horrific head injury sustained as a consequence of brave goalkeeping at the feet of opposition forwards in a Hampshire Senior Cup match at Horndean. Voted by the club’s fans on Twitter into AFC Totton’s Team of the Decade in 2020, any sorrow at his eventual departure to Dorchester Town was nothing compared to the relief of seeing him don the gloves again to continue playing the game we all love. The 29-year-old is currently in his second spell with the Hammers.
Right-winger Curtis Young made his league debut for Hamworthy wearing the No.7 shirt at Bideford on Saturday. Having come out of the AFC Bournemouth Academy, he became a Stag in the summer of 2016 and scored 11 goals in all competitions across two seasons before signing for Wimborne Town in 2018. He was a regular participant for his first two years at the New Cuthbury ground but only made sporadic appearances in 2020/21 before re-establishing himself in the team last season, albeit as the Magpies dropped out of the Southern League Premier Division with just four league wins all term.
Mercurial wing wizard Sam Griffin (pictured) is yet to make his Southern League Div.1 South bow for his new team, after leaving the Snows Stadium during the run-in to the 2021/22 campaign, although he has graced Twitter in a claret-and-blue hooped shirt with an impressive overhead volley goal during a pre-season friendly. Griffin, who lives in the Poole area and has been on Hamworthy’s books before, did not travel to Bideford on Saturday because he was attending a wedding. He will be keen to make an impact on his Hammers debut against his former club.
Other new signings making their way to The County Ground this summer are the highly-rated left-back George Calverley, who joins from Dorchester Town; midfielder Rhys Taylor and right-winger Drew Ecott-Young both moved from Eastleigh; Saturday’s winning goalscorer Aiden Shepherd was with Curtis Young at Wimborne last season.
In a total of 9 meetings between AFC Totton and Hamworthy United since the 2004/05 season, the Stags have been victorious 5 times, while the Hammers have 3 wins to their name.
Possibly the most entertaining of the lot, though, was the only draw when Mark Osman and a Mike Gosney-double ensured the spoils were shared at Testwood Park in 2007/08. Both league meetings in the previous season ended in 4-0 victories for the Stags, with Floyd Hamadou among eight separate players to register goals.
The most recent encounter was an FA Cup Preliminary Round tie at about this time in 2018, when the hosting Hammers triumphed with the only goal of the game.
By Ben Rochey-Adams and Malcolm Tombs, Club Historian
Image courtesy of Craig Hobbs Photography
