AFC Totton
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First of all, congratulations to Winchester City on their promotion to the Southern League Premier Division South via the promotion play-offs at the end of last season. The Stags and the Citizens spent the run-in competing for the same play-off spot and Winchester City deservedly claimed it.
Manager Craig Davis’s side stayed the course well throughout the 2021/22 campaign, losing only to the eventual Southern League Div.1 South Champions Plymouth Parkway and runners-up Cirencester Town in the post-Christmas period on their way to overtaking AFC Totton, to qualify for the play-offs at the Stags’ expense.
A surprise 4-1 away win on Cirencester’s 3G-pitch in the Semi-Final was followed up by a Play-Off Final victory over Bristol Manor Farm by the same scoreline, with ex-Stag Craig Feeney getting on the scoresheet on both occasions.
But, Feeney and his fellow former Stag Callum Chugg are among several members of the promotion-winning squad to have since departed the Charters Community Stadium over the close season, a list that also includes Kieran Douglas, Ollie Griggs and talented forward Olly Balmer who have all joined Glenn Howes, James Wood and Shaquille Gwengwe (pictured, left) at Dorchester Town, leaving Craig Davis with a major rebuilding job on his hands over the summer.
Among the new recruits he’s brought in are former Weymouth U23 midfielder Dan Neild, skilful Portuguese winger Claudio Herbert who joins from Sholing, and the former AFC Totton striker Silvano Obeng (pictured, centre) who plundered goals for fun at Brockenhurst in the Wessex League Premier Division last season. The re-signings of skipper Jamie Barron and forward Warren Bentley were important pieces of business, too.
The Citizens began their pre-season campaign with a 6-1 win at Alton on Thursday 07 July, with two goals for Obeng on his unofficial Winchester debut. On Saturday 09 July, they drew 1-1 at Wiltshire-based Corsham Town from the Hellenic League Premier Division. Alex MacAllister opened the scoring with a strike from 20 yards, but the Quarrymen equalised with a penalty 8 minutes before half-time.
They visited Slough Town on Tuesday 12 July, going down to a 0-2 defeat. Then on Saturday, they played two matches on the same day, utilising much-changed XIs, with several trialists featuring in the second game. A 3-1 win over Worthing was followed-up by a 2-2 draw against Whitehawk.
On Wednesday night, Winchester go to Baffins Milton Rovers before coming to the Snows Stadium on Saturday to face the Stags. They will then entertain Havant & Waterlooville, who were impressive 5-1 winners at Totton on Tuesday, and go to Bashley next Saturday, before opening their Southern League Premier Division campaign with a home match against Poole Town on the first Saturday in August.
View AFC Totton's upcoming fixtures
By Ben Rochey-Adams
Image courtesy of Craig Hobbs Photography
