AFC Totton
Next-door neighbours Totton & Eling will be dropping by for a cup match on Saturday afternoon, when the Stags play host to this year's Linden Cup confrontation.
For differing reasons, both sides have recruited heavily over the summer period. Undoubtedly, new Millers manager Craig Stanley has had the more daunting task in trying to build a squad from scratch in a bid to take Totton & Eling forward after an extremely difficult season last year when only an administrative reshuffle prevented them being relegated from the Wessex League Division One.
But more about that in a moment...
Ahead of the Linden Cup match against Totton & Eling at the Snows Stadium this Saturday, AFC Totton are hosting a Family Fun Day that’s FREE to enter for the whole family – which also includes free entry into the ground for the match itself.
Doors will open at 10:00am for a day of bouncy castle fun, rides and entertainment on what’s sure to be a bright and sunny day. There will be food and refreshments available throughout, including our fully licensed bars in the Monarch Suite and Straker's Bar.
And at 3:00pm, you are welcome to take in the first of six pre-season friendlies that will take place at the Snows Stadium prior to the big season kick-off, when our nextdoor neighbours Totton & Eling pop across for what will be their fifth outing of the pre-season campaign.
The Millers kicked-off their pre-season campaign more than a week before AFC Totton. Using Hatches Farm Playing Field as a temporary home ground while their own pitch was being worked on, Stanley, together with his assistants Ben Hillman and Mark Lilley, have seen their new charges draw 1-1 with Wick FC from the Southern Combination Div.1 (at Step 6, the same as T&E). But, they then went down to a heavy defeat to Southern League Div.1 South new boys, Bashley, whose striker Adam Grange notched a hat-trick before half-time to send his team on their way to a 6-1 win.
However, there was better news for Totton & Eling on Saturday with a 5-2 away win at Stockbridge of the Hampshire Premier League, which they followed up with a creditable 2-2 against Blackfield & Langley on Tuesday night.
Jimmy Ball's much-changed Stags squad opened their pre-season friendly campaign with a comfortable 5-0 win over Tytherington Rocks in South Gloucestershire on Saturday, with PRO:DIRECT Academy graduate Brenno Narezzi the star of the show in central midfield and newcomers Scott Rendell (pictured), Enrique Russell and Jireh Oyebamiji all getting on the scoresheet in their unofficial AFC Totton debuts.
Despite a slightly ill-tempered affair on the Waterside on Tuesday night, the Stags made it two wins out of two at Hythe & Dibden, with Jireh Oyebamiji - JJ, to his friends - adding the gloss to a first-half brace from Rendell in a 3-0 win.
Manager Ball has stressed that he doesn't focus on results during pre-season, stating that it is more important to take the opportunity to try out new tactical ideas and to challenge the players in different ways ahead of the competitive campaign. But his team will still be looking to entertain and put in a solid performance for the first of six consecutive home friendlies at the Snows Stadium, which culminate in the visit of Southampton on Tuesday 02 August.
Entry for the Totton & Eling game is completely FREE, and the match kicks-off at 3:00pm.
The match presents a first opportunity for the raft of new summer signings to impress the Stags faithful, together with those players returning from last season's Southampton Senior Cup-winning campaign.
View details of all the Stags' pre-season fixtures.
By Ben Rochey-Adams
Image courtesy of Craig Hobbs Photography
