AFC Totton
AFC Totton 2-1 North Leigh
Nick Watts’ second half goal was enough to earn Totton a 2-1 comeback win over North Leigh, in a game not short of incident.
After losing 2-1 to Tiverton last weekend, Totton were keen to get back to winning ways, whereas North Leigh’s last league game was a 0-2 win away at Larkhall Athletic.
Just four minutes into the game, North Leigh broke the deadlock through Lance Williams. After giving away a free kick on the near side, no Totton defenders could clear the danger, leaving goalkeeper Steve Mowthorpe stranded.
An error from Totton’s Tony Rolls on the edge of the area then gave the visitors a chance to double their lead, but Jamie Cook’s resulting shot fizzed wide of the far post.
North Leigh controlled the opening quarter of an hour, and had another two glaring opportunities to press home their advantage through George Seacole. The first of the forward’s chances came from yet more slack Stags defending, but with just Mowthorpe to beat, he could only drag his effort wide. A minute later, a near carbon copy was presented to Seacole – however, the outcome was the same and the score remained 0-1.
Totton’s first real chance came after 27 minutes – but after a slick passing move, Neil Williams could not get the ball out of his feet to deliver a final ball across goal.
The next to create an opening was Nick Watts, who found himself in space after a neat one-two with Williams – but he too dragged his shot wide with keeper Ben Taylor beaten.
With Totton pressure building, the Stags looked more and more like equalising with every passing minute – and the home side got their reward ten minutes before half time.
Watts – the Stags’ best player on the day – stood a fantastic delivery up at the back post, leaving Nathaniel Sherborne the simple task of heading the ball across goal, giving the onrushing Taylor no chance.
Mowthorpe was then forced into a smart stop to keep the score level, and then Sherborne couldn’t keep an acrobatic effort down in what was a pulsating, end-to-end finish to the first half.
Mark Lilley found his way into the book for a challenge two minutes before the break, and moments later Watts was presented with another chance at goal – only to be thwarted by the acrobatic Taylor.
North Leigh again came out of the blocks first after the break – but Seacole shanked their first chance with the goal at his mercy.
Five minutes into the second half, the game was suspended for ten minutes after referee Iain Parsons went down injured.
When the game finally was restarted, Watts fired Totton into the lead. Shaping his body to cross, the attacker caught out Taylor in the North Leigh goal, who saw the ball loop over his head and into the net.
Williams had a chance to put the result beyond doubt as the game ebbed to its conclusion, but his shot was straight at Taylor after a surging run through the heart of the Millers’ defence.
The North Leigh bar was struck twice in the last ten minutes by Knight and then Gamble, but a Stuart Hole free kick struck straight at Mowthorpe was the last piece of action as the hosts saw out the remaining minutes without drama.
Final Score: AFC Totton 2-1 North Leigh
By Dan Brown
