AFC Totton
SOUTHAMPTON DIVISIONAL FA
SUNDAY SENIOR CUP 2021/22 - SEMI-FINAL
AFC TOTTON SUNDAY 1
Matt Harrington 23mins
DURLEY 0
Having reclaimed top spot in the CoSSFL Div.1 table with a 4-1 win at Durley last weekend, Sam Conway's AFC Totton Sunday team took on the same opponents in the Semi-Final of the Southampton Divisional Sunday Senior Cup on neutral territory at Millbrook's Green Park, this morning (Sunday) - and the Sunday Stags booked their place in the Final thanks to Matt Harrington's 23rd-minute winner.
Totton's run to the semis began with a 4-0 1st Round win against the now-defunct Boujee Pint CF at Fleming Park in October, which they followed up with an epic Tom Munday-inspired 4-2 comeback victory over Unity 101 on the 3G pitch at Cantell School in November. In the Quarter-Final, Totton beat Boyatt Wood 2-0 on their Cutbush Lane pitch to set-up this semi-final, which was originally scheduled to be played at Mayfield Park in Woolston, two weeks ago.
For their part, Durley beat Cottage FC 3-0 at Old Netley in the 1st Round, thumped Forest Home 13-1 on the Durley Recreation Ground pitch in Round 2, and defeated a talented Winsor United side at Redbridge School in the January Quarter-Final by a score of 3-1.
Manager Conway made only one change from the side that beat Durley last Sunday, with Liam Richardson missing out due to being cup-tied and Kaine Stanton coming in to replace him in central midfield.
Durley were without their Irish forward Brendan Agnew, one of their most influential players in the previous meeting, who was attending a wedding.
AFC TOTTON SUNDAY
Starting Line-Up
1. Jack MARTIN
2. Jason CALCUTT
3. Michael MACLEOD
4. Dan GAIN
5. Tom RAFFERTY
7. Lewis GUNDRY
8. Kaine STANTON
9. Matt HARRINGTON
10. Nathan GRAY
11. Tom MUNDAY
13. Liam HANLON
Substitutes
6. Mitch COLEMAN
12. Harry BROOKWELL
15. Jordan CANNING
For the first 10 minutes of the match, neither side was able to create any meaningful chances. Durley were handed an early advantage, though, when the Stags' skipper Lewis Gundry was sent to the Sin-Bin for 10 minutes for what appeared from the sidelines to be little more than a misunderstanding between himself and the Referee concerning the role of captains in Association Football matches.
Despite his side's temporary numerical disadvantage, Nathan Gray was able to strike the first shot in anger with a speculative long-range effort that dropped wide of the goal, after a strong header from Tom Munday returned a free-kick from deep inside the Durley half of the pitch. Shortly after, Durley goalkeeper Tim Hazeldine was almost caught out by the bounce from a long punt forward but was far enough out of his goal to have time to recover and reclaim the ball.
Matt Harrington collected inside his own half and drove forward through the middle of the pitch before playing Munday in to win a corner on the right-hand side. Gray's low cross was turned wide by Liam Hanlon, getting across his marker to poke his effort just past the near post.
Although Durley were certainly in the game and looked tidy in possession, they didn't create any meaningful chances early on and found themselves behind on 23 minutes. Totton won a throw-in on the right-wing touchline, close to the corner flag. Central midfielder Kaine Stanton hurled the ball all the way to the back post where Matt HARRINGTON headed home from close range, the ball hitting a defender on its way over the line.
Durley were awarded a free-kick for a foul in midfield. Matty Darling's delivery was headed out by Michael MacLeod in the left-back position for Totton, enabling Harrington to launch another counter-attack until the ball took an unfortunate rebound off the heel of Munday and presented possession straight back to the opposition. Jason Calcutt had his wits about him at right-back, though, and intercepted a pass down the line as red-and-white shirts got forward in numbers to threaten the Totton goal.
From another Darling free-kick, Stanton headed the ball away and Harrington hooked the ball out to Gray on the right wing before the diminutive striker was dispossessed, and then booked by the Referee for flicking his foot at the defender.
In the 28th minute, MacLeod burst into life on the left flank, exchanging passes with Hanlon to race forward along the touchline, exploiting the space in behind the full-back to cross from an advanced position. Hanlon did well to get himself into the centre but his toe-poked effort hit a defender and fell for Harrington to shoot on the half-turn, flashing the ball wide of the left-hand post.
Tom Munday was presented with a headed opportunity when MacLeod returned a Durley clearance with interest from behind the half-way line, his looping volley allowing Munday to beat the keeper to the ball near the penalty spot but he couldn't direct his effort on-target.
A period of Durley pressure was diffused by comfortable possession play across the back four by the blue-and-white shirted AFC Totton Sunday defenders, with Gundry now restored into his central midfield position to call the shots and help his team find the players in space. They managed to get forward, winning first a free-kick and then a corner but were pulled up for pushing inside the Durley box.
The side from Hedge End were shifting the ball well during their spells of possession and began to probe more effectively after the half-hour mark. Centre-forward Ash Dallimore threatened to run through on goal before Dan Gain knocked him out of his stride and then Tom Rafferty had to intervene to prevent the same player latching onto Darling's through-ball a few moments later.
Hazeldine did well to scoop up a fiercely struck low cross from MacLeod on the left-hand side with Totton forwards closing in. Then, from the opposite flank, Munday whipped in a cross that was begging to be finished off but there was nobody there to apply the telling touch.
Dallimore was presented with a point blank header at the Totton goal from a free-kick delivered from the right-hand side, only to be ruled offside. Then, clever defensive play by Totton in holding a high offside line, suffocated one Durley attack in its crib, Dallimore running out of space to run into, leaving Dave Barker caught between two stalls until he coughed up possession straight to Jack Martin in the Stags' goal.
Barker was more effective when unleashed down the right wing, keeping MacLeod honest by attacking the space behind him whenever possible. Durley managed to find him in space during a flowing counter-attack, and his low cross towards the near post presented Dallimore with his team's best chance of the first half. He stretched but he couldn't get a solid contact on the ball, to Totton's relief as the ball escaped on the other side of the area.
Kaine Stanton showed impressive skills for a big man, drawing his opposite No.8 Matty Darling in to challenge near half-way before shrugging him off and spinning away from him to get Totton going forward again. Darling had the chance to redeem himself shortly after, with a long-range free-kick from which his manager encouraged him to shoot. But Jack Martin wasn't troubled in the Totton goal.
Tom Munday was experiencing a frustrating first half. His pace was clearly a source of discomfort for the Durley defence but the odd heavy touch here-and-there or crosses well-delivered not being converted too often rendered his efforts non-consequential. But to the winger's credit, he kept running and applying himself to his team's cause and was as deserving of the half-time break as any of the 22 players on the pitch.
HALF-TIME
AFC TOTTON SUNDAY 1
DURLEY 0
Totton went on the attack from the start of the second half. Harrington found Hanlon on the left flank, whose in-swinging cross was headed over the bar by a defender before Munday could connect coming in from the opposite side. Then, a surging run by MacLeod had the Durley defence back-tracking as he took on three defenders, eventually being crowded out before he could work the space to deliver a cross.
Only a smart reaction save by Hazeldine prevented Totton from doubling their lead in the 51st minute. After a period of sustained blue pressure, Stanton floated the ball into the Durley penalty area from central midfield. Nathan Gray timed his run to stay onside and directed a strong header on-target from about 9 yards, but the Durley goalkeeper thrust his right arm into the air to divert the ball over the crossbar for a brilliant save.
Harrington's work rate was typically impressive, dropping from his centre-forward position to get involved in the midfield battle and harass the opposition out of possession whenever possible, albeit at the expense of the occasional free-kick.
Dan Gain's defensive header enabled Gundry to get Totton back on the front foot with Hanlon in space on the left-hand side. He forced the ball infield to Gray as red-and-white Durley shirts got back to fill in the space. The striker spotted Harrington coming in from the right and fed him with a slipped pass into the box but a defender managed to nick the ball away before Harrington could sort his feet out to let fly at the target.
Totton made good use of the flat Green Park surface, confidently shifting the ball around on the deck with defenders happy to have the ball at their feet and players trusting one another to look after it. Michael MacLeod continued to test the right side of Durley's defence, attacking at pace and linking with Hanlon before unleashing a well-struck shot that was bravely blocked on the edge of the area. His influence on the game was growing the longer the second half went on, with Tom Rafferty supporting him from centre-back to get across and deal with any Durley counter-attacking ambitions.
Around the hour mark, Durley made a substitution, bringing on Tom Baker - the man who stepped off the bench to score their goal last weekend and made a real difference to that game, particularly with skilful dribbling runs from the left of midfield.
An exquisitely curled pass down the right-hand touchline by Zach Miles got Durley motoring with Barker racing in-behind MacLeod towards the right-wing corner flag. With the Totton defence stretched, Barker's near post cross suddenly took an unkind bounce just in front of the incoming Dallimore and the chance was lost.
Jack Martin showed good hands under pressure to catch a whipped free-kick from the Durley left. Then, Jordan Canning was introduced from the bench on 66 minutes to replace Kaine Stanton, with Liam Hanlon shifting into the middle to give Canning the left-midfield berth.
Canning was immediately into the game, his tenacity unsettling opponents as he reclaimed possession near half-way to enable Totton to work the ball to the right-hand side. Munday flashed another ball across goal but, again, there was nobody there to finish.
Durley were struggling to build a head of steam and really test Totton, despite the occasional raid from Barker whenever he managed to get in-behind MacLeod on the Durley right wing. Another such move once more looked to Dallimore to apply the finishing touch at the near post but Tom Rafferty kept a watchful eye over proceedings and was able to stab the ball behind for a corner. Barker took it and sent the ball to the far side where Will Rowe headed back across goal but Rafferty was there to head away.
Tom Baker tried to catch out Martin with an angled snapshot from about 25 yards out, but his effort was wide of the far post. Then, Rafferty's header found Hanlon in midfield who fed Canning on the left wing. He advanced on the defender and then sent in a low cross-shot, which bounced up awkwardly for Hazeldine but the keeper was able to grab the ball at the second attempt.
Zach Miles ran at the Totton defence in the inside-right area, earning a free-kick for a foul by Gundry. The ball into the box was knocked out for a corner on the right, which Barker again directed to the far side to be headed back across goal, but Munday was there to flick the ball away from danger.
Durley were gaining momentum and continued to press Totton back inside their own half. A high ball from the left-hand side was turned back across goal by Rowe, wrong-footing Jack Martin to leave the Totton goal exposed, but Rafferty cleared before Durley could capitalise. Within seconds, Munday was leading a charge from the Totton right-wing, taking Hazeldine out of the game with a low cross to the far post where Canning took a touch and then shot from close range, only for the last defender to deflect the ball onto both the post and crossbar before Harrington skewed his follow-up shot a long way wide.
Eager to make up for the missed opportunity, Canning joined Gray in pressing the Durley defence into their right-back corner, giving their Totton teammates time to recover their shape while maintaining pressure on the opposition.
Hanlon's refusal to give up possession in midfield during the last 10 minutes enabled Totton to remain on the front foot with players already in advanced positions. His pass found Gray just outside the area, with plenty of Durley defenders goal-side. Gray took the ball to the right to try and work an angle for the shot, eventually opting for power and blasting the ball high over the crossbar - and into the playground a good distance behind the goal, where a young child came down the slide just in-time to take the football full in the face! As the boy went running to his mother in tears, Sam Conway left his position on the touchline to jog over to the playground and apologise on Nathan's behalf.
Barker's right-wing play was Durley's most likely source of a goal. Dallimore's flick on from midfield set him away but Calcutt positioned himself well to divert the cross away from the danger area. Canning was then taken out by the Durley No.10 Mohammed Al Mustapha Mokhtar, who was shown the yellow card.
Tom Baker tried to force his way through a crowd of blue shirts from the Durley left, but his shot from distance was a tired effort that went well-wide. Rafferty went down after being accidentally trodden on inside the Totton box. Then, Baker was at it again, fizzing another left-footed effort across the Totton goal that Martin was relieved to see go out for a goal-kick.
A rare misplaced pass by MacLeod as he attempted to conduct another left-wing raid allowed Barker to exploit the space behind him, once more. But first Rafferty and then Gundry were prepared to put their bodies on the line to prevent Durley taking advantage, the Sunday Stags skipper conceding a corner that Martin caught from the delivery.
Determined Durley kept going valiantly, and a ball in from the right-hand side found Dallimore on the edge of a crowded penalty area, Totton with numbers back to protect their slender lead in the dying minutes of the match. Despite defensive pressure right behind him, Dallimore managed to turn and strike a low shot with Martin partially unsighted, but the ball went inches wide of the right-hand post.
The Referee's final whistle soon followed, confirming AFC Totton Sunday's passage into the Final of the Southampton Divisional FA Sunday Senior Cup. And with the Sunday Stags well-placed at the top of the CoSSFL Div.1 table, the League & Cup Double is on!
Man of the Match: JACK MARTIN
AFC Totton Sunday would like to thank our sponsors Gentlemen's League Barbers and Hurst Auto Assistance for their invaluable ongoing support.
Match Report: BEN ROCHEY-ADAMS
