AFC Totton
Stags come back halted as they let in five
Attendance – 57 By Talia Jones
AFC Totton may have left Shortwood United feeling slightly short-changed with a 5-3 loss on the road, but the team’s issues started before even making it to Meadowbank.
The Stags’ team bus became talk of the Gloucestershire town after blocking the main road to the ground, forcing the first team to walk the final mile down the winding roads before warm up.
It then transpired that the coach barricaded the same road whilst turning around, beaching the bus, and having to call in the assistance of locals, the police and a towing vehicle to release the coach from the clutches of the countryside, four hours after the original incident.
On the pitch was much less of a car crash performance, with the first half rather uneventful for both sides. The home side went into the break with a 1-0 lead after forward, Nick Humphreys headed the ball past Steve Mowthorpe, whilst the rest of the Totton defence argued over a previous incident.
The second half was much livelier from the first whistle, with Shortwood scoring two headers, both coming from corners, in the first five minutes – the Stags didn’t have the racing start they desired, but quickly got themselves back in the match.
Dylan Knight’s inch-perfect through-ball to Neil Williams gave the midfielder the opportunity to guide it into the far corner, and force Totton back into the game after two rather sloppy goals defensively.
It was soon to be 3-2 with 25 minutes to play as Mike Gosney cut through the Shortwood midfield, crossing to Nathaniel Sherborne, whose natural instinct was to strike the ball sweetly into the goal.
The comeback was completed after Williams won the Stags a penalty, after being punched by the outcoming goalkeeper, Tom King. Gosney stepped up to take it from the spot, and his crisp strike looked like earning the away side at least a point with 15 minutes left on the clock.
But two wonder strikes, one from Jake Lee and the other from Nick Peare put the game to bed late on, after leaving Mowthorpe (and any other keeper in the league) stranded in the net and cementing the three points for the home side.
Totton’s next trip is on Saturday at Banbury, but the Stags can take heart from their second half performance and build on it to face the top of the table side at the Spencer Stadium.
Totton starting line-up: Mowthorpe, Hibberd, Oliver, Williams, Rolls*, Wilson, Watts, Burgess, Knight**, Sherborne, Gosney.
Substitutes: Brewer*, Silvestre, Stuttard**,
