AFC Totton
Photo courtesy of Fin Hall
By Josh Cole
AFC Totton were beaten 2-0 away at Chippenham Town in Wiltshire.
Scott Rendell made five changes from the winning team against Salisbury on Good Friday due to injuries ruling out players like Tyler Cordner and Mike Carter for today’s game.
The game took a while to get a good, clear-cut chance, but AFC Totton were looking better in possession.
In the 22nd minute, as Sol Wanjau-Smith was bursting towards the edge of the box, Luke Hallett took a tactical yellow card to stop the break.
Just after the half-hour mark, the first real chance of note for either team fell the way of Dec Rose as Totton worked it from the left-side of the box to the right, and Rose’s strike was swerving into the bottom corner and it forced a save out of Will Henry.
Six minutes later, Malachi Linton had two bites of the cherry to open the scoring, but the first shot was blocked and the second was saved.
On the 39th minute the best chance of the game fell the way of Ralph Vigrass, who fired over from close range, a huge chance went begging for The Stags.
Into first half stoppage time, Anointed Chukwu forced an important save out of Ryan Gosney, and then shortly after Chippenham had their opener.
Billy Phillips raced into the box, got to the byline, and his low cross was turned in by a Stag to make it 1-0 on the stroke of half-time.
55 minutes into the game, Tony Lee stood a cross up towards Luke Hallett at the back post but his header went agonisingly wide.
Then just two minutes later, Chippenham doubled their lead with almost an exact repeat of the first goal, Luke Hallett this time with the final touch for The Stags for an own goal.
AFC Totton continued to work hard and had a chance from a corner when Lee, who was falling backwards, steered a header towards the goal but it went wide.
On the 78th minute, Totton’s day went from bad to worse as Hallett was given a second yellow card and his marching orders for a foul on Wanjau-Smith.
After that, Chippenham had the extra man and the fresher legs coming off the bench, and were able to control the game from there on out.
The Stags did have one last chance in the 94th minute from a corner as Lee headed it back to Linton, but his header was cleared off the line.
AFC Totton XI: 13. Ryan Gosney, 2. Alfie Merritt, 5. Luke Hallett, 6. Dan O’Connor, 11. Malachi Linton, 17. Declan Rose, 18. Jaiden Bartolo (Tony Lee 53’), 19. Christie Ward, 23. Ralph Vigrass (Vaughn Covil 68’), Craig Tanner © (Dylan Andrews 83’), & 28. Jacob Towns.
Unused sub: 9. Scott Rendell
Attendance: 622
GO STAGS
