AFC Totton
By Josh Wyatt-Jones
The Stags are now just one win away from a 1st round cup tie in the FA Cup, following a 4-2 win over Frome Town thanks to goals from Tony Lee and Ashley Clarke.
Jimmy Ball made two changes to his last starting XI, with Clarke replacing Hisham Kasimu and Mike Carter taking the place of Craig Tanner during the warm-up.
Sitting two divisions above the visitors, it was the Stags who had the better of the early openings, dominating the game’s possession but lacking a final pass in front of goal.
In the 8th minute, the Stags threatened as Clarke beautifully flicked the ball over Frome’s backline to Tony Lee, with the striker shimmying onto his right foot and winning a free kick right on the edge of the pen.
Deceiving the defence, Lee fired the set piece hard and low to the opposite side of the wall and into Kyle Phillips’ bottom left corner to give Totton the lead.
The Stags further extended their lead in the 17th minute as Luke Hallett lofted a long ball to the left-hand side, finding Clarke, who drove the ball into the box, cut onto his right foot, and cushioned the ball off the left post to make it 2-0 to Totton and two goals in his last two games.
Now in full control of the cup tie, the Stags strutted their stuff, playing some lovely football. However, for Frome, things went from bad to worse as Harry Lucas was forced off due to injury in the 29th minute.
Totton looked destined to add a third in the 43rd minute as a direct long ball from Gosney found Lee through on goal, the striker attempting to round the keeper before the ball fell to Clarke, who side-stepped Phillips and blasted the ball over an empty and expecting net to end the half.
Coming out for the second half, the Stags made one change as Jay Emmanuel-Thomas replaced Scott Rendell.
Frome looked to chip back at their two-goal deficit early in the half as David Dury sheepishly shouted for a penalty. However, Totton responded at the other end, Clarke again linking up with Lee, who placed a low volley from the edge of the box against the left post.
In the 65th minute, the Stags netted their third of the afternoon, Gosney again opting for route one and pumping a long ball deep into the opposition’s half, with Emmanuel-Thomas neatly finding Lee, who calmly placed the ball into the bottom left corner to make it 3-0.
In the 76th minute, there would be a twist to the cup tie as a weak Frome strike connected with the sliding boot of Luke Bennett, who redirected the shot into his own net.
Following a surge of chances for the visitors, Lee scored his hat-trick, Emmanuel-Thomas again among the action, combining with Bennett on the edge of the box before Lee applied the killer finish in the 84th minute.
In the 92nd minute, Dury netted a consolation goal for the away side, placing a left-footed strike past Gosney, but the game would end 4-2, with the Stags advancing in the cup.
AFC Totton XI: 13. Ryan Gosney, 4. Mike Carter © (Josh Dolling 65'), 5. Luke Hallett, 7. Ashley Clarke, 9. Scott Rendell (Jay Emmanuel-Thomas 45'), 10. Tony Lee, 17. Declan Rose (Luke Bennett 62'), 19. Christie Ward (Lee Hodson 65'), 20. Ryan Jackson (Ralph Vigrass 62'), 21. Christos Batzelis, & 26. Tyler Cordner.
Unused subs: 27. Craig Tanner, 29. Hisham Kasimu.
GO STAGS
