AFC Totton
CITY of SOUTHAMPTON SUNDAY FOOTBALL LEAGUE
DIVISION ONE - Matchday #5
AFC TOTTON SUNDAY 4
Liam Hanlon 17mins; Tom Munday 43mins, 59mins; Matt Harrington 45mins
BOYATT WOOD 0
AFC Totton Sunday and Boyatt Wood renewed acquaintances for the third time this season and the second in a matter of just 8 days, as Sam Conway's Sunday Stags looked to get their City of Southampton Sunday Football League Div.1 title challenge back on track after having 6 points wiped off their season's total due to Boujee Pint's results being expunged from the league table following their decision to fold and withdraw from competition.
Playing at Testwood Recreation Ground, this was the first time Totton entertained Boyatt Wood this season, having beaten them on their own Cutbush Lane pitch by a score of 3-1 in September and by 2-0 last weekend to secure a place in the semi-finals of the Southampton Divisional FA Sunday Senior Cup.
Photo Credit: Sandro Schuh via Unsplash.com
Tom Rafferty had to sit this one out with a minor knock, meaning that Jason Calcutt slotted in alongside Dan Gain in the centre of defence. Simon Rowson is nursing a long-term injury and the decision was made to rest him in favour of Michael MacLeod. Kaine Stanton, who has played for the team in previous seasons, came in for his first start of this campaign in midfield. Nathan Gray is still suspended following his red card against East Christchurch, so Liam Hanlon returned to play alongside Matt Harrington up front. Jordan Canning is now working with a physiotherapist to repair the damage to torn muscles around his right hip, with the aim of returning to action before the season's end. But for now, player-manager Sam Conway had to name himself on the bench to make up the numbers.
AFC TOTTON SUNDAY
Starting Line-Up
1. Mitch COLEMAN
2. Luke SCOULER
4. Dan GAIN
7. Lewis GUNDRY (Capt.)
8. Liam HANLON
9. Matt HARRINGTON
11. Tom MUNDAY
12. Michael MacLEOD
13. Kaine STANTON
14. Jay BRADING
16. Jason CALCUTT
Substitutes
3. Sam CONWAY
Although Totton had already beaten Boyatt Wood on two occasions this season, the side from Townhill equipped themselves well in both matches, and as we've noted before in these match reports, "complacency" is one C-word not in manager Sam Conway's vocabulary. So, it was to the audible delight of the Sunday Stags coaching team and fans on the touchline that AFC Totton Sunday looked up for it from the very first whistle, hassling their opponents out of possession and looking to expand the play across the full width of the pitch to quickly get forward at every opportunity.
Liam Hanlon, who impressed as a central midfielder despite the defeat to East Christchurch two weeks ago, played his strike partner Matt Harrington in with a short pass, which goalkeeper Gazz Smith did well to kick clear. The long, trebuchet-like throw-ins of Boyatt Wood's Viking warlord of a central midfielder, Joe Harkett-Burgess - whose brother Dan is the team's manager - have been a feature of the encounters between these teams but Kaine Stanton's "Anything you can do..." approach almost unlocked the Boyatt Wood defence when he hurled the ball into the 6-yard box from the left-wing touchline, catching his own teammates by surprise as much as the defence. A corner soon followed for the Stags, with Tom Munday heading narrowly wide from Michael MacLeod's delivery.
Within just a few minutes of kick-off and despite the blank scoreline, Totton took confidence and encouragement from the way they had started the game, with eleven players on the pitch already enjoying themselves. Centre-back Dan Gain played Tom Munday in down the right flank, forcing a last-ditch defensive block. Then, a cross-field ball from deep by Stanton was headed on by Hanlon at the left-wing touchline to the forward-running Jay Brading, whose in-swinging cross was met by the head of Munday by the penalty spot, forcing Smith to parry to his left. MacLeod took the corner and Gain's header from within the 6-yard box was blocked on the goal-line. Then, to keep the helter-skelter start going, Harrington's flick-on enabled Munday to attempt a dipping half-volley that arced over the crossbar.
With just 10 minutes on the clock, Boyatt Wood were struggling to find a foothold in the game. Joe Harkett-Burgess was tempted into using his domineering physical presence to try to stamp some authority in the midfield, and was possibly unfortunate to be called up for a foul in the centre-circle when he appeared to direct his robust challenge into the ball rather than into his opponent.
Totton were not intimidated and continued to play their football, Gundry's slide rule pass releasing Munday down the right and his low cross reached Brading at the back post, where he was crowded out by defenders before he could get a shot away.
Totton knew what to expect when Harkett-Burgess wound up a throw from the right-wing touchline, Dan Gain using his height to ensure he intercepted the aerial bombardment. Then, at the other end, the livewire Munday saw his shot flash wide of the post after being played in by Hanlon.
Matt Harrington had a golden opportunity to open the scoring on 15 minutes from another Kaine Stanton throw-in from the left, but he missed his header and Brading's attempt to keep it alive at the back post met the outside netting. But the home side took the lead two minutes later with a beautifully crafted goal.
Conducted by captain and midfield general Lewis Gundry, Totton were passing the ball across their defensive line, looking for the best route forward. When it came to Michael MacLeod in space in the left-back position, near half-way, he looked up and spotted the run of Hanlon, before curling a delightful pass into the inside-left channel, where, having timed his run behind the centre-back to perfection to avoid the hair-trigger arm of the linesman on the far side, Liam HANLON flicked the ball over the goalkeeper's shoulder with his right foot and inside the far post to give AFC Totton Sunday a well-deserved lead.
MacLeod was at it again shortly after, whipping in a low cross from the left that full-back Neil Stokes had to stab clear to prevent a shooting chance for Munday.
Totton thought they had doubled their advantage in the 24th minute, when the rampant MacLeod sent in another cross from the left-hand side which hit a defender. Hanlon's quick challenge kept the ball alive and directed it to Jay Brading, who thumped a shot against the inside of the right-hand post and into the net, only for the assistant referee's flag to indicate that he was offside, amid arguments to the contrary from the AFC Totton Sunday contingent.
There was no respite for Boyatt Wood. Jason Calcutt won a header from Gazz Smith's place kick, and Hanlon's flick enabled Munday to run straight through the middle, Smith reacting well to push the winger's shot onto the right-hand post. MacLeod's subsequent corner dropped at the back post but there was nobody there for Totton to apply the finishing touch.
On the half-hour mark, Corey Robinson and his attacking teammate who goes only by the name of Diego laced their way through the heart of the Totton defence to win a corner on the left wing. Diego took it and Robinson met the cross at the far post but headed high and wide from close range, missing a gilt-edged chance to equalise.
BACK ON TOP: AFC Totton Sunday's win over Boyatt Wood took them back to the top of the CoSSFL Div.1 table.
Munday shot wide from Hanlon's short pass. Then, Brading played the ball infield to Harrington from the left-wing touchline, while MacLeod scampered forward on the overlap. Harrington found him and MacLeod's low cross picked out Gundry on the edge of the penalty area. Stumbling past the first challenge, Gundry managed to shift the ball onto his left foot and struck a firm effort towards the bottom-left corner, where Smith got down to make the save.
When MacLeod and Brading linked up again down the left wing, Harkett-Burgess stopped the cross with his face, irrespective of the "handball!" shouts from the touchline. Perhaps still groggy when Stanton delivered the corner, Harkett-Burgess was unable to stop Gain getting his head to the ball but the connection wasn't strong enough to find the target.
Totton maintained the pressure, never allowing missed chances or the occasional mistake to detract from their team objective. Gundry laid the ball off to Munday, who blasted high over the bar from distance. Then, Hanlon had the ball whisked off his toe by Adam Shepherd as he lined up a 25-yarder and, with 5 minutes to go until half-time, Gain got the better of Harkett-Burgess from another Stanton throw-in but, once again, he couldn't apply the finish that the chance warranted.
Munday won a corner on the right-hand side and then, within seconds, found himself stretching to head the ball at the back post from MacLeod's in-swinging cross, unaware that Hanlon was stood in a better position just behind him, despite the forward's shout.
But Totton confirmed their superiority with two quick-fire goals before the break. First, Munday laid the ball back to Gundry in midfield from Coleman's goal-kick, the skipper in turn finding Harrington with a forward pass into the inside-right channel. The centre-forward used his strength to hold off his marker and force his way across the D but he couldn't work the angle for a shot, so he passed to Hanlon on the left side of the area. His short cross spun into the air off a defender and, as Smith came out to claim it, Tom MUNDAY leapt in front of the keeper to head the ball home off the inside of the left-hand post.
Stanton hit another glorious cross-field pass to MacLeod on the left wing, who bent another ball into the penalty area but Harrington couldn't quite reach it. Then, the underemployed Mitch Coleman had time to make a smart save at his near post to stop a low cross fizzing across his 6-yard box before the Sunday Stags made it 3-0 on the stroke of half-time.
Coleman played the ball out to MacLeod on the left wing, just inside the Totton half. The full-back passed forward to Hanlon and then set off on an overlapping run, which Hanlon matched by turning his man and laying the ball back into the path of his teammate, who, now level with the corner of the penalty area, delivered a pearler of a curling cross to the edge of the 6-yard box where Matt HARRINGTON arrived to apply a suitably firm finish to an excellent piece of wing play, sending the Stags in at the break in high spirits.
HALF-TIME
AFC TOTTON SUNDAY 3
BOYATT WOOD 0
Encouraged to deliver more of the same by Sam Conway and Lewis Gundry during the half-time team-talk, Totton set about their task with vigour. Hanlon tussled with defenders in the middle and found Munday charging down the right-hand side, whose strike under pressure flew over the bar. Then, the bounce from Coleman's goal-kick straight down the middle of the pitch deceived the Boyatt Wood defence, enabling Hanlon to run onto it and shoot from close to the penalty spot, but he dragged his effort wide to the left.
A spot of head tennis broke out in the Totton penalty area from a Harkett-Burgess missile from the left, the ball eventually dropping for their right-back to fire over the bar from a slight angle.
An off-balance Munday shot wide from Hanlon's pass, after neat passing out from the back by Calcutt and Gundry. Then, Boyatt Wood captain Greg Parker almost scored an own goal when Stanton's ball out to the right was headed on by Harrington and crossed in low by Munday to the near post.
Coleman was finally required to make a proper save in the 54th minute. Adam Shepherd got forward down the Boyatt Wood left and crossed from the byline for Corey Robinson to head at goal. Coleman parried the effort and then, from his prone position on the ground, blocked the follow-up and dived onto the loose ball amid the flying boots of both attacking and defending players. Shepherd then shot wide from the edge of the area, after being pushed wider than he would have liked by Dan Gain.
Luke Scoular, Totton's right-back, demanded possession from his teammates who were knocking the ball around in the middle. When it came to him, he made use of the space in front of him to release Munday, whose low cross found Brading at the far post but his side-foot finished lacked the necessary accuracy.
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But Totton made it 4-0 on 59 minutes, with a move initiated by Harrington's angled pass out to the right-hand side. Liam Hanlon had to slide and wrap his thigh around the ball to keep it in play at the right-wing byline, then he played it back to Lewis Gundry who was moving up in support from midfield. Gundry held the ball up while the two players discussed Hanlon being in an offside position, releasing it back to him only after Hanlon had confirmed he was back onside. Then, taking a touch to set himself, Hanlon curled a right-footed cross to the far post where Tom MUNDAY swooped to slam his header past Gazz Smith for his second goal of the match.
There was no let-up for the opposition. Hanlon and MacLeod worked the left flank to find Harrington in the D. He took a heavy touch and the ball ran through to Munday, who shot wide to the right. Then, Kaine Stanton tried his luck from distance but couldn't get enough power behind his shot to trouble Smith.
Matt Harrington had a volleyed finish chalked off for offside, after connecting with Hanlon's clipped cross from the left. Then, Munday used the flight of Scoular's forward pass down the right-hand touchline to turn and race away from his marker, but he fired his shot into the outside netting.
On 66 minutes, Boyatt Wood lost a player due to injury and, without any substitutes, had to accept going down to 10 men. They then conceded a free-kick right on the edge of their penalty area, but Gundry's clipped effort hit the defensive wall and was cleared to safety.
Munday, still working his socks off at 4-0 up, scampered to the right-wing touchline to keep the ball in play, turning tightly to avoid the defender he knew was at his back and passing infield to Gundry. He squared it to Stanton who tried another long shot which flew wide to the left.
In the 75th minute, the constantly-creating Hanlon beat his man on the right and turned the ball across the penalty area. Luke Scoular, having already advanced from his right-back berth at the beginning of the move, decided to go on a full excursion to retrieve the ball from the left side of the penalty spot, and he laid it back to Harrington whose shot was rushed due to the large figure of Harkett-Burgess throwing himself in to block, the ball flying over the top.
Scoular chipped the ball forward for Hanlon who was briefly in on-goal by the penalty spot, but Parker did well to get across him and intercept. Then, another long kick down the centre from Totton goalkeeper Coleman eluded the Boyatt Wood defence and allowed Tom Munday - on a hat-trick - to get behind them and strike for goal, Gazz Smith standing firm to get his body in the way with a brave stop.
Sam Conway came on late in the game to enable Kaine Stanton to rest a long-term injury that was causing a little discomfort. And the player-manager almost set-up a fifth goal for his side with a free-kick from the right that Dan Gain headed wide at the far post.
Scoular popped up on the left-wing byline and played the ball across goal, where Munday was within a whisker of bundling it home. Hanlon retrieved the ball and shot wide. Then, a lunging tackle by Adam Shepherd had Conway writhing on the ground in agony - or so it seemed, until he suddenly stopped and just got back to his feet with a wry smile on his face.
Another ball down the inside-right channel by Scoular deflected off Parker and fell to Hanlon, whose shot was parried at close range by Smith. And Brading should have made it 5-0 when Hanlon received the ball from Conway on the right-hand side and pulled it back to Scoular. The full-back may have been trying to shoot but directed the ball to the feet of Jay Brading two yards out with no goalkeeper to stop him scoring. He says the ball took a bobble just before he skied it over the crossbar. It was a shame because his overall performance deserved at least one goal, and his excellent strike in the first half was chalked off for a dubious offside. But, in the greater scheme of things, it didn't matter; Totton were dominant from minute 1 to minute 90 and could have had a hatful against a decent, if somewhat understrength, team.
After the match, Sam Conway said: "I thought Mike MacLeod was awesome today. Tom Munday worked his socks off. And Kaine Stanton also made his presence felt in the middle of the park. A good performance all-round. We set a hell of a standard in the first half - I think Boyatt Wood were in shock, being pinned in their own half for 45 minutes. Liam Hanlon was excellent, too. We were unlucky having so many goals ruled out for offside but as a whole, I'm very happy with what the boys achieved today."
With two games in-hand over their closest rivals, AFC Totton Sunday have now reclaimed top spot in the CoSSFL Div.1. They are still unbeaten in the league and face bottom-placed club AFC Riverside next week, who have won 2 and lost 4 of their league matches, so far.
Man of the Match: MICHAEL MacLEOD
Latest CITY of SOUTHAMPTON SUNDAY FOOTBALL LEAGUE Div.1 Table
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
