AFC Totton
HONOURS SHARED BETWEEN STAGS AND MAGPIES
GOALS FROM SAM MAGRI and Wesley Fogden shared the points at the Snows Stadium as AFC Totton and Dorchester Town drew 1-1.
The visitors started strongly, coming close to the game's opener in the first five minutes as Fogden headed a cross into the arms of Ryan Gosney.
However, the home side took the lead after a direct goal-kick sent Ben Seymour in behind the Dorchester defence before Will Spetch brought him down inside the box. A yellow card was shown to Spetch, before Sam Magri stepped up confidently to put The Stags ahead.
Both teams struggled to find any footballing rhythm, with much of the game being played in the air. While Dorchester had the lion's share of possession, their best chances came from set-pieces, such as when Shaquille Gwengwe - playing against his former club - struck a volley straight at Gosney.
The Magpies deservedly equalised just before the half-hour mark when Matthew Buse did well to keep the ball in play at the right-wing byline and pulled back for Wes Fogden to fire a first-time shot low and hard into the near-post corner.
Charlie Austin almost put the hosts back in front on 36 minutes, when he swivelled and side-footed narrowly over the bar from Criag Tanner's low corner delivery.
The second half began as the first had ended, with both sides struggling to assert themselves on the game and the ball spending a lot of time in the air.
Austin came close for the hosts again, sliding in to within inches of Tanner's low centre across the Dorchester goalmouth.
Well-travelled striker Brett Pitman entered the fray in the 67th minute, as the visitors looked for a winning goal. Totton responded by ramping up the pressure within the last 10 minutes, with Tom Blair snatching at a chance after using his strength to good effect to shrug off his marker and latch onto Joe Oastler's lobbed pass before firing over the bar.
Four minutes of stoppage time produced little of potential match-winning moments, so the two sides had to settle for a draw, leaving open the possibility of a potential rematch in the end of season Play-Offs.
Full-Time: AFC TOTTON 1-1 DORCHESTER TOWN
Attendance: 1,833
Star Man: Craig TANNER (AFC Totton)
Entertainment Value: 2/5
Author: Josh Wyatt-Jones
Images courtesy of Harvey Gerring & Sayers Sports Photography
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