AFC Totton
GRITTY PERFORMANCE EARNS POINT AT PENYDARREN
A STRONG DEFENSIVE REARGUARD ACTION saw AFC Totton battle their way to a point at Penydarren Park in the top-of-the-table clash with current Southern League Premier Division South leaders Merthyr Town in South Wales.
Right-back Thomas Handley, wearing the No.3 shirt for The Martyrs, collected the ball on the touchline and drifted infield to avoid Bennett, then space opened up for him to encroach on the edge of the Totton area and let fly with a left-footed shot that went narrowly wide of the near post, providing plenty of encouragement to the boisterous home crowd.
In the eighth minute, Bennett was dispossessed near the half-way line and a high diagonal found Kane Simpson left of the Totton penalty area. He turned away from the covering Austin and gave a short lay-off to enable Rees to shoot from the edge of the area, forcing Gosney to save low to his left.
Oastler and Tomasso helped Kennedy to gain yards down the right flank until he was able to hang a high cross that Lee headed against a defender. Austin’s follow-up shot was blocked, with the rebound flying out to the left-hand side.
A long ball from deep enabled Rees to race away from Bennett into the inside-left channel. Gosney came out to narrow the angle at the corner of the penalty area; Ricardo REES side-stepped the ‘keeper and, despite two blue shirts frantically trying to get back to block the path to goal, steered the ball home from a tight angle to give The Martyrs the lead.
Tomasso’s dogged determination won the ball in the centre-circle to put Totton on the front foot once more, and they were able to work Bennett into a crossing position from the left. A defensive intervention sent the ball up rather than out, and when the ball dropped, Cogman missed it under pressure from Rendell and was relieved to see one of his defenders hook it out for a corner. The announcement for six minutes of first-half stoppage time came as Taylor drove the left-wing corner across Merthyr’s penalty area and onto the head of the rapidly incoming Joe OASTLER who powerfully despatched the ball past Cogman and into the bottom-left corner to level the scores.
On 67minutes a few short, sharp passes quickly brought Merthyr to the edge of the Totton box before Kennedy tripped Rees, resulting in a free-kick to the home side from inside the D. Now wearing the captain’s armband, Handley struck a curling right-footed effort towards the top-right corner but Gosney reacted brilliantly to tip the ball over the bar with his left glove.
Bennett had to make a last-ditch sliding tackle to prevent Lucas springing through at inside-right. The loose ball took a ricochet and Rees could only stab it against the right-hand post as Gosney tried to smother. The home fans couldn’t comprehend how the ball hadn’t gone in but while they pondered it, the referee stopped play and restarted with an uncontested drop-ball to the Totton ‘keeper.
Ryan-Phillips got forward to pull the ball back to Handley, whose arced effort dipped narrowly over the crossbar. Merthyr were forcing the play but Totton continued to stand up to it in their own defensive third, looking for opportunities to counter. Oastler blocked well after a corner had been half-cleared, then Totton defended the next Merthyr corner in a similar fashion, erecting a blue well whenever a player in white tried to line up a shot.
Blair took on Smerdon on the right flank, got to the byline and hung a cross to the far post where Lee had to stretch but managed to head it down to the incoming Taylor, who scuffed his effort, dropping the ball into the arms of the grateful Cogman.
A determined run by Rees earned another free-kick in a dangerous position. Again, Handley sized up the shot but this time he shanked his effort a long way over the crossbar, allowing Totton to take a collective sigh of relief shortly before the final whistle sounded.
Full-Time: MERTHYR TOWN 1-1 AFC TOTTON
Attendance: 1,764
Star Man: Joe OASTLER (AFC Totton)
Entertainment Value: 3/5
Author: Ben Rochey-Adams
Images courtesy of Dayton Jenkins
