AFC Totton
TENACIOUS TOTTON TEAR TAUNTON TOWN TO TATTERS
AFC TOTTON PRODUCED ARGUABLY their best display of the season so far to thrash Taunton Town 5-1 in their Southern League Premier Division South encounter amid the evening fog of the Snows Stadium (Tuesday 22 October 2024).
Goals from Tony Lee, two from Ethan Taylor – the first a stunning volley – a Sam Magri header, and a cameo strike from substitute Ash Clarke packed The Peacocks off back to Somerset with their tails tucked firmly between their legs, and lifted The Stags up to second place in the table.
There was an early setback for the home side with the loss to injury of in-form defender Luke Bennett, with a suspected dislocated shoulder. Shortly after, Charlie Austin appeared to have given Totton lead when he diverted a right-wing cross beyond Taunton goalkeeper Adam Parkes, only for his opposite No.11 Jacob Hodgson to rush back and scrape the ball off the goal line in the nick of time.
Parkes had his palms stung by Taylor’s angled shot; Austin headed the rebound over the bar. Taunton created a couple of half chances but The Stags took the lead on 16 minutes, when Bennett’s replacement Declan Rose provided the cross that enabled Tony LEE to slide into the six-yard unopposed and guide the ball beyond Parkes.
Ash Clarke was booked while still sitting on the substitutes’ bench for delaying a restart by throwing a second football onto the pitch.
Totton extended their lead in style four minutes into the second half, with a goal of pristine quality. From a left-wing corner, Tom Blair picked out Ethan TAYLOR on the edge of the penalty area for the winger to strike an exquisite left-foot volley that scorched the cold air between the heads of several Taunton defenders as it flashed past Parkes and tore the net off the frame of the goal. As the Snows Stadium erupted in appreciation of a spectacular strike, Taylor made a beeline to the AFC Totton dug-out to celebrate with the backroom staff – suggesting prior-planning had been afoot.
Totton’s third goal on 55 minutes may not have been as easy on the eye but it was no less welcome. After one flowing team move was defended by the visitors, Blair tried to centre for the in-rushing Taylor. A defender’s head knocked the ball out as far as Lee, whose volley hit his marker and spun close enough for Ethan TAYLOR to lift his left leg and prod home from five yards out for his fifth goal of the season.
Clearly enjoying themselves, The Stags made it 4-0 from another left-wing corner delivery by Blair to the edge of the six-yard box for Sam MAGRI to score a towering header with which to celebrate his son Nico’s sixth birthday. The big defender pointed to the delighted birthday boy in the SFS Main Stand while receiving the plaudits from his teammates.
Taunton pulled one back when an angled shot from the right bounced in front of Gould, causing the Totton ‘keeper to parry into the path of the unmarked Oliver WOODHOUSE who side-footed into the exposed left portion of the goal.
But The Stags re-established their four-goal advantage on 81 minutes through substitute Ash CLARKE, who ran at two defenders on a swift left-wing counter-attack and used Austin’s movement in the middle as a distraction, before firing home from just inside the box for the second AFC Totton goal of his loan spell from AFC Bournemouth.
Full-Time: AFC TOTTON 5-1 TAUNTON TOWN
Attendance: 1,289
Star Man: Ethan TAYLOR (AFC TOTTON)
Entertainment Value: 5/5
Author: Ben Rochey-Adams
Images courtesy of Harvey Gerring
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