AFC Totton
Get your tickets now for our last Southern League South Div 1 home game of the season!
CLICK HERE to buy online and save.
PROMOTION CHALLENGERS last season, when they ultimately finished runners-up in the Southern League Div.1 South after being overhauled by an impressive late surge from Plymouth Parkway, Frome Town have had to endure a frustrating campaign this term.
Only Totton inflicted defeat on The Robins during their first eight league games, despite losing influential midfielder Matt Smith to an ACL injury less than half an hour into the new season in the opening day encounter at home to Evesham United. They then lost Jonathan Davies when the ex-Totton maestro jarred his back running onto a pass against his former club in the early-season match at Badgers Hill. Scott Rendell’s late headed winner settled it, the centre-forward converting a cross from Jake Adams.
Erratic form throughout November and the only two games the weather allowed them to play in December has had them sitting in midtable throughout most of the season, which an injury crises, particularly among their midfielders, did nothing to help. Manager Danny Greaves was hard at work prior to the recent transfer deadline bringing several new players into the club to see them through to the end of the campaign.
Although they suffered back-to-back defeats in mid-March to Sholing and Westbury United, Frome have since seen their fortunes improve with a run of six games without defeat, including four consecutive victories coming into the game at the Snows Stadium, despite a very tight match schedule over the last few weeks to rival even that of The Stags themselves.
The upturn in results has seen Frome thrust themselves into contention for the Promotion Play-Offs. They go into their last two games of the regulation season locked in a four-way battle with Tavistock AFC, Bashley and Evesham United, the last of whom have three games still to play. And, to add that bit of extra spice, Frome travel to Devon to take on Tavistock on the last day of the season in a potential winner-takes-all showdown.
GO-GO GADGET LEG: Ex-Stag Jonathan Davies stretches to try and block Ben Jefford's clearance during the FA Trophy tie at the Snows Stadium in November 2021.
The current league table situation is such that their fate is not entirely in their own hands, but maximum points for Danny Greaves’ team from their final two games would eliminate The Lambs from contention, while leaving both Bashley and Evesham United having to also win all of their remaining games to stay ahead of Frome.
This match finally takes place - we hope - after twice being postponed during the prolonged spell of bad weather that decimated the non-league football schedule throughout the vast majority of the country in the early part of 2023. The match now comes after The Stags have already sewn up the Southern League Div.1 South title, but Manager Jimmy Ball has made it clear that he expects his team to be ready to compete on Tuesday night. A victory against Frome Town and another on the last day of the season at Evesham would mean The Stags get to host Berkhamsted on Saturday 29 April in the Champion of Champions Play-Off match, rather than travelling to Hertfordshire.
Irrespective of the result on Tuesday night, AFC Totton will be presented with the Southern League Div.1 South shield after the match by David Martin, the Chairman of the Southern League.
By Ben Rochey-Adams
