AFC Totton
CITY of SOUTHAMPTON SUNDAY FOOTBALL LEAGUE
DIVISION ONE - MATCHDAY #8
AFC TOTTON SUNDAY 2
Matt Harrington 45mins; Dan Gain 56mins
DURLEY FC 0
AFC Totton Sunday are Champions of the City of Southampton Sunday Football League 2021/22. Manager Sam Conway saw his team beat their closest rivals Durley FC for the third time in a month at the Sherfield English Sports Field, near Romsey this morning, to render themselves unassailable at the pinnacle of Sunday league football in the Southampton region.
Fittingly for a team that has had to cope with an unusually high number of long and short term injuries, goals from the team's only ever-present players either side of half-time secured the title they've been targeting since the season kicked-off in early-September.
Former England Youth international goalkeeper Jack Martin made his fourth appearance in the No.1 jersey. Regular starters Jason Calcutt and Tom Munday were both ill, so Liam Richardson came into the centre of defence to partner Dan Gain, with Tom Rafferty shifting into the right-back slot. Harry Brookwell returned to left-back for his second appearance for the Sunday Stags, with the strong and experienced quartet of Liam Hanlon, Kaine Stanton, captain Lewis Gundry and Michael MacLeod across the midfield. Centre-forward Matt Harrington was partnered up front by Jordan Canning, whose season has been dominated by a frustrating battle with a persistent hip injury.
AFC TOTTON SUNDAY
Starting Line-Up
Jack MARTIN
Tom RAFFERTY
Dan GAIN
Liam RICHARDSON
Harry BROOKWELL
Kaine STANTON
Lewis GUNDRY
Liam HANLON
Michael MACLEOD
Matt HARRINGTON
Jordan CANNING
Substitutes
Luke CONWAY
Jay BRADING
Mitch COLEMAN
Sam CONWAY
After a one-hour warm-up session and an inspirational team-talk from gaffer Conway and captain Gundry, the Sunday Stags took to the pitch knowing that a victory of any margin would be enough for them to lift the Division 1 trophy, with Durley playing their final match of the campaign. But during a frenetic opening period, there was little to choose between the two sides. An early Durley attack down the left-hand side was headed away at the back post, then a deep cross from Harry Brookwell on the Totton left was nodded on by Michael MacLeod. Durley skipper Owen Williams' header presented Liam Hanlon with the chance to volley at goal from the edge of the area but his left-footed effort flew high and wide of the top-left corner.
Totton came close again after four minutes, when Liam Richardson broke up a Durley attack with a timely intervention at the centre of the Stags' defence, midway inside his own half of the pitch. A short pass to Gundry was turned out to Hanlon on the right, whose direct ball forward was headed on by Jordan Canning to present the bullet-booted Michael MacLeod with the chance to hit one on the volley, but his shot was too high.
Jack Martin had to save low to his left to prevent a cross-shot from a tight angle flashing across his goalmouth. Then, Williams had to be alert to stop Canning scampering away on the counter-attack with a well-timed outstretched foot to intercept Hanlon's pass.
Good defending by MacLeod on the cover in the left-back position prevented Durley exploiting space down their right flank. Then, when Dan Gain got caught in possession just inside opposition territory, Richardson was covering for his central defensive partner to block the cross at the near post, as the away side came forward looking for the goals they needed to maintain their own title challenge.
A cross field square pass on 15 minutes found Tom Rafferty in space on the right-hand side, with the room to drive forward and cross. The ball looped high towards the back post where Durley keeper Tim Hazeldine had to watch its flight carefully before getting two hands to it to push away from the top-left corner of his goal. Totton reclaimed possession on the far side, the ball eventually coming to MacLeod outside the box and his square pass setting up Hanlon for a snapshot that he dragged wide of the left-hand post.
Kaine Stanton's long throw-ins became a feature of the match. Brookwell came forward from left-back to steal in behind his opposite number on the Totton right to latch onto Stanton's throw, then turned across the Durley back line but couldn't work the angle to get his shot away within a crowded penalty area.
Durley were bright in possession, able to play short, sharp passes despite Totton's eagerness to press throughout the midfield and forward line. Clever play down the right-hand side enabled them to slip their centre-forward Ash Dallimore into the inside-right channel with a good sight of goal, but he struck his shot over the crossbar under pressure from Gain.
MacLeod latched onto a diagonal pass to go through on Hazeldine from the Totton left, but could only hit his shot directly at the keeper with his follow-up effort going wide. Then, another Stanton throw from the right was flicked on by Matt Harrington from the edge of the 6-yard box, the ball dropping agonisingly close to the far post with no Totton player in position to gobble up the open goal.
Hazeldine was quickly out of his goal to clear when Canning's clever through-ball set Harrington through one-on-one. Then, when Martin miss-kicked from inside his own bobbly penalty area, Durley's midfielder Joe Taylor was able to demonstrate his own long throw, requiring Stanton to head the ball upward at his near post so Martin could gather at the second attempt with red-and-white shirts lurking with intent.
Harrington ran aground through the middle, trying to capitalise on Canning's pass but the lively MacLeod stole the ball back before Durley could clear and his intelligent back-heel allowed Harrington to lay-off back to Canning, whose shot from the edge of the box had a little too much on it and went over the top. MacLeod was the next to take aim at the Durley goal, receiving Kaine Stanton's pass on the left flank and arrowing his effort across the goalmouth and wide of the far post.
Totton were warming to their task and, as in the previous matches against these opponents, while Durley continued to pose a threat on the break, the Sunday Stags were able to claim the lion's share of possession and create more chances. Stanton by-passed the middlemen with one long throw that Hazeldine had to push away from his back post above a crowd of players. Then, Totton won a corner when Harrington's flick on was diverted wide on the stretch, with Canning looking to exploit space just behind the defender. MacLeod's corner from the left was well-defended by Owen Williams and although Totton reclaimed possession in midfield, they were unable to take advantage.
Strong centre-forward play by Dallimore inside the Totton box enable him to receive a pass from the right-hand side, get the ball down with his back to goal and hit a shot on the turn which Martin had to react quickly to save low to his right. Then, Dan Gain put in a strong tackle inside the centre-circle to get Totton back on the front foot with MacLeod and Hanlon exchanging passes to play MacLeod into the left-wing byline, from where his low cross was blocked and he tripped the defender in his attempt to regain the ball.
A heavy touch by Canning in midfield allowed Durley to mount another counter-attack, this time Dallimore hitting a well-struck effort across Martin's goal from right to left, as the away side continued to underline their potential to upset Totton's title party. Harry Brookwell almost played Durley's Zach Miles into a goalscoring position with an underhit back-pass, but Martin was alive to the situation and managed to kick the ball clear just in time.
Then, on the stroke of half-time, AFC Totton Sunday found the breakthrough. Good defensive work by Tom Rafferty at right-back enabled Liam Richardson to get his head up and send a long ball forward. Although a defender got something on it, Harrington was still able to get under the ball and nod it down to Canning on his left. With MacLeod advancing from the wide left area, Canning slipped a pass into his feet and MacLeod struck an angled shot that Hazeldine did well to save at his near post - but the ball spilt across his goal and Matt HARRINGTON was there to score on the follow-up, shooting high into the goal to give the Sunday Stags a deserved lead, taking his own personal goals tally into double figures for the season.
The game had barely restarted, after a short impromptu drinks break for the boys in blue, before the Referee blew for half-time.
HALF-TIME
AFC TOTTON SUNDAY 1
DURLEY FC 0
With words of encouragement for his charges during the break and a reminder of what was at stake, Sam Conway made one change by bringing on Mitch Coleman at left-back in place of Harry Brookwell. And Coleman was straight into the action, having to show good strength to nudge the lively Matt Darling off the ball to stop the winger exploiting space down the Durley right, as he did effectively during the recent Southampton Senior Sunday Cup semi-final match between these two sides at Millbrook's Green Park.
Harrington also demonstrated strength under pressure to control and shoot across goal, the ball knocked down by a defender for Hazeldine to gather amid half-hearted appeals from the Totton contingent for handball.
Canning received the ball on the left-hand side and moved across the pitch before feeding Rafferty on a right-wing raid down the touchline. His lay-off back infield gave Lewis Gundry the chance to shoot but his effort was wide of the far post. Then, Totton forced a throw-in close to the right-wing corner flag, which Stanton hurled in once again, forcing defender Michael Church to head out from under his own crossbar at the near post.
Michael MacLeod had a golden opportunity to extend his team's lead in the 54th minute when Stanton hooked a pass over the defence to free the left-midfielder at the back post with Tim Hazeldine's goal at his mercy. But, for once, the ice-veined MacLeod thrashed at his shot when a more precise approach may have been called for and a good chance went to waste.
But it's been on of the features of AFC Totton Sunday's campaign all season long that they don't mope or complain to one another about missed chances or opportunities not taken. They just keep grinding and create more. Kaine Stanton took a free-kick from around the centre-circle, aiming the ball towards the left-hand side where the imposing figure of Dan "Crouchy" Gain had gone forward to aid the attack. A defender managed to divert the ball upward, but the Totton centre-back retrieved it near the touchline before it could go out of play. With options to aim for with a cross, Dan GAIN (pictured below) knocked the ball infield and then struck a sweet rasper of a right-foot curler across Hazeldine and into the bottom-right corner to double the Sunday Stags' lead and take them one step closer to the title.
Durley tried to mount a response and Liam Richardson had to take evasive action to prevent Darling raiding down their right, before Jack Martin did well to catch Taylor's long throw among a flock of bodies in his penalty area. Richardson again intervened when Darling and Miles engaged in some clever link-up play in midfield, enabling MacLeod and Gundry to progress forward, working the ball out to the right-hand side where Rafferty and Harrington's one-two produced a corner. MacLeod's in-swinging cross caused a goalmouth scramble which Durley eventually managed to hack clear.
Excellent defending by Mitch Coleman prevented Durley finding a foothold in the game, despite going through two-on-one with the substitute left-back with the quick-footed Jamie Barnes in possession on their left. Coleman thrust out his leg to divert an attempted square pass behind for a corner and AFC Totton Sunday's clean sheet lived on, despite the corner being well-delivered and Williams getting his head to it at the far post, the Durley skipper unable to direct his effort on goal.
A Kaine Stanton free-kick from a deep, central position drifted dangerously close to the top-left corner of Hazeldine's goal, forcing the keeper to push the ball away and as Durley continued to be pressed back into their own half of the pitch, MacLeod whipped in another corner from the right which Hanlon headed across goal but Totton couldn't capitalise.
In the 68th minute, a Durley free-kick was volleyed away by MacLeod. The ball took a high bounce off the hard surface, enabling Jordan Canning to get in behind Owen Williams with a well-timed shove. With another defender coming round on the cover, Canning checked infield just inside the Durley penalty area and Williams slid in low, catching the Totton striker just after he'd already nicked the ball away. A loud shout went out from the Totton Sunday Ultras on the touchline for a penalty and all eyes flicked to the Referee, who gave the universal arm-crossing-and-uncrossing signal to indicate "No penalty", to the bewilderment of many.
A rare lapse in concentration by MacLeod saw him dispossessed midway inside his own half. Darling centred and Dallimore did well to turn away from Gain but then fluffed his shot with a slight miss-kick that made it easy pickings for Jack Martin.
A high diagonal pass by Richardson found Canning in an advanced position and he laid the ball off to MacLeod on the left, who returned it with interest to present Canning with the chance to head towards the bottom-right corner, Tim Hazeldine reacting quickly to save to his left. Then, Stanton delivered an in-swinging free-kick from the left-hand side which Harrington stretched for but couldn't connect with.
Having nursed a strained neck muscle since midway through the first half, captain Lewis Gundry had to be withdrawn to make way for Jay Brading, who went out to the right flank with Liam Hanlon coming infield to join Stanton in central midfield.
Barnes's pace was a constant thorn in the side of Totton but Coleman got across quickly to execute a perfect sliding tackle to slam the door in the face of Durley ambition. The match then became fragmented with fouls and free-kicks interrupting its flow - nothing malicious or deliberate, just two teams competing against each other in honest endeavour to win the ball and play football.
As Durley pressed, looking for a way back into the game with their manager imploring their full-backs to get forward at every opportunity, space was opening up for Jordan Canning to cause more problems going the other way, and the young forward who has struggled with recurring injuries all season put in a gutsy shift, even after his forward partner Harrington had to be moved back into midfield. When he was substituted late on to make way for Luke Conway, making his AFC Totton Sunday debut, it was to well-deserved applause from his teammates and those on the sidelines.
Durley, to their credit, continued pushing and trying to create well into stoppage time at the end of the game. Left-back Ryan Povey got into a shooting position via a tight turn to evade Rafferty and hammered a powerful low shot that Martin saved brilliantly at his near post. Then, from the corner, Dallimore was presented with a free header from 6 yards out but he couldn't get enough on the ball to hit the target, the ball hitting a Totton defender for another Durley corner on their right. A combination of Coleman and Harrington managed to clear before the Referee called time on the match, confirming AFC Totton Sunday as Champions.
In a season that has seen the Sunday Stags lose three key players to long-term injuries and at least three more having to manage recurring problems throughout a long, stop-start campaign, as well as the loss of several points and goals through no fault of their own while a number of other clubs in the league have folded to have their results expunged from the league table, to finally make it over the line and be confirmed as the Champions of the City of Southampton Sunday Football League Division 1 - the highest league in local Sunday football - is an honour hard-earned and well-deserved by the entire AFC Totton Sunday squad.
The latest City of Southampton Sunday Football League Division One table
While there is still one league match remaining to complete the match schedule, thoughts will inevitably now turn to the Final of the Southampton Divisional Sunday Senior Cup against Empire FC on Tuesday 10 May. The match will be played on the AFC Totton 1st team pitch at the Snows Stadium on Salisbury Road and we encourage as many as can make it to come along and support the Sunday Stags as they attempt to complete a league and cup double against the side they beat 5-1 at Sherfield English on the opening day of the league season way back in September, and then had to come back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with in the return fixture at Testwood Rec at the end of November.
AFC TOTTON SUNDAY - City of Southampton Sunday Football League Div.1 Champions, 2021/22
Left to right: Andy Canning (Sunday Stags Ultra); Chaz Lodge (Director of Football); Dan Gain; Mitch Coleman; Luke Conway; Jordan Canning; Jack Martin; Sam Conway (Player/Manager); Matt Harrington; Kaine Stanton; Tom Rafferty; Michael MacLeod; Liam Richardson; Luke Scoular; Liam Hanlon; Jay Brading. Not pictured: Gary Bagley; Lewis Bailey; Billy Bellows; Harry Brookwell; Jason Calcutt; Josh Carey; Luke Cron; Nathan Gray; Lewis Gundry; Adam Jones; Tom Munday; Simon Rowson; Daniel Smith; Leon Tatavossian; Marc Watts.
Man of the Match: KAINE STANTON
AFC Totton Sunday would like to thank our sponsors Gentlemen's League Barbers and Hurst Auto Assistance for everything they have done for us, this season - our success on the pitch would not have been possible without your fantastic support.
Match Report: BEN ROCHEY-ADAMS
