AFC Totton
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION SOUTH | Matchday#29
Tuesday 18 February 2025 | Snows Stadium, Totton, Southampton | Att: 1,886
RENDELL’S BRACE GROUNDS HAWKS AS STAGS CLOSE GAP TO TOP SPOT
AFC TOTTON 3
Scott Rendell 24mins, 63mins;
Ben Seymour 90+1mins
HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE 1
Harvey Laidlaw 90+3mins
TWO GOALS FROM TALISMANIC centre-forward Scott Rendell spearheaded AFC Totton’s pursuit of top spot in the Southern League Premier Division South table, as Jimmy Ball’s Stags defeated Play-Off hopefuls Havant & Waterlooville with a dominant display at the Snows Stadium on Tuesday night (18 February 2025).
The home side started brightly and deservedly took the lead despite a brilliant save from Hawks goalkeeper Ben Dudzinski to push Ethan Taylor’s ferocious effort onto the crossbar before the rebound fell to Totton’s No.9 to put The Stags ahead on 24 minutes. Dudzinski performed heroics to keep Taylor, Tony Lee and Tom Blair at bay and his team still in the contest by half-time.
But a sublime right-wing cross by Blair three minutes past the hour enabled Rendell to thump home a back-post header that doubled Totton’s advantage. And substitute Ben Seymour scored his second goal in as many games in stoppage time, after clever work by Charlie Austin and Craig Tanner on the right flank.
There was still time for Harvey Laidlaw to pull one back for the visitors with a 20-yard piledriver but despite a late flurry of crosses into their box, Totton held firm to complete the job and close the gap on current league leaders Merthyr Town.
Tom Blair came back into the starting line-up to replace Charlie Austin, who dropped to the bench, in an otherwise unchanged side from the one that began the 6-1 mauling of Marlow on 08 February. Havant & Waterlooville were without forward Harvey Bradbury, who scored in the previous meeting between the two sides at Westleigh Park in August, but their ranks were bolstered by the pre-game signing of midfielder Oliver Pendlebury on loan from National League South side Farnborough.
AFC TOTTON: 13. Ryan GOSNEY; 2. Joe OASTLER; 4. Mike CARTER (Capt.); 5. Charlie KENNEDY; 6. Sam MAGRI; 8. Adam TOMASSO; 9. Scott RENDELL; 10. Ethan TAYLOR; 18. Tony LEE; 19. Tom BLAIR; 20. Richard McINTYRE. Substitutes: 7. Ben SEYMOUR; 11. Charlie AUSTIN; 12. Luke HALLETT; 14. Craig TANNER; 15. Roddy COLLINS. Substitutions: TAYLOR for TANNER (63mins); COLLINS for CARTER (68mins); SEYMOUR for BLAIR (74mins); HALLETT for RENDELL (85mins); AUSTIN for LEE (85mins). Yellow Cards: GOSNEY (Hand-Ball); CARTER (Foul); KENNEDY (Foul); LEE (Foul); MAGRI (Foul); McINTYRE (Foul).
HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE: 1. Ben DUDZINSKI; 2. Devante STANLEY; 4. Nigel ATANGANA (Capt.); 6. Brendan WILLSON; 9. Ryan SEAGER; 10. Leon MALONEY; 15. Reuben SWANN; 16. George MILNER-SMITH; 18. Joshua DOCKERILL; 19. Keane ANDERSON; 20. Harvey LAIDLAW. Substitutes: 8. Alfy WHITTINGHAM; 12. Oliver PENDLEBURY; 13. Alan WALKER-HARRIS; 14. Amadou JALLOW; 17. Mitchell ASTON. Substitutions: PENDLEBURY for DOCKERILL (46mins); WHITTINGHAM for SWANN (76mins). Yellow Cards: WHITTINGHAM (Foul).
Havant & Waterlooville, wearing their usual kit of all white with blue-and-gold trim, got proceedings underway, attacking towards the Aldi End. Totton turned out in their traditional home kit of all-Royal blue with white trim.
Ethan Taylor was heavily involved in the game’s opening exchanges. First, he got away with a late challenge on full-back Devante Stanley right in front of the visiting team’s dug-out, and if that injury wasn’t enough, insult was added when the Totton winger went down to win a free-kick midway inside the Havant half a few moments later.
Stanley got forward to link with ex-Stag Leon Maloney, the pair working the ball infield for Keane Anderson to take aim from just outside the box with a shot that Mike Carter deflected wide for a corner. The set-piece was taken short and the eventual shot took a nick off a Totton defender and bounced kindly for Ryan Gosney in goal.
GET OUT!: Stags central defender Sam Magri sees off the threat of Havant & Waterlooville's Ryan Seager during the Southern League Premier Division South encounter at the Snows Stadium.
Goalkeeper Ben Dudzinski came rushing out of his box to kick clear before Scott Rendell could latch onto Taylor’s looped pass through the middle. The long clearance forced Richard McIntyre to retreat to his left-back berth and clear up the wing before Maloney could exploit the space.
Tony Lee was given an early talking to from the referee for a late challenge on Anderson, who spent time on loan at the Snows Stadium while contracted to Aldershot Town two years ago. But The Stags striker was soon back to cause more trouble, with only alert defending from captain Nigel Atangana preventing him getting a shot away from Rendell’s cute pass at the 18-yard line.
McIntyre’s determination to drive the dribbling Reuben Swann infield ensured the winger ran aground in midfield before he could inflict any damage. Then, Joe Oastler came across to clear under pressure from Totton’s left.
Carter showed some neat footwork to wriggle between two white shirts and find McIntyre close to the left touchline, who in turn fed Taylor further up the wing. His cross was cut-out. Then, Adam Tomasso conceded a free-kick for a foul on Joshua Dockerill 10 yards into the Totton half, from which Lee headed out the initial delivery into Totton’s box and Carter calmly nodded the ball into the safety of Gosney’s gloves.
Oastler received possession while Totton shifted the ball across their back line. Havant’s press invited him to step forward into the centre-circle and clip a glorious cross-field pass to the right corner of the opposition penalty area, where Blair took it under control on the run and let fly with a half-volley that Dudzinski did well to parry past his left-hand post. Taylor’s corner was headed out to the edge of the box, where Anderson nipped in just in time to prevent Carter regathering.
Totton hearts were in mouths when a high diagonal from the Havant right brought Gosney out of his box to intercept before Ryan Seager could connect. With the Totton ‘keeper a good few yards out of his area, the ball bounced in front of him and struck his right forearm. The visiting contingent demanded a red card but the referee decided a booking was punishment enough. Maloney’s low shot from the resulting free-kick was wide of the left post.
Lee took two bites of the cherry after receiving on the edge of the box, to the right of the penalty spot; his first shot was bravely blocked and he dragged his second wide to the left with defenders scrambling to get limbs in the way.
But, Gosney’s great escape aside, the home side were looking the more likely to open the scoring and so it proved in the 24th minute. A high pass to inside-left allowed Taylor to run onto it and strike a ferocious left-footed half-volley that acrobatics from Dudzinski somehow managed to push onto the crossbar. As it rebounded into the middle of the box, Scott RENDELL got to the loose ball first and guided it into the unguarded net with his left in-step.
...AND THE GOAT JUMPED OVER THE DOPLHIN: The Sunburnt Assassin celebrates his opening goal against Havant & Waterlooville at the Snows Stadium.
Havant’s attempted to hit back swiftly but Sam Magri put the kibosh on that by booting the ball onto the media gantry that adorns the Salisbury Road side of the ground. Tigerish midfield hustling saw Carter dispossess Anderson, before two white shirts got about the Totton skipper to prevent him progressing the ball further upfield.
Maloney managed to isolate McIntyre on the Havant right, danced himself into a crossing position and delivered arcing service into the box that Seager had to stretch to head down from beyond the far post, but there was no other white shirt in position to take the chance and Magri hooked the ball away. Then, Stanley raided forward via a one-two to evade Rendell’s tracking run and cross into the box — but Tomasso was there to nod the ball back to Gosney.
With his back to goal, Lee brought the ball under control midway inside the Havant half. He tussled and jostled with his marker long enough to create half an opening before unleashing a shot from distance that had the beating of Dudzinski but bounced wide of the left upright. Then, after Taylor had got to the left-wing byline only to have his pass infield intercepted, Totton won it back quickly and Lee fired over from right of the D.
INCOMING!: Stags skipper Mike Carter engages former AFC Totton loanee Keane Anderson in a midfield battle at the Snows Stadium.
Havant had to weather the storm. McIntyre sent a long throw down the left wing, which Rendell volleyed to Tomasso in the middle. He shifted it right to Kennedy, who tried to burst into the opposition box but Dudzinski came out to claim the ball. Then, Blair exploited a pocket of space on the right wing to put a low cross into the six-yard box; Rendell got there first and prodded the ball past the near post. The referee ignored Totton’s appeals for a corner and awarded a goal-kick.
A throw-in from the Totton right saw Taylor turn sharply and advance towards the edge of the area to strike a 20-yard effort that the already overworked Dudzinski pushed past the post for a corner on the Totton left. The corner was taken short and the ball worked all around the penalty area before Tomasso drove a low snapshot into the side-netting behind the right-hand post.
In two minutes of first-half stoppage time, Blair won the ball near halfway and drove into Havant territory before being tripped. He took the free-kick himself and found Taylor on the edge of the box, but the winger was muscled off the ball before he could get a shot away.
HALF-TIME: AFC TOTTON 1-0 HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE
Hawks Manager Shaun North handed new signing Oliver Pendlebury his Havant & Waterlooville debut as a half-time substitute for Joshua Dockerill.
Lee’s attempt to burrow his way into the Havant box from the left flank was curtailed before he could lay off to Blair in a promising position. Then, defender Brendan Willson made a crucial interception to prevent the ball reaching Lee six yards out, after Kennedy put Blair into prime crossing territory in front of Mally’s Corner.
McIntyre read the situation well to smother Swann’s shot after a diagonal through-ball from the Havant left bypassed both of The Stags’ central defenders, with the Oxford United loanee getting enough in the way of the ball for it to land at Gosney’s feet. Then, Oastler won an important duel in the Totton box as Havant tried an aerial assault from their right wing.
SERVICE PROVIDER: Winger Tom Blair returned to the starting line-up after recent illness and delivered quality into the opposition box.
Carter conceded a free-kick 10 yards inside his own half, but a poor set-piece delivery saw Gosney scoop up possession, once again. Then, Anderson’s attempt to orchestrate the play from the visitors’ engine room were disrupted by Carter robustly regaining possession in the centre-circle.
Lee thought he had a valid claim for a penalty after being pulled from behind as he tried to latch onto McIntyre’s long throw from the left touchline — the referee shook his head and play continued. Carter then went in bravely with his head against a high foot and, after waiting to see how play developed, the referee called play back to award the Totton captain a free-kick.
Anderson for once got the batter of Carter to advance on the Totton box, until the Totton No.4 tripped him to earn himself a yellow card and present the visitors with a free-kick within shooting range about 25 yards out. Reuben Swann’s curling shot evaded Totton’s four-man defensive wall but flew into the waiting arms of the upright Gosney.
Magri’s long pass to inside-left brought Dudzinski out of his box to clear out of the ground before Lee could get there. Then, Oastler got forward to head Blair’s free-kick delivery from the halfway line down for Lee to strike; his effort was blocked and from the follow-up, Blair hooked the ball back into the box but it evaded Lee in the middle.
Taylor, who had required the assistance of the Totton medical team on two occasions already, eventually had to depart to be replaced by Craig Tanner just past the hour mark. Kennedy was penalised for a high foot midway inside his own half. The free-kick was taken quickly and left-back Harvey Laidlaw found himself in space to whip in a cross that Totton defended well.
Oastler got his head to a right-wing Havant corner before Rendell swiped the ball away from the six-yard line. And within moments, Totton deservedly extended their lead. Kennedy joined the counter-attack and moved into an advanced position via Blair and Tanner before rolling the ball back for Blair to deliver an exquisite, high arcing cross to the far post that was tailor-made for Scott RENDELL to leap above his marker and powerfully head beyond Dudzinski. Rendell then made a beeline to Blair to celebrate an outstanding goal in the old-fashioned mode of a winger crossing high for a centre-forward to head home at the back-post.
GET IN!: The leaping Scott Rendell gets above defender Devante Stanley to powerfully head home AFC Totton's second goal from Tom Blair's pinpoint delivery.
Jimmy Ball took that stop in play as an opportunity to withdraw Carter and send on another experienced head in the shape of former Chesham United captain, Roddy Collins. Havant won another free-kick within shooting range when the referee decided Rendell’s foot was a fraction higher than Maloney’s when they came together just outside the Totton box. The left-footed Laidlaw took aim and skimmed the top of the net.
A loose pass by Rendell across the centre-circle sold Kennedy short, forcing the defender into evasive action that earned him a yellow card. Seymour came on for Blair on 73 minutes, then Lee was harshly booked for colliding with Dudzinski during one of the Havant ‘keepers several tours of duty outside his box to deal with over-hit through-balls.
Maloney threatened from the Havant left but Collins was well-placed in the Totton box to head clear. Then, Magri got up well to repel a high cross from the visitors’ right.
Alfy Whittingham came on in place of Swann for The Hawks. Magri’s was the next name in the book, although he barely touched Anderson who nevertheless found the grass just to the left of the Totton penalty area to win his team a free-kick. Once again, though, the set-piece execution was lacking and Gosney was presented with a comfortable save.
Seymour and Kennedy worked the ball well in front of the home team dug-out before Seymour’s low cross was turned away from Lee. Magri sent the ball forward again and Seymour tried to dance through a cluster of white shirts around the D on the edge of the Havant box, before it was cleared.
Havant almost shot themselves in the foot when a poor pass out of defence hit one of their own and rebounded to Seymour, who advanced it to Rendell just outside the box, and his short pass infield played Lee into a shooting position. One of two defenders throwing their legs in the way got enough of a deflection to prompt a goalmouth scramble, with Tomasso wading in, but The Hawks hooked the ball out.
Anderson tested Gosney's reflexes with a snapshot towards the top-left corner that the ‘keeper pushed firmly past the near post. Then, from the left-wing corner, Gosney rose highest and claimed the cross with confidence, bringing an appreciative cheer from the home crowd.
With five minutes to go, Luke Hallett and Charlie Austin were both introduced with Rendell and Lee making way. Hallett took a position alongside Magri and Oastler to make for a three-man central defensive unit as Totton looked to protect what they had.
A late challenge on Oastler sparked a bit of late aggro, that ended with Alfy Whittingham having his name taken by the referee. Five minutes of stoppage time were indicated.
TWO-FOR-TWO: Substitute Ben Seymour scored his second AFC Totton goal in as many games to give The Stags a three-goal lead.
Tanner and Austin exchanged short passes to manoeuvre themselves and the ball forward down the Totton right. As Tanner went wide, Austin made a dart to get into the box and Tanner tried to feed him with a low cross. A white-stockinged leg cut out the cross but only conceded in diverting the ball to Ben SEYMOUR, who cleverly feigned to shoot to wrong-foot both defender and goalkeeper before converting from close range for his second AFC Totton goal in as many games.
There was still time for Havant & Waterlooville to grab a consolation goal. A high cross from their right wing was headed out of the Totton box by Hallett but Harvey LAIDLAW met the loose ball with a stunning half-volley that bent outward into the bottom-left corner with Gosney rooted to the spot.
The goal’s quality probably deserved a greater celebration than it received, but it did spark Havant into life, encouraging them to get forward and test Totton’s resolve. McIntyre had his name taken for something this reporter didn’t see, shortly before Anderson had a shot from the edge of the box blocked. Then, Kennedy had to head away from the back post after Maloney centred dangerously from the right wing. The corner reached Pendlebury in the Totton box via a knockdown, but he couldn’t work himself into the slightly wider angle he needed to get a decent shot away, and Gosney claimed the ball shortly before the final whistle sounded.
View the full ALBUM from AFC Totton 3-1 Havant & Waterlooville
via Dave Haines Photography on Flickr
Watch JIMMY BALL’S Post-Match Interview
Watch SCOTT RENDELL’S Post-Match Interview
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AFC Totton FIXTURES Season 2024/25
Next Up: SWINDON SUPERMARINE vs AFC TOTTON
Southern League Premier Division South | Matchday#30 | Webbswood Stadium, Supermarine Road, Swindon SN3 4BZ | Saturday 22 February 2025 | Kick-Off 3:00pm
LIVE Commentary on StagsRadio via X (Twitter)
By Ben Rochey-Adams
Images courtesy of Dave Haines Photography
