AFC Totton
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION SOUTH - Matchday#42
Saturday 27 April 2024 | The Avenue Stadium, Dorchester, Dorset | Att: 1,292
STAGS CLAIM RUNNERS-UP SPOT WITH THUMPING WIN OVER MAGPIES
DORCHESTER TOWN 0
AFC TOTTON 4
Scott Rendell 3mins, 30mins, 65mins;
Ethan Taylor 48mins
AFC TOTTON ACHIEVED their highest ever finish in the English Football League Pyramid by claiming the Runners-Up spot in the Southern League Premier Division South with an emphatic 4-0 away win at Dorchester Town on Saturday (27 April 2024).
A hat-trick from centre-forward Scott Rendell - taking his tally for the season to 31 goals in all competitions - and another goal from the in-form Ethan Taylor overcame one of the form sides in the division to not only secure second place in the end of season league table but also confirm home advantage for The Stags going into Wednesday’s Promotion Play-Off Semi-Final against Bracknell Town and, should they get there, for the Final, as well.
Manager Jimmy Ball made one change to his starting line-up, recalling captain Scott Rendell for his 99th AFC Totton appearance after he was rested for last Monday night’s 3-0 away win at Plymouth Parkway in favour of Leon Maloney, who dropped to the bench. Dorchester’s matchday squad featured three ex-AFC Totton players in midfielder Jordan Ngalo, striker Shaquille Gwengwe and midfield substitute Lewis Waterfield.
AFC TOTTON
Starting XI
13. Joshua GOULD
2. Benny READ
6. Luke HALLETT
15. Sam MAGRI
3. Jordan RAGGUETTE
5. Charlie KENNEDY
8. Adam TOMASSO
10. Ethan TAYLOR
12. Joan LUQUE PRADOS
9. Scott RENDELL (Capt.)
18. Tony LEE
Substitutes
11. Matty BURROWS
14. Ben JEFFORD
16. Luke BENNETT
17. Leon MALONEY
20. Marcel McINTOSH
Totton kicked-off on the 5,000-capacity Avenue Stadium’s 3G pitch, wearing their changed kit of gun metal grey and fluo yellow, against a Dorchester side wearing their usual home kit of black-and-white stripes, black shorts and white socks featuring black hoops.
The game was barely into its third minute when The Stags took the lead. Ethan Taylor chased a seemingly lost cause to wrestle the ball off left-back Ollie Haste at the right-wing corner flag, advance along the byline and pull it back to set up Tony Lee at the edge of the box. The striker scuffed his shot, bringing a save out of Jameson Horlick diving to his right. But The Magpies’ goalkeeper could only parry the ball into the path of the incoming Scott RENDELL who converted the rebound with ease.
PHOTO BOMB: Stags fan Richard salutes an AFC Totton goal at The Avenue Stadium.
Former Southampton Academy player Corby Moore, wearing a bandage on his head from the start of the game, floated a free-kick into the Totton area, where Luke Hallett headed clear. When the ball came back to Moore, Josh Gould was dominant in the air, comfortably claiming the ball.
Taylor continued to unsettled Haste on the Totton right, and pulled the ball back to Joan Luque, who didn’t get much power behind his shot from the edge of the 18-yard box. Then, Taylor checked to his left foot to cross to Rendell on the far side of the penalty area. Rendell’s knockdown took a deflection and bounced up for Luque, who tried to improvise a first-time shot with the outside of his right foot that looped over the bar.
Two strong challenges from Charlie Kennedy kept the home side at bay, as they were struggling to find a foothold in the game. Sam Magri’s clearance sent Lee scampering to inside-left, where he held the ball up long enough to square it for Rendell, whose low, long-range shot was saved by Horlick. Then, Luque played Jordan Ragguette in down the left-hand side, the overlapping full-back sending in a low cross that flicked up off a defender to present Taylor with a chance to strike on the volley, but he couldn’t keep his effort down.
Adam Tomasso and Jordan Ngalo enjoyed a robust midfield collision near the halfway line that had the former Totton teammates exchanging wry smiles and a handshake as they picked themselves up and dusted themselves off. Luque had a shot blocked after receiving the ball from a quickly-taken free-kick by Tomasso, then Dorchester launched a counter-attack from which the right-back Jack Dickson got forward and crossed high into the box; Marcus Daws leapt well but headed over the bar with The Magpies’ first real opening of the encounter.
A foul by Kennedy resulted in a free-kick to the home side on their left, mid-way inside Totton’s half. Moore lofted the ball to the far post where central defender Ed James headed on to the roof of the net. Haste intercepted Kennedy’s pass intended to release Taylor down the Totton right but as Dorchester passed the ball amongst their defenders, Lee managed to nick it and feed Tomasso, darting into the box and winning a corner via a blocked cross. Luque’s delivery was caught by Horlick.
Ngalo’s cross-field ball towards the Dorchester right was headed away by Magri, but the team in black-and-white managed to regain possession and set Shaquille Gwengwe to run at Hallett on the left. He picked out Olaf Koszela on the right of the area, whose angled drive flashed back across goal and wide of the left-hand post.
Dorchester were enjoying more of the possession now, after Totton’s initially bright start to the game. The home fans were left appealing for a foul on Gwengwe by Hallett, which didn’t move the Referee. Dorchester briefly had an overload on their right, but Rendell read the situation well and got back to take the ball off Koszela’s toe to tidy up for Totton.
Marcus Daws, wearing the No.7 shirt for Dorchester, showed neat feet to escape Kennedy in midfield and let fly with a left-footed shot that seared wide of the right-hand post. Then, Daws went close again, receiving the ball on the left and drifting infield before attempting a right-footed effort that curled past the far post.
Dorchester paid the price for failing to finish their chances while they were on top when Totton extended their lead on the half-hour. The Stags worked the ball into the final third, forcing a throw-in high up on the right flank. Benny Read threw the ball short to Luque, who dribbled infield and played a one-two with Rendell just outside the box, before finding Lee near the penalty spot. With a defender at his back, Lee rolled the ball square for Scott RENDELL, who checked on to his left foot to unbalance the defender tracking him, and fire into the bottom-right corner with Horlick rooted to the spot.
Dorchester tried to muster a response with a quickly-taken free-kick that had Tomasso heading a cross clear at the near post. Dickson won a corner off Ragguette on the home side’s right. Moore played it short but Ragguette read it and dismantle the move at the expense of another corner. Josh Gould caught Moore’s delivery into the box. Then, a swift move down the right was disrupted by Tomasso’s clearance from the edge of the area.
Lee headed out a Dorchester free-kick from the advanced side of the centre-circle. Daws retrieved the ball and tried to bend a shot from distance into the right corner, but he couldn’t get enough curl on it and it flew wide.
Read and Tomasso combined to advance the ball up the right flank for Totton. Read’s cross had Lee ready to volley until a well-timed nudge from a defender put him off balance. It landed at Rendell’s feet, whose angled drive from 14 yards flashed wide of the right-hand post.
Gwengwe was shown the yellow card for a high tackle on Luque, but Horlick punched away Taylor’s 25-yard free-kick. Taylor redeemed himself by making a well-timed tackle on Ngalo, after the strong midfielder had bustled his way to the left of the Totton box having been denied the room to take a shot. Tony Lee was booked for dissent, seemingly for complaining about a decision not given his way during Totton’s previous attack.
Pardoe went close with an angled drive from the right, which had Gould diving at full stretch before it went narrowly wide. Then, Dorchester worked the ball from right to left in two passes. Daws took on Read and got his cross in, but Totton were able to shepherd the ball out as the Referee called time on the first half.
HALF-TIME:
DORCHESTER TOWN 0
AFC TOTTON 2
There were no changes during the interval. Dorchester came forward, looking for a way back into the game. Koszela ran into Tomasso on the edge of the Totton box, then Magri intercepted a through-ball that had Pardoe already running in anticipation of going clean through on goal. Pardoe then dribbled past Ragguette on the right and found Moore with a low cross, but he smashed his effort a long way over the crossbar.
Dorchester were again left to rue their missed chances when Totton went three-nil up just three minutes into the second half. Tomasso intercepted the ball on the right from Ieuan Turner’s clearance, and passed infield to Luque. Taylor had the freedom of Dorset to make a forward dash left of the D, screaming for the ball and Luque duly obliged with a beautifully-weighted pass with the outside of his right foot which enabled Ethan TAYLOR to finish first-time from just left of the penalty spot, cutting the ball across Horlick and into the bottom-right corner.
COME ON, YOU STAGS: Ethan Taylor celebrates his goal at Dorchester Town.
Moore and Dickson found some space on the Dorchester right from which to mount an attack, but Moore’s eventual shot lacked power and was cleared by Magri. Moore and Dickson combined again down the same side; this time, Moore fired over from 15 yards. Then, Ragguette got past Dickson on Totton’s left wing and hung a cross to the far post that eluded Horlick but there was nobody there in gun metal grey to apply the finish.
Moore forced a corner for the home side, who brought off Turner and sent on Will Fletcher in his place before it could be taken. When it was, Gould got one hand to the cross to punch it away from a crowded penalty area.
Dorchester came close to pulling a goal back when Moore’s pass played Gwengwe into the inside-right channel, and he skipped around the prone figure of Gould to take the ball to the byline. With the goalkeeper out of the equation, Gwengwe tried to convert from a tight angle but Hallett was one of three defenders filling up the goalmouth, and he headed off the line to protect Totton’s clean sheet. Dorchester regained possession and, after failing to find a way in down the right, switched to the left where a driven shot was blocked by Adam Tomasso, throwing himself in the way of the ball in trademark fashion. He succeeded in deflecting the shot for a corner with his face, leaving him flat on the 3G pitch in need of lengthy treatment. Lee headed out the corner.
The home side forced another corner on their right and played it short. Ngalo rode Kennedy’s challenge before his ball into the box was half-cleared by the Totton defence. The ball came back into the area but Gould was again equal to it in the air.
Jimmy Ball withdrew Luque and Lee on 63 minutes, to send on Leon Maloney and Marcel McIntosh. Maloney made a positive contribution with his first touches of the ball. Read pushed forward from right-back to take up open space in the middle of the Dorchester half as Totton were trying to work their way forward on the left wing. He loudly demanded the ball and duly received it before pushing it out to Maloney on the right touchline, who took a touch and hung a high cross to the back post where Scott RENDELL jumped to head home from close range, completing his fourth hat-trick of the season.
Dorchester left-back Ollie Haste came off to be replaced by Harry Redknapp, the grandson of the former West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur manager, who is on loan at The Avenue Stadium from AFC Bournemouth.
McIntosh got involved in the game by instigating a one-two with Rendell to advance up the middle of the home side’s half, but his pass to Maloney on the right was too heavy. Harry Redknapp was shown the yellow card for tripping Ragguette, as he threatened to skip to the left-wing byline but Totton were unable to capitalise from the free-kick.
Tomasso’s was the next name to be taken for a foul on Dickson, and Read soon followed him into the Referee’s notebook as Dorchester inched forward one free-kick at a time, before Hallett headed clear.
A high ball forward by Kennedy put McIntosh into a race with two defenders down the middle. He looped it over Redknapp, who stuck to his task well and cleared it off McIntosh’s toe just as he was about to shoot. Then, Kennedy won a midfield scuffle to find McIntosh on the left. Taylor and Rendell both made runs and McIntosh’s in-swinging cross towards Rendell at the far post was flicked behind by a covering defender for a corner on Totton’s right, which was cleared.
Gwengwe carried the ball into the Totton box from the left-hand side, before bending his speculative shot high over the bar. Then, the ex-Stags striker latched on to an incisive through-ball on the same side but from a tight angle, he could only shoot into the side-netting.
Ben Jefford stepped off the bench to replace Ethan Taylor for the last 10 minutes of the regulation 90. Koszela crossed from the right to pick out the late run of Will Fletcher, who got up well but couldn’t keep his header down. Totton began to play keep-ball, with one move involving at least half of the outfield players resulting in a right-wing corner from which they played it short and began another session of passing it to one another with no obvious intention of attacking the Dorchester goal.
Rendell went close with another header, getting between two defenders to loop the ball narrowly over the top-left corner after Maloney had sent the ball over from the Totton left. Then, Daws and Ngalo found their passage into the Totton box blocked by the five-man defence, with Jefford operating as the left-sided centre-back.
Pardoe made a spirited attempt to rescue some pride for the home side, skipping past Read on his way to the left-wing byline and centring but Gould was again well-placed to catch it. At the other end, Kennedy headed narrowly over from Maloney’s right-wing corner, having somehow evaded his marker in the penalty box cluster, shortly before the full-time whistle brought down the curtain on the regular 2023/24 season.
The result confirmed AFC Totton as Runners-Up in the Southern League Premier Division South and ensures they will have home advantage when they face Bracknell Town in the Promotion Play-Off Semi-Final on Wednesday night.
Watch Jimmy Ball’s Post-Match Interview
FINAL TABLE Southern League Premier Division South 2023/24
Next Up: AFC TOTTON vs BRACKNELL TOWN
Southern League Premier Division South | Promotion Play-Off Semi-Final | Snows Stadium, Salisbury Road, Totton SO40 2RW | Wednesday 01 May 2024 | Kick-Off at 7:45pm | SAVE MONEY by purchasing your Match Tickets online in advance.
LIVE Commentary on StagsRadio via X (Twitter)
By Ben Rochey-Adams
