SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION SOUTH | Matchday#26
Saturday 01 February 2025 | TigerTurf Stadium, Hempsted, Gloucester | Att: 1,492

GOALLESS IN GLOUCESTER AS STAGS AND TIGERS FIGHT TO STALEMATE

GLOUCESTER CITY 0

AFC TOTTON 0

IT WAS A CASE OF HONOURS EVEN as second-placed AFC Totton were held to a goalless draw by third-placed Gloucester City in the Southern League Premier Division South match at the TigerTurf Stadium in Gloucestershire.

Both goalkeepers kept their concentration throughout a tightly-contested game that generated few chances to produce crucial saves when it mattered, with Ryan Gosney saving on his goal line with virtually the last action of the match.

Left-back Richard McIntyre joined his fellow Oxford United loanee George Franklin in the starting line-up in an otherwise unchanged back four. Adam Tomasso returned to the midfield with Luke Bennett dropping to the bench, and Tony Lee came in for Charlie Austin up front.

GLOUCESTER CITY: 1. Jared THOMPSON; 4. Tyrone DUFFUS; 6. Daniel BALL; 7. Edward WILLIAMS; 8. Harry PINCHARD; 11. Brandon SMALLEY; 13. Joseph HANKS; 14. Ben RICHARDS-EVERTON; 15. Jacob EVANS; 16. Kevin DAWSON (Capt.); 20. Elis WATTS. Substitutes: 3. Connor THOMPSON; 9. Kieran PHILLIPS; 12. Jadyn CROSBIE; 17. Harry EMMETT; 18. Obinna ANAEBONAM. Substitutions: CROSBIE for SMALLEY (73mins); EMMETT for HANKS (77mins); PHILLIPS for WILLIAMS. Yellow Cards: DAWSON (Foul); EMMETT (Foul).

AFC TOTTON: 13. Ryan GOSNEY; 2. Joe OASTLER (Capt.); 5. Charlie KENNEDY; 6. Sam MAGRI; 7. Ben SEYMOUR; 8. Adam TOMASSO; 10. Ethan TAYLOR; 14. Craig TANNER; 17. George FRANKLIN; 18. Tony LEE; 20. Richard McINTYRE. Substitutes: 4. Mike CARTER; 9. Scott RENDELL; 11. Charlie AUSTIN; 12. Luke HALLETT; 16. Luke BENNETT. Substitutions: RENDELL for SEYMOUR (64mins); AUSTIN for LEE (64mins); BENNETT for McINTYRE (81mins). Yellow Cards: MAGRI (Foul); LEE (Foul); FRANKLIN (Foul).

Gloucester City Fans-4_Gloucester City 0-0 AFC Totton_SLPDS-26_Sat01Feb2025.jpg

With a vociferous contingent of Gloucester City fans chanting, waving flags and letting off red and yellow smoke bombs in the designated “Ultras” corner, the two sides trotted out onto the 3G pitch against an audible backdrop of Survivor’s ‘Eye of the Tiger’ before the home team got the game underway wearing red shirts with black trim, black shorts and red socks. Totton were in their own home kit of all-Royal blue with white trim.

Gloucester mounted the first attack of note, forcing George Franklin to concede a corner. Ryan Gosney collected the high in-swinging delivery at the second attempt. Totton countered with a swift move, Craig Tanner and Ethan Taylor combining on the right to feed Tony Lee in the box. With his back to goal, he chested the ball down but had it whipped off his toe before he could improvise a shot on the turn.

Taylor latched onto Joe Oastler’s long cross-field pass to force a corner on the Totton left but the Gloucester defence cleared the cross. Then, Richard McIntyre dashed forward down the left but Jacob Evans stuck to his defensive task well to see off the danger, eventually winning himself a free-kick as the two players tussled for possession.

There was No.20-on-No.20 action in Totton’s left-back area, as a series of short passes saw Gloucester shift the ball across the artificial surface to play Elis Watts in on their right to take on McIntyre, who refused to be shaken off by the tall, skilful winger and booked the cross for a corner. Sam Magri cleared and Lee helped it on its way to set Tanner and Ben Seymour away on the counter-attack. Taylor joined the attack from the left and Tomasso also came chugging forward through the middle, but Gloucester managed to get sufficient numbers back to eventually quash the threat.

McIntyre won a free-kick on the left wing, midway inside the home team’s half. Tanner under-hit his delivery and found himself conceding a fee-kick on the halfway line to prevent Gloucester springing forward on the counter. Tanner was soon involved again, orchestrating an attacking move that swept from Seymour on the right to Taylor on the left before darting to the byline and sending in a cross that was charged down before it could reach Lee.

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN: Richard McIntyre takes on a Gloucester City player at the TigerTurf Stadium.

Gloucester briefly threatened with an attack through the heart of the Totton defence, until Brandon Smalley was called up for manhandling Magri. Lee tumbled inside the Gloucester penalty area as he tried to work his way between two defenders, but the referee saw nothing to get excited about and allowed play to continue while the Totton striker added some blue to the red and yellow still lingering in the air from those pre-match smoke bombs.

Magri received the game’s first yellow card for bringing down Smalley in full flight, left of centre midway inside The Stags’ half. As with the set-pieces that preceded it, though, the delivery failed to trouble the defence.

Watts, playing on Gloucester’s right wing but frequently looking to drive inside and strike with his left foot, found his progress restrained by a combination of McIntyre and Tomasso, so he laid the ball off to Joe Hanks, whose first-time effort from 20 yards soared over the crossbar, amid appreciative applause from the TigerTurf faithful.

A long kick by Gosney was headed on by Lee to Seymour on the Totton right. The Torquay United loanee dashed to the byline and cut the ball back for Tanner, who squared for Tomasso to strike from the edge of the area; a brave sliding block from Gloucester defender Tyrone Duffus repelled the danger for the home side, who swiftly countered. Watts managed to evade McIntyre long enough to drive in a low, angled shot that Gosney got down quickly to save.

McIntyre dealt with a high diagonal intended to play Harry Pinchard in on Gloucester’s right. Then Tanner was bodychecked near the halfway line but not awarded a free-kick. Gloucester continued their forward movement, with Hanks and Smalley working an opening for a shot from outside the box that Gosney collected, before those in blue conducted their own inquiry with the referee.

STAGS STRIKER: Tony Lee tussles with a Tiger.

Ed Williams raided down the left for Gloucester but couldn’t get past Franklin. Then, The Tigers’ captain Kevin Dawson was booked for a foul on Tanner in midfield.

Watts popped up at the inside-left channel, driving in a low shot from outside the box that rebounded off blue shins. Totton went up the other end and Tanner drove a low shot just wide of the right-hand post from 20 yards.

Gloucester fashioned the best chance of the game so far when a period of possession saw Watts receive the ball on the right, take on McIntyre and cross from the right byline. The ball reached Hanks, arriving near the penalty spot, but Gosney saved with his knees and Oastler hooked out the rebound.

Evans took a free-kick high on the Gloucester right. Williams controlled it at the front of the pack lined up across the edge of the Totton box. He tried to spin and chip the ball into the middle but Gosney intercepted, grabbing the ball at his second attempt.

In the one minute of stoppage time allotted at the end of the first half, Smalley tried to make in-roads down the right wing but McIntyre kept him at bay.

HALF-TIME: GLOUCESTER CITY 0-0 AFC TOTTON

Neither side made any changes at the break and Totton got the second half underway. McIntyre was dispossessed by Watts, who drove infield from the right and let fly from 20 yards with a shot that dipped narrowly over the crossbar.

Another long kick from Gosney was headed on by Lee to Taylor on the Totton left, and returned back to Lee as he made a run into the left side of the penalty area and struck a low shot from a tight angle that flashed past the near post and into the advertising hoarding behind the goal. McIntyre prompted Taylor and Lee to try again, this time Lee was pressed before he could shoot so he squared to Seymour, whose shot was blocked at source.

Elis Watts was a constant thorn in Totton’s side, and after beating two players he found himself dumped to the ground by the tenacious Tomasso. From the resulting free-kick, Dawson’s chip into the Totton box was headed out by Oastler and the follow-up shot hit another blue-clad defender as The Stags maintained the barricades.

OH NO YOU DON'T: AFC Totton captain Joe Oastler sees off a Gloucester City attack.

Taylor and Lee combined on the left again, this time winning a free-kick a couple of yards from the left side of the penalty area. Despite the tight angle, Lee fancied his chances with a shot, but he only succeeded in hitting the defensive wall and then conceded a free-kick - and earned himself a yellow card - as he tried to stop Gloucester launching a counter-attack. The home side were unable to capitalise from the free-kick; as they tried to work some space on the right, the ball was over-run and knocked out for a goal-kick.

Seymour eluded three players near the centre-circle and spread the play wide to McIntyre, who was brought down by Watts. Tanner’s free-kick sent Lee wide to the byline; he hooked it back into the middle for Tomasso but Gloucester knocked it away. When Totton came forward again, Lee went down on the edge of the box but once again, the referee wasn’t interested.

Franklin conceded a free-kick midway inside his own half. Dawson’s delivery flew beyond the massed ranks of players on the edge of the box and Gosney confidently claimed a few yards outside his six-yard box.

As Gloucester’s defensive man-mountain Ben Richards-Everton brought the ball forward near the halfway line, he found himself set upon by both Tanner and Tomasso, in a scene reminiscent of when those two Velociraptors attacked the Tyrannosaurus rex at the end of Jurassic Park — accept, this time the little guys won and Tanner was able to prod the ball to Taylor, who released McIntyre on an overlapping run down the left wing, before his low cross was turned away from inside the Gloucester box.

George Franklin was harshly booked for a sliding foul; from your intrepid reporter’s position, he clearly got the ball first but from the referee’s perspective on the other side of the challenge, he thought there was reason enough to award a free-kick to The Tigers. The free-kick was left of the D on the edge of Totton’s box, about 30 yards out. Dawson rolled the ball square for Evans to shoot, but Gosney was untroubled and scooped it into his arms.

Four minutes past the hour, Jimmy Ball withdrew Lee and Seymour and sent on Charlie Austin and Scott Rendell. Austin was straight into the action, getting to the right-wing byline and picking out Taylor beyond the penalty spot, but the winger needed two touches to get the ball under control and was closed down before he could do so.

Magri had to head back to Gosney with Smalley eagerly pressing from behind. Then, Totton won a free-kick midway inside Gloucester’s half. Tomasso floated it into the box and Oastler ghosted in from the far side but could only steer his header wide.

Taylor took umbrage at being shoved to the ground and not being awarded a free-kick near the centre-circle. Then, McIntyre did well to track the flight of a high cross-field pass and nod back to Gosney with Watts lurking over his shoulder.

Gloucester's Brandon Smalley was replaced by Jadyn Crosbie on 73 minutes. A positive, progressive advance by Tanner ran aground amid three red shirts. Then, Rendell dropped deep to exchange passes with Magri, enabling Tanner to send Franklin scampering down the right flank. He sent in a low cross and Austin darted in front of his marker and connected with a first-time shot that zipped just over the crossbar at the near post; Totton’s best move of the game.

GET STUCK IN: Oxford United loanee full-back George Franklin intervenes to prevent Gloucester City breaking through AFC Totton's defences.

Magri headed out a cross from the Gloucester right, then Rendell and Franklin combined to deal with the secondary threat as the home side continued to struggle to find a way past The Stags defence.

Joe Hanks was replaced by Harry Emmett on 77 minutes. Magri extended his own personal welcome to Emmett by shoving him out of bounds at the left-wing byline, after the sub had evaded Tanner in the centre-circle.

Watts forced McIntyre to jockey back towards his own area. A short infield pass and an incisive through-ball enabled Gloucester to deliver from the right-wing byline but Franklin cleared. Gloucester came again, forcing Oastler to usher the ball behind for a left-wing corner. Williams put too much power into his cross, forcing Watts to go and retrieve it. McIntyre chased him and won it back, before playing Taylor away down the left, where only a tactical foul by Emmett could prevent him racing clear, earning the substitute a yellow card.

With nine minutes to go, Luke Bennett came on in place of McIntyre. Magri clipped the ball forward to Tanner, standing just off the left corner of the Gloucester box. The diminutive midfielder controlled it, beat two players and fired in a low cross-shot that Gloucester ‘keeper Jared Thompson saved.

Emmett threatened to deliver dangerously from the home team’s left flank, but Tomasso got about him and Gosney was able to collect before it could reach an opponent. With six minutes to go, Williams made way for Gloucester’s No.9, Kieran Phillips.

Austin forced a hand-ball to earn Totton a free-kick close to the right corner of the Gloucester penalty area. Tanner’s cross found Oastler on the far side, whose header came back to Magri. A short pass enabled Taylor to strike but a defender blocked the effort.

Watts looked the most likely of Gloucester’s players to break the deadlock. He carried the ball infield from the right and shot left-footed, clipping Oastler as the ball flew wide for a left-wing corner. Pinchard’s corner skimmed off Rendell’s head on its way to the far touchline, where Watts fumbled trying to get the ball back under control, presenting possession back to Totton in the form of a throw-in.

Five minutes of stoppage time were indicated. Watts and Emmett tried to open up the Totton defence, but the former’s through-ball was too heavy for the latter to run onto it. Then, a swashbuckling run by Bennett from the Totton left-back berth deep into Tiger territory resulted in a free-kick for a push in the back. Tanner bent a low shot around the left side of the defensive wall and towards the bottom corner of the net, but Jared Thompson got down sharply and held on well.

The home crowd were incensed by Tomasso regaining possession for Totton with a fair tackle on Emmett. Bennett raided from the left again; his cross was diverted out of the box as far as Tomasso, whose shot was blocked, and so too was Taylor’s follow-up.

Magri conceded a late free-kick midway inside his own half, and then headed out Dawson’s delivery. The ball was clipped back into the box where, eight yards out, Kieran Phillips had the chance to steal the points with a header but he failed to get his neck muscles behind it and Gosney made a simple catch on his goal line, shortly before the referee sounded the final whistle.

LAST CHANCE: Gloucester City substitute Kieran Phillips heads on-target but without the power to beat Stags 'keeper Ryan Gosney with virtually the last action of the game.

Watch JIMMY BALL’S Post-Match Interview

Watch RYAN GOSNEY’S Post-Match Interview

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AFC Totton FIXTURES Season 2024/25

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By Ben Rochey-Adams

Images courtesy of Jamie Brain Photography

The LONG READ: GLOUCESTER CITY 0-0 AFC TOTTON, SLPDS#26