SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION SOUTH | Matchday#27
Wednesday 05 February 2025 | AEI Stadium, Privett Park, Gosport | Att: 2,013

TOTTON REDUCE THE GAP TO MERTHYR WITH AWAY WIN AT GOSPORT

GOSPORT BOROUGH               0
Samuel Tanıyan 61mins

AFC TOTTON                                0
Charlie Austin 41mins;
Tony Lee 86mins

TONY LEE’S LATE STRIKE secured all three points for AFC Totton at Gosport Borough on Wednesday night (05 February 2025), as The Stags reduced the gap to Merthyr Town at the top of the Southern League Premier Division South table.

Charlie Austin’s ninth goal of the season put Jimmy Ball’s men ahead shortly before the break, but substitute Samuel Faniyan levelled to scores for the home side midway through the first half. Gosport looked the more likely winners for a short period but Totton weathered the storm and sealed the win when Tony Lee converted Ben Seymour’s low centre from a Scott Rendell flick-on.

Luke Bennett, captain Scott Rendell and Charlie Austin were all restored to the starting line-up, with Ben Seymour and Tony Lee both dropping to the bench. Craig Tanner was not included in the match day squad.

GOSPORT BOROUGH: 1. Adam PARKES; 2. Harry KAVANAGH; 3. Rory WILLIAMS (Capt.); 5. Joseph MORRISON; 6. Charlie WASSMER; 7. Bradley TARBUCK; 8. Asher YEARWOOD; 11. Alfie STANLEY; 14. Jake COPE; 16. Charlie GUNSON; 19. Daniel HOLLANDS. Substitutes: 4. Finley WALSH-SMITH; 10. Samuel FANIYAN; 12. Henry SPALDING; 17. Hamilton BUNGA; 20. Cameron MURRAY. Substitutions: FANIYAN for TARBUCK (23mins); SPALDING for COPE (75mins); MURRAY for GUNSON (88mins). Yellow Cards: YEARWOOD (Foul).

AFC TOTTON: 13. Ryan GOSNEY; 2. Joe OASTLER; 5. Charlie KENNEDY; 6. Sam MAGRI; 8. Adam TOMASSO; 9. Scott RENDELL (Capt.); 10. Ethan TAYLOR; 11. Charlie AUSTIN; 16. Luke BENNETT: 17. George FRANKLIN; 20. Richard McINTYRE. Substitutes: 4. Mike CARTER; 7. Ben SEYMOUR; 12. Luke HALLETT; 15. Roddy COLLINS; 18. Tony LEE. Substitutions: SEYMOUR for FRANKLIN (59mins); LEE for AUSTIN (68mins); COLLINS for BENNETT (84mins); CARTER for TOMASSO (84mins). Yellow Cards: FRANKLIN (Foul).

Gosport got the match - rearranged from the game in November that was cut short by a neighbourhood-wide power cut - underway, wearing their home kit of yellow shirts, blue shorts and yellow socks. Totton were in their away kit of light grey shirts with turquoise shorts and socks.

The home side mounted the game’s fist attack down their left wing but Ryan Gosney, returning to the ground where he began the 2024/25 season, caught the eventual cross. Charlie Austin managed to play Ethan Taylor into the left side of the Boro; box with some strong hold-up play and a neat pass, but Gosport cleared Taylor’s centre.

With the ball spending a lot of time in the air during the opening exchanges, neither side were able to get hold of it and make their possession count. One promising Gosport attack fell foul of the offside flag, then on 11 minutes, they worked the ball from the left flank to the edge of the penalty area to the right of the D where ex-Stags striker Alfie Stanley shuffled the ball onto his left foot and shot narrowly past the post.

Taylor and Austin continued to link up on the Totton left. The winger’s hooked pass sent Austin towards the side of the penalty area from where he was able to force his way infield and squeeze a low shot towards near bottom corner which Adam Parkes saved. Them, Charlie Wassmer had to time his sliding tackle well to prevent Taylor racing through from Austin’s flick.

Charlie Kennedy hit a cross-field pass out to the left flank. Richard McIntyre brought it under control, advanced to the byline and crossed, but it was blocked by a covering defender. Then, Magri took up possession in the centre-circle and charged forward. He passed up the opportunity to shot from distance in favour of trying to slip Austin in through the middle, but the flag went up against the Totton No.11.

Kennedy did well to withstand pressure midway inside his own half to then release Taylor into the inside-left channel. He had the beating of the Gosport defence and advanced on goal, but he dragged his low shot across goal and wide, with Luke Bennett unable to get a touch as he arrived a fraction too late at the far post.

Gosport were awarded a free-kick for a foul by Kennedy in the centre-circle. Right-back Harry Kavanagh was picked out on the flank and turned inside McIntyre to cross into the box, Joe Oastler heading away for The Stags. Boro’ regained possession and shifted the ball to the left, where Asher Yearwood went for goal with a right-footed effort from just outside the box that flew over Gosney’s crossbar.

Gosport’s Bradley Tarbuck had to be withdrawn with an injury after just 25 minutes, and Samuel Faniyan came on to replace him. When play resumed, Gosney had to rush out of his box to kick clear before Stanley could latch onto a through-ball.

Austin clipped the ball forward with the outside of his right foot, finding Bennett about 20 yards out. Parkes was some way of his line but Bennett opted to work the ball to the right rather than go for the shot, and the chance was gone. George Franklin was shown a yellow card for a foul on halfway as Gosport tried to counter.

Bennett won a corner on the Totton right, which Taylor sent high towards the far post. Kennedy leapt well and headed down towards the bottom-left corner; Parkes got down well to turn it behind for another corner. Adam Tomasso took it this time, but it was headed away at the far post.

Tomasso lofted the ball out to the left flank for Taylor to send in a low cross that was begging to be buried into the back of net but Bennett missed his kick and Austin couldn’t react quickly enough to take advantage before Gosport turned the ball way. Tomasso came charging forward on the follow-up and fired a shot over the bar.

Bennett won another corner on the right wing. Taylor delivered and Kennedy headed at goal; Parkes snatched the ball before Rendell could get a touch. Then, confusion reigned as the referee appeared to blow his whistle for a foul on Tomasso but then allowed Gosport to continue in possession. The home side switched the play to their right, where Danny Hollands helped Kavanagh to evade the tracking Taylor and cross into the box. Jake Cope got his head to the ball but couldn’t keep his effort down.

Franklin reacted quickly to nullify a through-ball into the inside-left channel. Then, Stanley charged down Gosney’s kick from inside the Totton box but the rebound forced the striker to knock the ball out for a throw-in and Totton managed to get the ball forward.

Kavanagh was finding space on the home side’s right flank. He cut inside to advance towards the edge of the area and went for goal with a left-footed effort that sailed high and wide of the frame of the goal.

Gosney took a free-kick from 10 yards inside the Totton half. Wassmer’s defensive header struck Rendell and prompted a scramble before the ball was lumped out to the Totton left. McIntyre crossed but Parkes claimed it confidently.

Austin was fouled in the centre-circle and Kennedy took the free-kick quickly, clipping the ball out to the left flank. Taylor spotted the run of Tomasso into the channel and knocked the ball on for the midfielder to hang a high cross into the middle that Parkes did well to push over the bar with Rendell challenging. Tomasso went to the right-hand side to send over an out-swinging cross that Sam Magri headed on to Charlie AUSTIN at the edge of the six-yard box; a sweeping half-volley fired the ball inside the right-hand post with Parkes rooted to the spot.

Gosport went straight on the attack with Cope initially leading the charge. Yearwood then tried to run at the Totton defence but was dispossessed by Kennedy, Yearwood showing his frustration by tripping his opponent and earning himself the game’s second yellow card.

Another corner from the right-hand side gave Tomasso another opportunity to cross high into the Boro’ box. It was flicked away but Oastler retrieved the ball on the far side and found Austin, who drove infield and struck a low effort that Parkes saved, despite appearing to have dived slightly too early.

McIntyre received the ball on the left from a Totton free-kick. His cross was headed out but Austin managed to diver the ball to Tomasso, whose snapshot from the edge of the box flashed wide of the left-hand post.

During four minutes of first-half stoppage time, Oastler cut-out a dangerous through-ball at the expense of a throw-in on Gosport’s right. Rory Williams hit a diagonal pass out to Kavanagh but Kennedy headed away his cross. Then, Rendell headed out a late free-kick from close to halfway to prevent the home side getting on the scoresheet before the break.

HALF-TIME: GOSPORT BOROUGH 0-1 AFC TOTTON

Totton began the second half, attacking towards the open-top sightseeing bus that acts as a grandstand at the clubhouse end of Privett Park.

Franklin pulled down Yearwood close to the corner flag. Captain Rory Williams took the free-kick but his cross was dealt with by Tomasso. Taylor collected the clearance on the right wing and tried to feed it into the middle; his pass fell between Austin and Bennett, and Parkes was able to come out a kick clear for Boro’. Then, Cope tried to take on Magri on the Gosport left but the Maltese International wasn’t having any of that, and made a sliding tackle that resulted in a Totton goal-kick via a deflection off Cope’s boot.

A free-kick on Gosport’s left was quickly sent to the opposite flank, where Faniyan combined with Kavanagh to pull the ball back to the edge of the box. Stanley drove in a low shot that Gosney saved. Then, Totton managed to pen Boro’ back on the right. Franklin got the ball into the box and Rendell flicked on to Austin, who scuffed his shot over the bar.

Kennedy slipped and then conceded a free-kick midway inside his own half, on the Gosport right. The free-kick was fizzed into the box, close to the penalty spot, where Oastler managed to turn it over his own crossbar. The corner was knocked down to the edge of the box and then Tomasso won a free-kick for a high boot from his opponent.

One minute before the hour mark, Ben Seymour came on in place of George Franklin, who having committed a couple of fouls since being booked might have been trying the referee’s patience.

Two minutes later, Gosport pulled themselves back into the game. Neat, sharp passes in the centre-circle preceded a charge towards the Totton penalty area, with five yellow shirts storming forward. Kavanagh fed the ball into the inside-right channel and Samuel FANIYAN ran onto it to strike right-footed, across Gosney and into the far corner.

Taylor won a corner on the Totton left from the restart but the delivery was well defended. Then, Faniyan held the ball up on the edge of the Totton box with his back to goal. He managed to turn and chip a high cross towards the far post where Gosney claimed it.

A miss-kick by Williams from Gosney’s long kick has Seymour sniffing around the Boro’ box but Parkes grabbed the ball before the Torquay United loanee could steal it. Taylor attacked from the left, forcing Kavanagh back into the box before hitting the deck; the referee was unmoved and play continued.

Austin irked the home crowd by making a sliding tackle in midfield that they thought was a foul but the referee waved play on. Kennedy took up the loose ball and fed it forward to Rendell, who found Bennett on the right. A short pass infield to Seymour and another to the man over put Taylor in on the left. He flicked the ball up and smacked it towards goal; Parkes parried wide. Before the corner could be taken, Tony Lee came on for Austin. The corner was only partially cleared and it fell to Lee on the right corner of the crowded area. He went for a shot on the turn but sent it over the top.

With 15 minutes to go, Gosport began to boss possession but they found the Totton defence very difficult to break down. Yearwood had a brief sight of goal from outside the box but held on too long. Then Bennett, who was shifted to right-back when Franklin departed, cut-out a pass that would have put Faniyan in at inside-left.

A right-wing corner from the home side produced a goalmouth scramble after Wassmer’s header was quashed. Then, Yearwood shifted into fifth gear to keep the ball in play at Gosport’s left-wing touchline. He evaded Magri but not the covering Bennett. The ball rebounded out to former Totton midfielder Charlie Gunson, whose shot was blocked by Oastler and the follow-up shot was blasted over by Hollands from 20 yards.

Gosport threatened again with a swift move to the inside-right channel, but they were crowded out by light grey shirts before they could get a shot away. Lee was dumped to the ground by Joe Morrison but found nothing doing form the referee.

With six minutes left on the clock, experienced midfielders Roddy Collins and Mike Carter stepped off the bench to replace Bennett and Tomasso. Gosport brought on Cameron Murray for Gunson.

Totton retook the lead on 86 minutes. Gosney took a free-kick from midway inside the Totton half, and launched the ball high down the middle of the pitch. Rendell leapt high and headed the ball down to Seymour on the right. The header sent Seymour wide but he had time and space to get it under control and fire a low cross into the middle where Tony LEE headed the ball across Parkes and into the far corner.

Totton immediately began to sit deep, looking to protect their lead to the bitter end. Gosport forced a corner on their right, from which Magri headed clear. The ball was lifted back into the box and Gosney punched it away. Faniyan received on the edge of the box on the left, and he tried to work an angle for a shot; he didn’t get much power behind his effort but it led to a goalmouth scramble with Stanley trying to prod it towards goal. Carter hooked the ball out and took a kick to his foot in the process, which may have been painful but gave Totton a chance to regroup.

Five minutes of stoppage time were indicated. Lee was tripped to the right of the D, handing Totton a free-kick within shooting range. Lee ran over the ball, allowing Taylor to hit a low, curling shot around the wall and towards the bottom-left corner; Parkes got down sharply and pushed it away.

Gosport sent seven players forward as Parkes took on the role of the sweeper-keeper, pumping the ball forward at every chance. Totton were comfortable dealing with the aerial assault, though, and a loose pass by Williams put Lee in through the heart of the Gosport defence with a chance to end the match as a contest. Lee carried the ball between two scrambling defenders towards the inside-right channel, and then hit a low shot towards the opposite corner. Parkes parried again and was grateful to see the rebound elude the unmarked Taylor, shortly before the full-time whistle sounded.

Watch JIMMY BALL’S Post-Match Interview

Watch TONY LEE’S Post-Match Interview

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Next Up: AFC TOTTON vs MARLOW
Southern League Premier Division South | Matchday#28 | Snows Stadium, Salisbury Road, Totton, Southampton SO40 2RW | Saturday 08 February 2025 | Kick-Off 3:00pm

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By Ben Rochey-Adams