MATCH PREVIEW: Totton entertain Plymouth Parkway at Snows Stadium

AFC TOTTON vs PLYMOUTH PARKWAY_SLPDS-25_Sat25Jan2025.jpg

Venue:
Snows Stadium, Salisbury Road, Totton, SO40 2RW

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THIS WEEKEND, IT’S ANOTHER game at the Snows Stadium for The Stags who play host to Plymouth Parkway.

Last time out, Totton drew 1-1 at home to Frome Town. The visitors opened the scoring in the 64^th minute but Ethan Taylor levelled the scores within a minute, and despite a bucket load of chances for Jimmy Ball’s men, the game ended all-square.

PLYMOUTH PARKWAY – THEIR SEASON SO FAR:

Parkway are currently 16^th in the table, on 28 points from 27 games. They started 2024/25 going winless in their first five matches, drawing two and losing three. They recorded their first win on the season in First Round Qualifying for the Emirates FA Cup, beating Baffins Milton Rovers 4-1. However, a win continued to elude them in the league as they lost and drew their next two games.

A 4-3 win over Westbury United in the next round of the FA Cup came before a game to forget for Plymouth, as they were thrashed 3-9 by Hungerford Town. After losing to Poole Town, Parkway were rock bottom in the league table but they continued to have a good FA Cup run, beating Sittingbourne 3-0 in the Third Round Qualifying.

Progress was also made in Third Round Qualifying in the Isuzu FA Trophy with a 3-2 win over Banbury United. But their FA Cup run came to an end at the Fourth Round Qualifying stage with a 0-4 defeat to National League South side Worthing.

Then came AFC Totton’s trip to Bolitho Park, where The Stags won 2-1 on a cold, wet Tuesday night in Devon. However, a turning point in Plymouth’s season was just around the corner when they won their next league game away by 2-1 against Chertsey Town.

After losing by a single goal to Dorchester Town, and being knocked out of the FA Trophy in the First Round Proper by Isthmian League Premier Division side Chichester City, they picked up another league win at Wimborne Town. In their next five games, Parkway would win one, draw two and lose two – then came a couple of anomalies.

Firstly, at home to third-placed Gloucester City, Parkway won 6-0 with all six goals coming from loanee Exeter City striker Mitchell Beardmore, who has since moved on with a loan at Bath City in the National League South. Then just four days later, they lost 0-5 to fellow relegation battlers Frome Town on Boxing Day.

Since that loss in Somerset, Plymouth Parkway have played seven more games, winning three – including an impressive 2-1 win at home to Havant & Waterlooville – drawing two and losing two, which has seen them rise above the drop zone. They won 2-0 at bottom-of-the-table club Marlow on Saturday but were then undone by the same score at home to Hanwell Town on Tuesday night.

IN THE REVERSE FIXTURE…
On a Tuesday night in October, The Stags made the long trip down to Plymouth to play in cold and rainy weather. The game started perfectly for Totton with a Tony Lee goal within the first minute. And he doubled his tally in the 40^th minute to send The Stags in two-nil up at the break. Dylan Jones grabbed one back for the home side five minutes into the second half, but Totton held firm defensively to ensure they took three points back to Hampshire.

STAGS RADIO:
Can’t make it to the Snows? Head over to our official X account @afctotton for LIVE radio commentary from Benjy Rees and Josh Cole, with pre-match build-up from 2:45pm.

#GoStags

By Joshua Cole