MATCH PREVIEW: TOTTON HOST BOTTOM-PLACED MARLOW AT SNOWS STADIUM

AFC TOTTON vs MARLOW_SLPDS-28_Sat08Feb2025.jpg

Venue:
Snows Stadium, Salisbury Road, Totton, Southampton SO40 2RW
Saturday 08 February 2025 | Kick-Off at 3:00pm

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AFC TOTTON WELCOME MARLOW to the Snows Stadium this weekend in the Southern League Premier Division South.

Last time out, The Stags beat Gosport Borough 2-1 away and cut Merthyr Town’s lead at the top of the table to eight points. A 41^st-minute goal from Charlie Austin had Totton ahead before the break but substitute Samuel Faniyan equalised for Boro’ on 61 minutes. The home side threatened to complete a comeback win until Ben Seymour crossed for Tony Lee to head the winner for Jimmy Ball’s men in the 86^th minute.

MARLOW – THEIR SEASON SO FAR:

They are currently bottom of the Southern League Premier Division South table with 19 points from 29 games, and 11 points away from safety. Marlow started the season with a 1-1 draw at home to Winchester City but then went on to lose their next four games in the league, only scoring once in that batch of fixtures.

They lost big in the FA Cup First Qualifying Round away to Dartford, losing 2-6. Returning to league action, they lost at home to Gloucester City but managed to get a point at home to Bracknell Town. They would follow that draw with two huge away losses, 2-5 against Taunton Town and 1-5 against Havant & Waterlooville.

They couldn’t win either in the Third Qualifying Round of the Isuzu FA Trophy at home to Biggleswade, but they picked up their third point of the season at home to Dorchester Town, drawing 2-2. They then lost 0-5 at home to Chertsey Town, as well as suffering a 1-2 defeat at Merthyr.

Finally, after 14 games in all competitions and over two months since the 2024/25 campaign started, they won a football game. Away to Gosport Borough, Marlow grafted hard and won by a single goal, ending their winless streak just before The Stags travelled to the Alfred Davis Memorial Ground and won 2-0. The Blues also lost 0-5 at Plymouth Parkway, who at the time, were directly above Marlow in the table.

In their next three games, Marlow won twice and lost once but only picked up one point from their next seven matches. Form as of late is picking up, with two wins and two losses in their last four. Marlow are doing everything they can to avoid relegation, which should make for an intriguing game at the Snows Stadium on Saturday.

IN THE REVERSE FIXTURE…
AFC Totton piled on the misery for bottom-of-the-table club Marlow with a two-nil away win in Buckinghamshire in early November. A brace from Tony Lee took his tally for the season into double figures and put The Stags in control of the contest by half-time. The home side were unable to find the cutting edge required to get back into the game, as Totton extended their unbeaten run to eight matches in all competitions.

Despite a bobbly, uneven playing surface, the visitors wasted no time in taking the lead in the 4^th minute when a Marlow defender slipped in his own penalty area under pressure from Ethan Taylor to present the ball to the feet of Tony LEE, who advanced towards the six-yard box and fired past goalkeeper Finn Rushton.

Totton went route one for their second goal. Debutant goalkeeper Ryan Gosney sent a long kick down the centre of the pitch. Lee used his strength to hold off his marker and feed Taylor in the box at inside-left, and the winger unselfishly played a square return pass to enable Tony LEE to steer the ball into the exposed right side of the net to double Totton’s lead on 31 minutes. Marlow increased the pressure in the second half but The Stags defended very well and claimed all three points.

STAGS RADIO:
If you can’t make it to the game, you can listen to LIVE commentary on StagsRadio via our official X account, with Josh Cole and his co-comms partner from 2:45pm.

By Joshua Cole

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