AFC Totton
It was a hard trip to Kent for the Stags as they fell to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Dover Athletic.
Totton initially started the better team with a free kick in the 2nd minute that was met by Tyler Cordner, but it didn't result in much.
The first big chance of the game fell to Dover Athletic as Harry Beadle rose the highest to meet a cross, but his header went narrowly wide.
Ryan Gosney was called into action soon after as, in the 10th minute, Ruben Soares-Junior broke free, but the Stags keeper got down well to save.
The next 10 minutes of the game were quite scrappy, with both teams trying to establish possession control in the game until the 21st minute, when a long throw into the box for Totton fell to Declan Rose on the half-volley, but his strike fired over the bar.
In the 25th minute, an incident off the ball between Luke Hallett and Ruben Soares-Junior saw the latter receive a yellow card, but soon after, in the 30th minute, Dover went 1-0 up through Luke Baptiste after going on the counter-attack and slotting home past Ryan Gosney.
Soon after, in the 36th minute, Totton had a free kick sent into the box with Luke Hallett rising highest, but he couldn't direct his header on target.
In the 41st minute, Dover doubled their score as Jack Bates received the ball on the left edge of the box and looped a curling effort over Ryan Gosney and into the top left corner of the net for 2-0.
At half-time it was 2-0 to the Whites.
In the second half, Totton came out better.
Within 30 seconds of the restart, Bennett had a header for Totton, but it wasn't strong enough to challenge Mitch Walker.
In the 53rd minute, a long throw-in wasn't dealt with by Dover, and it fell to Charlie Osborne, whose volley flew over the bar.
Dover had their first chance of the half after 56 minutes as Ruben Soares-Junior tried a bicycle kick but was unsuccessful, and the ball fell to Euan Williams, whose shot was tipped onto the crossbar by Ryan Gosney.
In the 64th minute, Sol Wanjau-Smith broke down the right wing and played a ball into Josh Sims, who teed up Charlie Osborne, whose strike was tipped over the bar by Mitch Walker.
Dover had a chance to make it 3-0 in the 67th minute as Jack Bates went through on goal, but Ryan Gosney made a great save to deny him.
New signing Oliver Godziemski had a chance to pull a goal back in the 72nd minute after Tony Lee’s header sent him through on goal, but again Mitch Walker made a great save to deny him.
In the 74th minute, Dover came close to getting another as a whipped free kick from Jack Bates flew across the face of goal, and Dequane Wilson-Braithwaite just mistimed his run to get on the end of it, and it went out for a goal kick.
A minute later, in the 75th minute, a corner falls to the feet of Christie Ward, but his shot goes inches away from being a goal.
In the 80th minute, the ball was ricocheting around the box and fell to Tyler Cordner, who let off a ferocious shot, but it was blocked by Harry Beadle to deny the defender.
Josh Sims and Tyler Cordner both received yellow cards for stopping Dover's attempted attacks, and in the 88th minute Totton came agonisingly close as a corner from Declan Rose was met by Christie Ward, whose header was tipped onto the crossbar in an incredible save.
In the dying embers of the game, Totton kept searching for a goal, but it wouldn’t come, and the game ended 2-0 in favour of Dover Athletic.
Totton return to action on Saturday the 3rd of October away at Basingstoke Town in the Hampshire Senior Cup.
Lineup: Ryan Gosney, Harry Mills, Luke Hallett, Tyler Cordner ©, Declan Rose, Charlie Osborne (Tony Lee 71’), Craig Tanner (Reece Fleet 55’), Josh Sims (Ralph Vigrass 86’), Luke Bennett (Sol Wanjau-Smith 55’), Ollie Godziemski, Christie Ward
