AFC Totton
Tickets are on sale now for AFC Toton's clash against bottom of the table Barnstaple Town.
https://afctotton.ticketco.events/uk/en
To borrow a well-worn football cliché, 2021/22 is shaping up to be a season of two halves for Barnstaple Town. Contending with a series of off-the-pitch issues that culminated in an exodus of much of their first team playing squad on the eve of the new season, it took the North Devon-based Barum until Saturday 04 December to register their first point in the Southern League Div.1 South when they fought their way to a 2-2 draw at fellow strugglers Mangotsfield United.
By that time, they had already suffered several hefty defeats including a 1-7 loss at Winchester City and a 0-7 defeat at Cinderford Town just a week later, then a 1-9 shellacking at Larkhall Athletic and a 2-9 thumping at Frome Town – in addition to Totton’s 8-1 win in Devon on 16 October, when Shaquille Gwengwe racked up a hat-trick.
But the Barum faithful did not lose heart and thanks to new chairman Bill Wilson, newly-installed manager Craig Laird – who brings a vast amount of experience to the club – and major emergency surgery on the Mill Road playing squad, Barnstaple are quickly morphing into a very different proposition.
An impressive array of new signings has been assembled in a very short period of time. Goalkeeper Lloyd Irish has come in from Southern League Premier Taunton Town; the defence has been further strengthened by the acquisition of experienced former Willand Rovers skipper Adam Hill and the arrival of the manager’s son, Callum Laird, who joins from Western League Div.1 side Cheddar. 22-year-old midfielder Ashton Hewitt was persuaded to leave neighbours and fierce rivals Bideford, while attacking midfielder Jake Mawford has made the switch from Melksham Town. Youngster Ollie Haste, a product of the Yeovil Town Academy, has also joined, and the front line has been completely overhauled with the arrivals of Harry Baker from Southern League Premier Salisbury, 21-year-old left-sided striker Saul Plesca, who has played in both Scotland and the Czech Republic, the returning Ryan Turner and – perhaps, most significantly of all – prolific marksman Ollie Howe, who arrives from Bristol Manor Farm via a short stint at Tiverton Town.
The highly-rated Howe has already got to work on the club’s fightback, contributing 4 goals in their last 3 games, including match-winning strikes at home to Slimbridge and Larkhall Athletic in their last two outings. Baker and Turner are also off-the-mark, registering goals against Larkhall and Paulton Rovers, respectively.
So, there is no room for complacency among the AFC Totton squad. The Barnstaple side that conceded 14 goals to the Stags in league and cup encounters back in October no longer exists; Dan Sackman’s charges will have to be on their game to claim all three points against the new-look Barum.
BARNSTAPLE TOWN – LAST 5 MATCHES (All Competitions)
Sat 15 Jan Winchester City H Southern League Div.1 South L 2-4
Sat 22 Jan Cinderford Town A Southern League Div.1 South L 2-3
Wed 26 Jan Paulton Rovers A Southern League Div.1 South L 2-3
Sat 29 Jan Slimbridge H Southern League Div.1 South W 3-2
Sat 05 Feb Larkhall Athletic H Southern League Div.1 South W 2-1
AFC TOTTON vs BARNSTAPLE TOWN – Previous Meetings
In 10 meetings between these teams since 2016, Totton have won 7 and Barnstaple 2, with 1 draw.
The recently returned Ryan Turner scored an early opener for Barum in their 2-1 victory over the Stags on 08 April 2017. James Mayne extended the home side’s lead before Charlie Gunson notched a consolation. On 23 March 2019, two goals from Justin Bennett plus strikes from Stuart Green, Craig Feeney and Oliver Bradley saw the Stags to a handsome 5-0 win.
In October of this season, the Stags put six past Barnstaple without reply at the Snows Stadium in the 2nd Qualifying Round of the Buildbase FA Trophy. Hisham Kasimu scored four, with Freddie Read and Ethan Taylor completing the rout. And the sides met again in the league just a week later, when Shaquille Gwengwe (pictured above) opened his AFC Totton goalscoring account with a hat-trick. Kasimu scored two and Stephane Zubar, Jack Hoey and Sam Griffin made the final score 8-1 to the Stags at Barum’s Mill Road ground.
Written by Ben Rochey-Adams and Malcolm Tombs, Historian
Image courtesy of Craig Hobbs Photography
Kit illustrations courtesy of Bolid74Kits
