AFC Totton
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UNBEATEN IN 13 LEAGUE MATCHES, AFC Totton come into 2023 as one of the form teams in the Southern League Div.1 South. But their visitors on Tuesday night have recently begun to stack Ws of their own; Paulton Rovers’ 1-0 win at home to Exmouth Town on Saturday was their fourth consecutive league win, taking them to within a point of the promotion play-off places.
By contrast, Paulton’s start to the 2022/23 campaign was decidedly inconsistent, with a couple of early big wins against Lymington Town on the opening day and Cinderford Town before the end of August coming either side of narrow defeats at Tavistock AFC and Exmouth Town.
With September dominated by cup competitions, their only action in the league was a goalless draw at home to Willand Rovers. Then at the start of October, they embarked on a sequence of two wins followed two defeats, then two more wins and two more defeats to thoroughly earn their midtable position at the time. During that sequence, Rovers lost their 10-goal top goalscorer Kyle Tooze, who moved to Southern League Premier Division side Yate Town.
They rounded out November with home defeats to Tavistock AFC, for whom Liam Prynn scored four goals in a 4-1 win, and the current league leaders, Sholing. In December, a late, late Edward Butcher winner eight minutes into stoppage time at Lymington Town secured the first of those four consecutive wins that have ensured a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year at the First 4 Pools Stadium, with Bristol Manor Farm, Cinderford Town and Exmouth Town all coming up short against Craig Loxton’s team.
Paulton’s exciting run in the Emirates FA Cup is the reason this match at the Snows Stadium was re-arrange to a midweek fixture. In the Preliminary Round, they made light work of Bideford AFC with a 5-2 win at home, and Royal Wootton Bassett were similarly dismissed with a 4-2 away win. Paulton needed two attempts to get past Gosport Borough in 2nd Round Qualifying, drawing 1-1 at Privett Park before winning the replay 2-1 at home. A 1-6 defeat at Hampton & Richmond Borough of the National League South ended their run on 01 October. In the Isuzu FA Trophy, a 2-1 away win at Highworth Town in mid-September was followed by a 2-3 defeat at Cirencester Town in 2nd Round Qualifying. Rovers have only played once in the Somerset Premier Cup this season, when they needed penalties to overcome Keynsham Town of the Western League Premier Division.
In the absence of Kyle Tooze, Edward Butcher has taken on chief responsibility for scoring the Rovers’ goals. The speedy left-winger has six goals to his name in the league this season, the last of which was that late winner at Lymo. He is currently in his fourth season at Paulton Rovers since joining the club from Bridport Town, although he did also have a short spell at Tiverton Town. Midfielder Charlie McLachlan is a 17-year-old former Southampton Academy player who is now following in his father’s footsteps by representing Rovers. At the other end of the career spectrum is striker Joe Morgan, who played more than 330 games for Shepton Mallet over the last seven years, before signing for Paulton. He brings strength, pace, hard work and plenty of goals.
READY, AIM, FIRE: Midfielder Freddie Read lines up a shot from the edge of the Paulton penalty area during the league match at the Snows Stadium in December 2021.
There have been 16 matches between AFC Totton and Paulton Rovers since the 2005/06 season, when they met in the FA Cup 2nd Round Qualifying. A goal from Mike Gosney and an own goal saw The Stags progress on that occasion. That was the first of Totton’s 6 wins in the head-to-head, with Paulton winning 4 times five draws. The single biggest win was AFC Totton’s 5-1 victory in the very first match played at the Testwood Stadium (now known as the Snows Stadium for sponsorship purposes) after the move from the old ground in central Totton. Last season, Paulton grabbed a surprise 4-2 away win in December, despite a penalty from Hisham Kasimu and a Callum Baughan goal. The return match at the First 4 Pools Stadium near Bath was Jimmy Ball’s third game in charge. The match ended goalless, despite The Stags creating several chances to win it.
Totton have not kicked a ball in anger since Boxing Day, with both the New Year’s trip to Sholing and Saturday’s home game with Frome Town postponed due to the recent heavy and persistent rainfall. Let’s hope the weather behaves itself between now and Tuesday night and The Stags can finally get their 2023 off to a flyer.
By Ben Rochey-Adams and Malcolm Tombs, Club Historian
Image courtesy of Craig Hobbs Photography
