AFC Totton
SOUTHAMPTON DIVISIONAL FA
SUNDAY SENIOR CUP 2021/22 - QUARTER-FINAL
BOYATT WOOD 0
AFC TOTTON SUNDAY 2
Tom Munday 20mins; Jason Calcutt 63mins
AFC Totton Sunday returned to Cutbush Lane near Swaythling for their second visit of the season to take on Boyatt Wood, this time in the Quarter-Final of the Southampton Divisional FA Sunday Senior Cup.
The Sunday Stags beat Boujee Pint 5-1 in the 1st Round of this competition in October and followed that up with a rousing 4-2 comeback win at Unity101 amid the oak leaves on the 5G surface at Cantell School in late November. They came into this match having previously beaten Boyatt Wood on their own pitch by a scoreline of 3-1, in the City of Southampton Sunday Football League in September, but also having suffered their first defeat of the season last week when they fell at the Semi-Final stage of the Hampshire Sunday Senior Cup at the hands of East Christchurch.
Jason Calcutt, who has been nursing an ongoing thigh injury for several weeks, came back into the starting line-up, replacing Liam Hanlon in central midfield, while Michael MacLeod started on the left. There was a debut for former Bush Hill striker Daniel Smith, who came in for the suspended Nathan Gray.
AFC TOTTON SUNDAY
Starting Line-Up
1. Mitch COLEMAN
2. Luke SCOULER
3. Michael MACLEOD
4. Dan GAIN
5. Tom RAFFERTY
7. Lewis GUNDRY (Capt.)
8. Jason CALCUTT
9. Matt HARRINGTON
10. Daniel SMITH
12. Simon ROWSON
13. Tom MUNDAY
Substitutes
11. Sam CONWAY
14. Jay BRADING
Totton bossed the first half, forcing Boyatt Wood - who wore yellow shirts with black shorts and socks - back into their own defensive territory for the majority of the first 45 minutes. But Tom Rafferty was forced into a brave double-block to prevent the home side's returning striker Warren Applegate giving his team the lead after 20 minutes before the Sunday Stags opened the scoring.
Matt Harrington controlled a long punt, bringing the ball down on his chest and retreating from his marker to create an angle to play the ball out to the right-hand side where Tom MUNDAY had the time and space to take a touch and pick his spot, firing high across the goalkeeper towards the top-left corner. Gazz Smith got one hand to the ball but couldn't prevent it flying in to put Sam Conway's team in front.
ON TARGET: Tom Munday (centre) opened the scoring for AFC Totton Sunday at Boyatt Wood in the Quarter-Final of the Southampton Sunday Senior FA Cup.
Captain Lewis Gundry's volley forced Smith into a smart save. And then Gundry fed Munday on the right but his shot flew wide of the post.
Accurate distribution by AFC Totton goalkeeper Mitch Coleman put Munday through again around the 40th-minute, but Smith did well to divert the winger's low shot away with his feet.
Greg Parker and Jamie Alexander both missed chances to equalise for Dan Harkett-Burgess's side but Coleman was equal to all they could throw at him, maintaining his clean sheet until the half-time whistle.
HALF-TIME
BOYATT WOOD 0
AFC TOTTON SUNDAY 1
Simon Rowson came off at the break, with Michael MacLeod shifting to left-back and Jay Brading coming on at left midfield.
Totton began the second half in lively fashion, with Munday frequently finding space down the right-hand side where Gundry and Luke Scoular were able to feed possession to him. An early cross arrived directly above Matt Harrington's head, making it difficult for him to redirect at goal from the edge of the 6-yard box.
Only an offside flag prevented Daniel Smith doubling Totton's advantage after an accurate through-ball from Harrington. Then, the home side survived claims of a back pass to the goalkeeper as a large defender struggled to deal with Munday's mobility and speed.
Another Munday cross from the right-hand side was flicked away before Daniel Smith could connect, but Totton were in control of the game. Boyatt Wood often looked uncomfortable in possession at the back, possibly due to the slightly bobbly surface making them nervous amid Totton's willingness to press high up the pitch and then advance with more zip and vigour in their own passing moves.
Gundry came close again with another long-range drive, but Gazz Smith saved low to his left. Then, at the other end, a timely sliding intervention by Jay Brading, covering back to aid his defence, prevented Boyatt Wood profiting from some enterprising wing play down the left-flank by the skilful Jamie Alexander, which had left Totton momentarily exposed at the far post.
Daniel Smith enjoyed an impressive Sunday Stags debut. His eagerness to tussle with opposition defenders on the half-way line made it difficult for them to initiate forward moves and provided opportunities for Brading, Gundry and MacLeod to take advantage whenever the ball popped loose.
A quick throw by Gundry on the left-wing touchline released Daniel Smith behind the defender. He got to the byline and pulled the ball back to Harrington, the centre-forward shooting low but straight at Gazz Smith. Then, impressive skill on the ball by MacLeod afforded him extra space to pick out Munday with a cross to the far side, but his shot was wayward.
Boyatt Wood then managed to mount a sustained period of pressure close to the right-wing corner flag, which culminated in Corey Robinson sending over a dangerous cross that Scoular had to head out from the 6-yard box with opposition strikers in close attendance. A subsequent foul on Tom Rafferty gave Totton the chance to take a breather and regroup.
The home side's Greg Parker controlled a long ball from Gazz Smith on the Boyatt Wood left flank and managed to work his way inside Scoular, the full-back recovering with a sliding tackle that resulted in a corner, which Dan Gain headed away. Then, shortly after, Robinson had a free header at the back post from a left-wing corner but fluffed his lines while the visitors held an urgent inquest into how he was left unmarked.
Totton tried to reassert their authority in the match but frequent offside flags and some niggling fouls as they attempted to win the ball in advanced positions frustrated them for a while. But they remained patient and maintained their composure and earned just rewards mid-way through the second half. Lewis Gundry scampered into the right-wing corner to keep the ball in play and laid it back to Munday whose curled cross was nonchalantly hooked into the bottom-left corner by the right foot of Jason CALCUTT from around the penalty spot to double AFC Totton Sunday's advantage with his third goal of the season.
Parker dribbled forward down the left for Boyatt Wood, as they tried to regain a foothold in the game. His square pass presented skipper Craig Proudly with a shooting opportunity from 25 yards, but he couldn't beat the alert Coleman. Then, Daniel Smith tested his namesake in the Boyatt Wood goal with a low shot from just outside the area, after latching onto a long ball and evading his marker to get the shot away.
Totton failed to capitalise on a 4-vs-3 situation with Munday crossing from the right flank, but they continued to open up the Boyatt Wood defence. Gazz Smith had to push away a cross-shot from Munday and Harrington tried to latch onto the rebound but was crowded out by defenders.
A cross by Boyatt Wood's Billy Woodbridge was controlled on the chest by Dan Gain and the big centre-back clipped a pass out to Scoular on the right-hand side, near the half-way line. His forward pass released Harrington who crossed to Daniel Smith in the middle. He flicked the ball over the last defender to find Jay Brading in space coming in from the left-hand side, and the winger fired home just inside the post - only to see his effort ruled out for offside.
Sam Conway was spoken to at length by the referee for dissent, before eventually being shown the yellow card and receiving a final warning. Then, Matt Harrington was effectively sent-off; shown a yellow card for dissent and given a spell in the "sin bin" with less than 10 minutes to go in the match.
Boyatt Wood kept going and forced Coleman to come out and claim the ball at the feet of Applegate. His long kick was helped on by Munday to create a shooting opportunity for Daniel Smith, his left-footed effort going over the bar.
Boyatt Wood then had a goal ruled out for offside after a neat clipped pass by Ross Chandler over the head of Dan Gain enabled Applegate to lob Coleman.
A long throw by Coleman was cushion-volleyed by Munday infield to Gundry who did likewise to release Munday down the right flank, once again. Munday advanced and fired in a low cross to Daniel Smith, but the ball ricocheted between his ankles, causing him to fall over before he could shoot - prompting laughter from the sidelines and much post-match embarrassment for the new man in the pub after the match, despite an impressive overall performance.
A foul by Rafferty on half-way enabled Boyatt Wood to get forward and earn a corner, as Coleman pushed Applegate's shot wide. The cross from the left produced a headed effort on goal to which Coleman reacted quickly with a one-handed save to divert the ball over the crossbar.
Then, right at the end, Jay Brading appeared to handle the ball inside his own penalty area but got away with it because the player he was challenging was obscuring the referee's view. Brading took advantage of his good fortune to complete a strong tackle that firmly shut the door on Boyatt Wood's Southampton Sunday Senior Cup ambitions for 2021/22.
Man of the Match: LEWIS GUNDRY
AFC Totton Sunday would like to thank our sponsors Gentlemen's League Barbers and Hurst Auto Assistance for their invaluable ongoing support.
Match Report: BEN ROCHEY-ADAMS
