AFC Totton
CITY of SOUTHAMPTON SUNDAY FOOTBALL LEAGUE
DIVISION ONE - Matchday #5
AFC TOTTON SUNDAY 4
Liam Hanlon 42mins (pen); Michael MacLeod 50mins; Billy Bellows 67mins, 77mins
AFC RIVERSIDE 2
John Okolo 17mins, 48mins
In a week where the withdrawal of another team from the City of Southampton Sunday Football League Div.1 resulted in three more points being expunged from AFC Totton Sunday's tally for the season, they almost shot themselves in the foot yesterday (Sunday) with their own indiscipline, going down to 10 men with almost an hour to play before second-half substitute Billy Bellows saved the day with two goals that took the Sunday Stags back to the top of the table with games in-hand over their rivals.
Both Boujee Pint CF and Chamberlayne Athletic Sunday - who were unbeaten for more than two years until Sam Conway's men taught them a footballing lesson with a scintillating first-half performance that saw the Stags go in 5-0 up at the break in October - have failed to complete the campaign and all of their league results have been removed from the table. But no matter how many times these mathematical recalculations knock AFC Totton Sunday off top spot, they fight their way back to the summit, despite some self-inflicted wounds that could still derail their season.
After a slate of recent injury problems, Sam Conway was in the relatively luxurious position of having 13 players to choose from without having to include himself among the substitutes. Tom Rafferty returned to central defence after missing last week's convincing win against Boyatt Wood, allowing Jason Calcutt to go back into midfield to replace Kaine Stanton. Matt Harrington and Liam Hanlon led the line for the second game in succession, while Billy Bellows, who has been out recently due to dental surgery, made his return to the squad as sub alongside the also-returning Luke Cron.
AFC TOTTON SUNDAY
Starting XI
1. Mitch COLEMAN
2. Luke SCOULAR
3. Michael MacLEOD
4. Dan GAIN
5. Tom RAFFERTY
6. Jay BRADING
7. Lewis GUNDRY (Capt.)
8. Jason CALCUTT
9. Matt HARRINGTON
10. Liam HANLON
13. Tom MUNDAY
Substitutes
12. Luke CRON
14. Billy BELLOWS
Facing a team in all dark blue, the Sunday Stags were decked out in their away kit of fluo yellow shirts, black shorts and socks and, on a warm, sunny late winter morning, their football during the early exchanges was equally as bright with Tom Munday sending over a high cross from the right wing that Liam Hanlon headed back across the penalty area to win a corner on the left. Michael MacLeod's delivery presented Tom Rafferty with a gilt-edged opportunity to open the scoring when he leapt high, unchallenged at the back post, but he almost got too much on his header and flicked it wide of the post.
In the 3rd minute, good work by MacLeod and Jay Brading down the left wing enabled Hanlon to drive infield across the edge of the area. With a vocal call, Munday took over and struck a left-footed shot towards the top-left corner which goalkeeper Bojan Tzvetkov had to stretch to catch.
Michael MacLeod, in particular, was warming to his task as a raiding full-back, ably abetted and complemented by the willingness of Jay Brading ahead of him to pressure opposition players and take them into areas they didn't want to go to create space for MacLeod to gallop into. In the 5th minute, the left-back played a short pass infield to Lewis Gundry and then set off on a run down the wing, which the Sunday Stags skipper matched with an inch perfect clip over the head of Riverside right-back Lawrence Etheridge to enable MacLeod to curl a well-struck cross into the penalty area, just out of reach of Matt Harrington.
As was the case in the 4-0 win against Boyatt Wood last week, Totton had settled into their footballing rhythm quickly and were already looking the better team. But then Riverside began to assert themselves. Tom Rafferty conceded a free-kick near half-way which was taken quickly to free Kyle Clarke-Karimi on the right-hand side. He checked onto his left foot to evade Brading and sent an in-swinging cross towards the penalty spot, which Richard Templeman tried to convert with a headed flick-on but his aim was just off, sending the ball too far to the left of Mitch Coleman's far post. Then, Coleman needed two attempts to grab the ball at his near post from a free-kick sent into the box from deep, with two forwards lurking, sniffing for scraps.
A long throw by Hanlon from the left-hand touchline flicked off a defender's head and fell for Gundry, rushing in from the edge of the area, to shoot from an angle on the right but he couldn't keep his effort down. Then, as Riverside were mounting an attack down their right flank, a misplaced pass opened up space for MacLeod to drive the ball in the opposite direction, carrying the ball 30 yards before a blue shirt got close enough to challenge. Taking his opponent on by moving infield, MacLeod then managed to create enough space to deliver another dangerous cross into the Riverside area but again, Harrington was inches away from connecting with it in front of goal. And a few minutes later, Gundry played an accurate clip down the inside-left to the byline but Brading couldn't wrap his left leg around it and the ball went behind.
After Totton had spent the first 17 minutes of the match exposing vulnerabilities in the Riverside defence and looking like they were preparing to rack up a cricket score, the away side suddenly took the lead. Riverside No.4 Sam Browes managed to beat Gundry to a loose ball in midfield and enjoyed a fortunate bounce of the ball as he bundled it forward and galloped away down the left. Forward John OKOLO positioned himself between two Totton defenders and collected Browes' pass, advancing diagonally towards the right before shooting low past Coleman into the bottom-right.
AFC Totton Sunday have experienced far more adversity this season than going behind against the run of play with more than 70 minutes to go, so there was little for them to panic about. They got back to their football and Harrington's headed flick-on from a long ball forward had Hanlon ghosting in behind the defender to poke the ball goal-ward but Tzvetkov was too well-positioned to be caught out. Hanlon then repaid the favour, heading the ball on to free Harrington at a narrow angle to the left of goal. The centre-forward opted for power but his shot lacked the accuracy to trouble the Riverside keeper.
Riverside managed to stretch the Totton defence by quickly shifting the ball diagonally from left to right while MacLeod was caught upfield from his left-back berth. Rafferty's intervention by the penalty spot put the ball out for a corner on the left-hand side and from the cross, Jacob Zovich, one of two towering centre-backs in the Riverside ranks, let Totton off the hook by heading wide at the far post with Mitch Coleman's goal at his mercy.
The world will never know how AFC Totton Sunday didn't equalise in the 22nd minute, when Harrington brought the ball down outside the Riverside area with his back to goal and fed Jason Calcutt, who'd made the run towards the left-wing byline. His square pass took out the goalkeeper and found Tom Munday 5 yards out but his left-foot whack crashed against the crossbar and bounced away, leaving Totton a goal behind with the number of missed chances totting up by the minute.
Tom Rafferty stepped out of defence to take possession near half-way for Totton on the left, before floating a high ball into a crowded penalty area. Liam Hanlon did well to climb highest but his header looped over.
The strength and powerful running of John Okolo was causing a problem for the home side, particularly when the forward tried to charge down the Riverside right. But determined defending by MacLeod, sticking to his task despite several twists and turns to wrong-foot him, was rewarded when the Totton left-back stole the ball and set off on another Totton attack. From just past the half-way line, MacLeod spotted the run of Hanlon and curled the ball into the forward's stride. With Tzvetkov off his line, Hanlon attempted to chip him but he didn't put enough on it and the goalkeeper made the catch.
Despite the superior height of the two Riverside centre-backs, Hanlon and Harrington were both able to use their lower centres of gravity and their own physical strength to compete admirably, creating chances for themselves and their other teammates. A period of Totton possession in the 27th minute saw the ball move low across the pitch from right to left. As it came to MacLeod in space on the left, with his captain Lewis Gundry demanding a pass shortly infield of him, the Totton left-back took a touch, quickly weighed up his options and cracked an unstoppable left-foot pilvedriver from all of 30 yards, which left Tzvetkov in Nomansland as it smacked the crossbar to deny what would have been a livelong memory of a goal for all who witnessed it.
Coleman's long kick deceived Etheridge and enabled Hanlon to get on the left of the area. His shot was blocked at the near post and spun high into the air but his follow-up header was into the side-netting. Then, Tom Rafferty, who was missing last week due to injury, had to come off with a knock to his leg. Luke Cron came on to replace him, going into central midfield while the versatile Jason Calcutt slotted back into defence.
Tom Munday put the ball in the Riverside net in the 32nd minute, but he was judged to have fouled Kyle Clarke-Karimi in an apparent fifty-fifty challenge before unleashing the shot, when the Riverside No.7 went down clutching his foot. Shortly after, Clarke-Karimi's quick throw-in on the right enabled Okolo to spin away from MacLeod to get to the byline before shooting from a narrow angle into the side-netting, with Calcutt in close attendance.
Still a goal behind, Totton hit the Self-Destruct button 7 minutes before the break when Riverside players tried to play triangles around the combustible Tom Munday who, still angry about a previous incident, launched himself at one player in a manner that would have warranted a straight red card. The referee chose to show only a yellow but, with Munday swearing at him, immediately produced the red to reduce the home side to 10 men. It was an unnecessary self-inflicted wound that put Sam Conway's charges in a similar situation to the one that resulted in their semi-final defeat to East Christchurch in the Hampshire Cup earlier this month, and will exclude a valuable, talented football player from some important matches throughout February.
Yet, within a few minutes, AFC Totton Sunday were handed a golden opportunity to get back into the match. Matt Harrington controlled MacLeod's cross into the penalty area and, surrounded by three defenders, was bumped from one side. The referee determined that was enough to award a penalty, much to the confusion of even the Sunday Stag Ultras on the sidelines. Liam HANLON placed the ball on the penalty spot, turned to walk away and then, on the ref's whistle, quickly spun, ran up to the ball and firmly despatched it into the bottom-left corner before Tzvetkov could gain his bearings.
A push by Dan Gain by the corner of the penalty area on the Riverside left had Totton defending a set-piece on the brink of half-time but Mitch Coleman got a strong hand behind the floated cross and pushed it away to safety to ensure the two sides went in level at the break, despite Riverside's numerical advantage.
HALF-TIME
AFC TOTTON SUNDAY 1
AFC RIVERSIDE 1
"Give me everything you've got for the next 45 minutes. If you do that and believe in your own abilities, we will win this today."
Sam Conway's instructions were abundantly clear but the Sunday Stags enjoy making things dramatic, and they immediately found themselves on the back foot in the early part of the second half.
John Okolo charged his way past both Calcutt and Gain but had almost run out of pitch before shooting low from a tight angle, enabling Coleman to make a smart save at his left-hand post. The consequent corner led to a brief goalmouth scramble before the home side cleared their lines. But it was to little avail.
On 48 minutes, Liam Hanlon - operating in midfield since Munday's dismissal - had the ball at his feet just inside his own half while facing towards his own goal. With opponents both to his left and right, he tried to turn them by back-heeling the ball but the Riverside No.12 read his intentions and took the ball off him, before threading a pass through the centre into the path of John OKOLO who beat Coleman to it on the edge of the penalty area and rounded the goalkeeper to slot Riverside back into the lead.
Much-respected team captain Lewis Gundry had some choice words for his teammates as they set-up for the restart and, within two minutes, the scores were level once again. Despite ploughing a lonely furrow on his own up front for 10-man Totton, Matt Harrington's strong hold-up play drew a foul in prime free-kick real estate on the edge of the D, slightly right of centre. Gundry and MacLeod both stood over the ball while measuring up the Riverside wall comprised of several players, with keeper Tzvetkov positioning himself close to his right-hand post. Michael MACLEOD called Tzvetkov's bluff and smashed a beautiful left-footed curler around the wall and straight past the keeper into the corner. A stunning strike that the player's overall performance justly deserved.
Jay Brading did well to retrieve the ball by the right-wing corner flag and played it back along the touchline to Hanlon. His measured cross dropped over a defender and onto the thigh of Harrington, who may not have been aware of how much time he had, rushing his shot and shooting straight at Tzvetkov.
Coleman had to maintain his concentration to save low to his left from a 25-yard Clarke-Karimi shot through a crowded penalty area, pushing the ball away for corner that was headed away by Gain. Then Gundry, Harrington and Luke Scoular combined down the right to win a free-kick on the corner of the penalty area. Sizing up the position of the goalkeeper and the one-man wall between him and the goal, MacLeod was well within his rights to attempt another direct strike but he got this one wrong, sending it harmlessly over the bar.
In the 54th minute, Jay Brading was withdrawn and Billy Bellows stepped onto the pitch for his first AFC Totton Sunday appearance since mid-September.
Hanlon started upping the ante with some robust challenges in midfield, which Riverside responded to with some strong tackles of their own. Luke Cron received the ball from a left-wing throw-in and weaved his way through three defenders but his driven shot was wide of the near post. Then, Bellows did enough to win a corner after latching onto Gundry's diagonal pass. Harrington met the cross but was crowded out before he could get his shot away.
John Okolo was fortunate to avoid a yellow card when, after charging down an attempted clearance by Calcutt, he then scampered out to Riverside's right flank and took out Liam Hanlon with a lunging foul.
AFC Totton Sunday went ahead for the first time in the match in the 67th minute. A handball shout against a Riverside player went unheeded by the referee but the ball came to MacLeod in an advanced position on the Totton left. Flicking the ball around the corner to Harrington, he spun in anticipation of the return pass and received the ball back to feet. From a tight angle, he fired a low shot towards Tzvetkov's near post and, while the keeper showed good reflexes to make the save, the ball spilled out of his grasp and to the feet of Billy BELLOWS who celebrated his return to the team with a four-yard tap-in.
Harrington's tireless running and pressing of the Riverside back line, doing the work of three players, earned Totton another free-kick in a central position around the 70th minute. Once again, Gundry and MacLeod stood over the ball but Gundry came away, seemingly engaged in an argument with Liam Hanlon. MacLeod's shot from the free-kick struck the wall and, when it rebounded back to him, his follow-up shot dropped wide of the left-hand post.
Coleman showed good hands and strength to catch Templeman's cross from the right, which Okolo was close to connecting with at the near post. But in the 77th minute, Totton put daylight between themselves and Riverside with a fourth goal. Luke Scoular and Matt Harrington combined to get down the right-hand side. Harrington's low cross was flicked away but by the time Riverside were trying to cross the half-way line, Scoular had got back into position to win the ball back and to run at the opposition defence again. This time, his momentum took him infield amid calls of encouragement from the touchline to shoot with his left foot. Instead, he ran into a defender on the edge of the area but the ball bounced kindly for Billy BELLOWS to sweep it into the bottom-left corner with Tzvetkov rooted to the spot.
Hanlon and Harrington - who used to play for Totton & Eling - showed their experience to work the ball into the right corner where Tzvetkov was tempted to rush out of goal and belt it clear into touch, allowing the 10 men of Totton to take their time and catch their breath. Bellows' eventful day continued when he incurred the referee's wrath with a trip on Clarke-Karimi, a yellow card the inevitable result.
Harrington was subjecting the considerably taller Zovich to a torrid Sunday morning in Totton, the two of them tussling on the left of the penalty area. Harrington enjoys the fight too much to entertain thoughts about flopping to the ground, preferring to lay the ball back to Hanlon so he could shift it infield to Gundry. One more square pass found Scoular in space but his long distance shot flew high and wide.
John Okolo continued to throw his bodyweight around, steadily totting up his foul count enough to prompt Totton players to enquire with the referee as to how his name was yet to be taken. Meanwhile, Billy Bellows went hat-trick hunting when he received the ball in space on the right-hand side and let fly with a left-foot effort but he couldn't trouble Tzvetkov with it. Then, Etheridge did well to intercept the ball on the stretch to prevent Bellows and Cron getting in just before the referee signalled an end to proceedings.
Having re-established themselves at the top of the CoSSFL Div.1 table, AFC Totton Sunday have a massive month coming up starting with an away game against Sarisbury Spartans on the 3G pitch at Wyvern College next weekend. Then, on 13 February, they will take on DC United in the AJ Miller Trophy at Gangwarily Recreation Centre. And, on 20 February, Sam Conway's men face fellow CoSSFL Div.1 side Durley in the semi-final of the Southampton Divisional FA Cup at the neutral venue of Mayfield Recreation Ground in Weston Lane.
Man of the Match: MATT HARRINGTON
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
