HAMPSHIRE COMBINATION & DEVELOPMENT FOOTBALL LEAGUE
U23 PREMIER DIVISION
Wednesday 20 November 2024 | Snows Stadium, Totton | Att: ~90

UNDER-23s MAINTAIN 100% RECORD WITH HOME WIN OVER MAGPIES

AFC TOTTON U23s                       4
Luke Bennett 9mins; Jack McGivney 40mins;
Ethan Taylor 60mins; Toby Stephens 76mins

DORCHESTER TOWN U23s     1
James Coat 16mins

AFC TOTTON’S UNDER-23s completed a home-and-away double over their Dorchester Town counterparts to maintain their 100% winning start to their inaugural 2024/25 campaign and to take firm control of the Hampshire Combination & Development Football League U23 Premier Division table.

Goals from Luke Bennett, Jack McGivney, Ethan Taylor and debutant midfielder Toby Stephens were enough to guide The Young Bucks to a comfortable home win over The Magpies on a bitterly cold night at the Snows Stadium on Wednesday (20 November 2024).

Club captain Mike Carter was named in the starting XI as he continued his comeback from long-term injury, although regular U23s skipper Owen Pelham retained the armband. Totton included two pairs of brothers in their matchday squad; Ethan and Leo Taylor, and Tega Agberhiere were all named in the team that began the match, while Tega’s brother Runo was included among the substitutes. In the injury-enforced absence of both Connor Bent and Remus Nixon, Totton did not have a single recognised striker in their matchday squad.

AFC TOTTON U23s: 1. Max EVANS; 2. Owen PELHAM (Capt.); 4. Mike CARTER; 5. Logan LAIRD; 6. Leo TAYLOR; 7. Dylan ANDREWS; 10. Ethan TAYLOR; 11. Jack McGIVNEY; 16. Luke BENNETT; 19. Toby STEPHENS; 20. Tega AGBERHIERE. Substitutes: 3. Cruz WRAGG; 8. Zachariah EARLEY; 12. Jack GOOD; 14. Mason REDWOOD; 17. Runo AGBERHIERE. Substitutions: Rolling. Yellow Cards: CARTER (Foul). Red Card: L.TAYLOR (2nd Yellow Card - Foul).

With a frost in the air, the game took a little while to warm up and it was Dorchester - kitted out in their traditional black-and-white striped shirts with black shorts and socks - who threatened first, playing their striker in through the middle until Tega Agberhiere raced across from left-back to nick the ball away and play out of defence on the Totton right.

Dylan Andrews fired the first offensive at The Magpies’ goal after a prolonged period of Totton possession found him within shooting range at the edge of the penalty area, but he directed his effort a foot wide of the right-hand post.

Owen Pelham, operating at right-back for the home side, broke up an initially promising attack that was building down the Dorchester left and made its way into the penalty area before the captain intervened with a well-timed tackle.

Totton took the lead on nine minutes when Ethan Taylor bustled his way through one challenge while latching onto a forward pass at inside-right and played a square pass to a teammate in space on the left of the D; Luke BENNETT had time to take a touch before firing a low shot into the bottom-left corner to notch his first goal of the season.

Logan Laird’s pass out of defence was intercepted on the half-way line and quickly despatched forward to put the Dorchester striker in. Leo Taylor made a strong recovery tackle in the D to remove the danger, before directing an admonishing glare at his defensive teammate. Then, Mike Carter won possession on the half-way line with the satisfyingly loud thud of boot-on-ball-and-shinpad echoing around the Snows Stadium.

Tega Agberhiere crossed from the Totton left to present Jack McGivney with the chance to shoot from the edge of the box, which was charged down by a defender. Dorchester tried to counter-attack but Leo Taylor was again on-hand to disrupt with a well-timed tackle.

Dorchester levelled the scores somewhat against the run of the play on 16 minutes. An attack down The Magpies’ right culminated in a low cross that Carter appeared to have dealt with by dispossessing the forward near the penalty spot. But as the ball was poked out to towards the Dorchester left, the visitors regained possession and a short lay-off gave full-back James COAT the opportunity to unleash an unstoppable, arcing shot over Max Evans and into the top-right corner of Totton’s net.

Pelham tried to stamp his authority on the game with a solo dribble through the heart of the Dorchester defence, but eventually ran into too much traffic. Then, a foul on McGivney resulted in a free-kick 25 yards out, in line with the right edge of the visitors’ box. Bennett delivered the ball to the six-yard line where Laird managed to connect with one of his long limbs but, being partially entwined around his marker, he couldn’t generate enough force to test the goalkeeper.

Leo Taylor’s forward pass into the inside-right channel released Pelham to raid into the Dorchester box. He had the pace to stay ahead of the chasing defender but a slightly heavy touch left him stretching to finish, and the ‘keeper was able to come out and smother the chance, before his defenders cleared the ball from the resulting corner.

From Totton’s next corner, Toby Stephens had his shot parried at the near post by the Dorchester ‘keeper. Then, Andrews had two attempts blocked in quick succession, as the home side continued to dominate possession despite the scoreline being level.

Bennett took advantage of a poor pass in midfield to intercept the ball and drive at the Dorchester defence, eventually drifting infield from the left and shooting narrowly wide of the left-hand post from 22 yards. Then, Carter stole the ball inside the Dorchester area before turning to tee-up Ethan Taylor close to the penalty spot; on his favoured left foot, the winger is usually deadly from that sort of range but failed to get proper purchase on his shot and drove it straight into the ‘keeper.

McGivney curled an effort narrowly over the bar from just outside the box - but that proved to be little more than a sighter. Five minutes before half-time, Tega Agberhiere released Ethan Taylor down the left wing and from his low centre to the penalty spot, Jack McGIVNEY was afforded the time and space to fire home into the bottom-left corner to restore Totton’s lead.

A precise cross-field pass by Pelham from the right flank landed on Bennett’s chest, and the No.16 forced his way between two defenders before curling a shot just over the crossbar. Then, Leo Taylor was shown a yellow card for tripping an opponent who was about to run clear through on the Totton goal from a high ball over the top, with The Stags’ defence operating a high line near half-way.

Owen Pelham had the last chance of the first half when Ethan Taylor teed him up on the edge of the box, but he couldn’t keep his effort down.

HALF-TIME: AFC TOTTON U23s 2-1 DORCHESTER TOWN U23s

Neat control and a sharp turn by McGivney brought a foul and a free-kick just outside the left corner of the Dorchester box, early in the second half. Ethan Taylor curled a low shot around the defensive wall, bringing a smart save from the goalkeeper, low to his right. From the resulting corner, Totton played the ball short before the eventual cross was headed back across goal by Stephens, but Dorchester defended it.

Carter charged the ball down in midfield and looked to be lining up a long-shot before slipping Ethan Taylor in with a short pass to inside-left. Taylor tried to round the ‘keeper but had to settle for a corner, which the visitors repelled.

The Totton defenders were left appealing for an offside flag that never came when Dorchester’s striker sprinted clear down the middle of the pitch at an impressive pace. Stags ‘keeper Max Evans kept his cool, bided his time and blocked the low shot with his feet.

Within a minute of almost being pegged back for a second time, Totton gave themselves a two-goal cushion when Andrews stepped forward to intercept as Dorchester attempted to play out from the back. He shifted the ball to inside-right and Ethan TAYLOR darted in-between two defenders to guide a left-footed toe-poke past the ‘keeper to make it three-one.

Carter was shown a yellow card for a foul, shortly before Dorchester’s No.2 was also booked to give Totton a free-kick in a central position, 22 yards out; Ethan Taylor bent his shot just past the left-hand post.

Substitute Mason Redwood, who had come on for McGivney, made a run from deep to avoid an offside flag and connect with a floating delivery from the Totton right to the left of the penalty spot. He had time to control the ball and settle himself but The Magpies’ goalkeeper blocked the eventual shot.

Dorchester survived a goalmouth scramble by getting enough legal limbs in the way of the ball before their ‘keeper was eventually able to claim it. Then, Taylor threatened to sprint clear down the middle of the pitch until the ball got stuck under his feet. He tried to keep the move alive with a short pass to Andrews, coming up in support on the right, but the midfielder’s pass into the area was too far ahead of the next available blue shirt arriving to lend his weight to the attack. Taylor did manage to get a clear sight of goal when he ran onto a well-weighted pass from midfield to inside-left, but despite striking his shot firmly, the goalkeeper made a smart save.

Totton went four-one up on 76 minutes. After one attack had broken down, The Stags were quick to regain possession in midfield. Redwood strode forward down the middle and laid the ball off to inside-right, where Toby STEPHENS met it with a first-time shot that squeezed under the goalkeeper at the near post and found the bottom-right corner of the net.

Pelham, now operating on the left of midfield, was brought down as he attempted to dribble into the penalty area. He took the free-kick himself but fired it a long way over the bar. Then, Mike Carter came off with nine minutes to go, allowing McGivney to come back on in a league that allows rolling substitutes.

Ethan Taylor had to be replaced five minutes before the end, after going down under a late challenge across the half-way line as he played the ball forward to launch another Totton attack. Leo Taylor soon joined his older brother in the dressing room when he was sent-off for a second bookable offence that also ended the involvement of Dorchester’s No.9, who was left in an untidy heap next to the away dug-out before also having to be carried away. The resulting free-kick was delivered into the Totton box and flicked on by a black-and-white head, but Evans was able to catch it unopposed, shortly before the referee blew the full-time whistle.

The win leaves AFC Totton U23s four points clear at the top of the table, with five wins from five games. Winchester City and Fareham Town are the only other unbeaten sides in the nine-team U23 Premier Division, but they have only played three games each and both have yet to encounter Harry Brookwell’s team. Based on points-per-game, Bashley appear to be the strongest challengers to Totton’s ambitions of winning the title; the New-Forest side have won three, drawn one and lost two of their six matches to date.

Next Up for the Under-23s: AFC TOTTON U23s vs WEYMOUTH U23s
Hampshire Combination & Development Football League U23 Premier Division | Snows Stadium, Salisbury Road, Totton, Southampton SO40 2RW | Wednesday 27 November 2024 | Kick-Off at 7:45pm | FREE Entry

By Ben Rochey-Adams