AFC Totton win in seven-goal midweek Testwood thriller

Evo-Stik Southern Division 1 (S): AFC Totton 5-2 Paulton Rovers

AFC TOTTON moved closer to the Southern Division One (South) play-off places after a seven-goal thriller with Paulton Rovers yesterday (Tuesday) evening at Testwood Stadium.

The 5-2 victory moves the Stags up to seventh with the play-offs firmly in their sights.

Stags' boss Louis Langdown spoke after the game, he said: “It was an eventful game, seven goals. We went behind early on and it was a good reaction from the players to come back.

“We had lots of opportunities and were comfortable until we went 3-1 up. We then gave away a sloppy penalty and the game changed and for 20 minutes they came at us and at 3-2 you are thinking have we got enough and luckily we did.”

Stags battle back

Paulton stunned Totton, opening the scoring after 10 minutes with a Ben Withey looping shot into the far corner from the edge of the box.

Just two minutes later parity was restored when Callum Chugg lifted a header into the box and whilst everyone else had stopped, followed the bouncing ball up and bravely nodded it over the advancing keeper, who came off second best from the encounter.

In the 28th minute Stuart Green made it 2-1, latching onto a neat through ball from Justin Bennett before driving a low clinical shot under the keeper.

Late goal joy

Ten minutes into the second half Jack Masterton met a cross from the left and scored with a neat glancing header.

With Totton still celebrating, Paulton’s launched a quick attack. The Stags' defence tried to play their way out of trouble and ended up conceding a penalty which Jack Ball slid into the corner for 3-2.

The visitors were on the front foot and Totton were forced to defend their advantage, but in the final ten minutes the home side made the points safe with two more goals.

First, a blatant handball gifted the Stags a penalty. Bennett stepping up and making no mistake to fire the home side into a 4-2 lead.

Then three minutes later the lively Green sealed the Stags' win with his second and his side’s fifth when he was first to the ball after the Paulton keeper had initially saved.

On Saturday 2nd March AFC Totton welcome midtable Cinderford Town to Testwood.