Match report: AFC Totton topple 10-man Tiverton Town 1-0 after stoppage-time Southern League Premier South drama

AFC Totton left it late against 10-man Tiverton Town, securing a 1-0 Southern League Premier South win despite the hosts looking happy with a draw.

A second yellow in the 57th minute for Tiverton’s Toby Down left the Stags in control, but they struggled to break the hosts down as they parked the bus. However, Tom Blair came off the bench to win it with a 92nd-minute effort.

Both sides struggled to produce anything of quality during a turgid first half. The home side’s best opportunity was headed over the bar by Asa Hall from a set-piece delivery, while AFC Totton’s Ethan Taylor shot across goal and wide after being released into the inside-left channel.

The dismissal of Down for a second bookable offence – for a foul on Tony Lee when the referee might have allowed Taylor to play on and finish – gave the Stags a welcome numerical advantage.

The visitors huffed and puffed to exploit the advantage while Tiverton appeared content to play out a goalless draw.

However, Tiverton did cause a scare when Dylan Jones squeezed a shot between a forest of AFC Totton’s legs to force Ryan Gosney to repel from the goal line with his shins.

The introductions of winger Tom Blair and centre-forward Scott Rendell added new impetus, and although it took until stoppage time, AFC Totton eventually broke through the yellow-and-black cordon with a suitably scrambled winner.

Lee hurled the ball into play from the left-wing touchline. Roddy Collins flicked on at the near post, and Rendell stretched to try to head home at the far end. The ball fell to the right of the six-yard box, and Blair poked past goalkeeper Joe Duncan.

Acrimony had been building between the two sides throughout the second half, and the referee dished out a flurry of yellow cards before the end, but AFC Totton held on to win.

The Stags play at home in Southern League Premier Division South action against Sholing at 3pm.

AFC Totton: R. Gosney, J. Oastler, B. Jefford, C. Kennedy, A. Tomasso, E. Taylor, C. Austin, L. Hallett, R. Collins, L. Bennett, T. Lee. Subs: S. Magri, S. Rendell, T. Stephens, T. Blair, O. Agberhiere.