AFC Totton manager Jimmy Ball wants players and fans to enjoy race for Southern League Premier South title after two-goal Scott Rendell and Ben Seymour earn 3-1 win over Havant & Waterlooville

AFC Totton boss Jimmy Ball wants his players and the club’s fans to enjoy the run-in after they closed in on leaders Merthyr Town in the battle for the Southern League Premier South title.

Second-placed Totton cut the gap at the top to four points with two games in hand after a 3-1 win over Havant & Waterlooville on Tuesday and Ball has - barring long-term absentees Declan Rose and Tega Agberhiere - a full-strength squad for the business end of the season.

“To have everyone [else] available is great at this time of the season,” Ball said after two goals from Scott Rendell and a Ben Seymour effort secured the points.

“But results will decide whether it’s great. We’ve got to just concentrate on our job, what we’re here to do and grind it out and tick them off as best we can.

“There’ll be twists and turns, there’ll be things that happen and we’ve just got to stay level, stay calm, concentrate on ourselves and enjoy it. That’s been my message to the players and that’s my message to the fans - just enjoy this because it should be an exciting couple of months.”

Points are more important than performances at this stage of the season but Ball was pleased with his side’s display against tricky opponents.

“I thought we kept them off us quite well, kept them at bay,” he reflected

“They’re a good side and they cause you problems. They play a different style of a 4-4-2 which is hard to pick up everyone, hard to cover their whole midfield so we had to work extremely hard in there getting across the pitch.

“They were more of a threat second half, it became a little bit to and fro, but it’s a really pleasing result.”

The hosts led in the 24th minute when Ethan Taylor’s effort was pushed onto the crossbar and Rendell followed up. Ben Dudzinski then thwarted Taylor, Tony Lee and Tom Blair to keep the visitors in the game before half-time.

The Stags doubled their lead just after the hour, Rendell heading home Blair’s cross at the far post, before the points were made safe in stoppage time. Charlie Austin and Craig Tanner combined on the right, and when the latter’s cross was cut out the ball fell for Seymour who converted after some clever footwork.

Havant had the final say with a Harvey Laidlaw piledriver two minutes later, but that was the only blemish for the Stags on an otherwise job well done.