Southern Premier South playoff semi-final football: Late Ethan Taylor goal leaves AFC Totton on the brink of promotion after beating Bracknell Town
Southern Premier South playoff semi-final
AFC Totton 2
Bracknell Town FC 1
AFC Totton marched into the playoff final after beating Bracknell Town in extra-time – meaning they are one game away from sealing back-to-back promotions.
Jimmy Ball’s side won a treble last season before a late surge saw them finish the season in second place, and now they are on the verge of promotion again.
They will take on Salisbury in the final, who finished third, two points behind the Stags.
The two sides have faced each other twice this season, with the Whites winning the first 2-0 and the Stags winning the other 1-0 thanks to a Scott Rendell penalty.
The game agains Bracknell started cagily, with both sides struggling to find their rhythm in the first five minutes.
Bracknell had the first chance through a header – which grazed the crossbar – before Tony Lee miscued a header into the ground after Leon Maloney’s cross.
Bracknell then broke free on a counterattack, with Hayden Vaughan turning away and driving infield before unleashing a rocket met by a fantastic Josh Gould save.
The trading of blows continued, with Maloney set free in the left channel and forcing Michael Eacott to make a stop.
After the break, the Stags won a free kick 30 yards from goal. After waiting for the wall to get set, Lee smashed an unstoppable piledriver magnificently into the top right corner to open the scoring.
Just before the final whistle, Ralph Vigrass released Gary Abisogun in behind, and his right-footed effort burst through Gould’s gloves for the equaliser.
The Stags’ winner came in extra time when Juan Luque clipped a ball over the top for Scott Rendell, who squared to Ethan Taylor. The 23-year-old scrambled the ball over the line to spark joyous celebrations.
The Stags will meet Salisbury in the playoff final on Monday, with the winners elevated to National League South.
AFC Totton: J. Gould, B. Read, J. Ragguette, C. Kennedy, L. Hallett, A. Tomasso, S. Rendell, E. Taylor, S. Magri, L. Maloney, T. Lee. Subs: L. Noice, J. Oastler, J. Prados, B. Jefford, M. McIntosh.
