Shaquille Gwengwe grabs three as AFC Totton smash eight past Barnstaple Town
Southern League Division One South
Barnstaple Town FC 1
AFC Totton 8
AFC TOTTON continued their magnificent start to the season by dismantling bottom side Barnstaple Town 8-1 at Mill Road.
The Stags went ahead through Shaquille Gwengwe after three minutes before Barum hit back to level. However, that was as good as it got for the hosts as Totton tore their opposition apart with seven unanswered goals.
The win increases AFC Totton's grip on the top spot to four points after second-placed Sholing lost 3-2 to Frome Town.
The Stags made a blistering start, and 20-year-old Gwengwe scored the game's first goal despite Jack Arthur's goalkeeping efforts.
Barum rallied and scored a deserved equaliser as a Luis Edmondson diving header flew into the goal from Euan Washbrook's superb cross.
The hosts could not cope with Totton's superior pace and power, and their superiority soon told with Gwengwe scoring his second.
That was soon followed up with quickfire goals from defender Stephane Zubar and Hisham Kasimu, giving the away side a commanding lead.
Player-of-the-match Gwengwe then added his third with a spectacular curling effort across a helpless Arthur.
Stags' joint top-scorer Kasimu then added his second and Totton's sixth on the stroke of half-time.
Totton added two goals in the second half to complete the rout, with Jack Hoey scoring with a stunning strike from long-range before Sam Griffin grabbed a tap-in.
Arthur did well in the Barnstaple goal to keep out further efforts from Kasimu, Jordan Ngalo and Hoey. While at the other end, visiting keeper Lewis Noice saved well to deny Neil Last, but Barnstaple had accepted defeat by this time.
This is the second time the league's top-scorers have amassed eight goals and the seventh scoring four or more.
AFC Totton: L. Noice, C. Baughan, J. Raguette, F. Read, H. Medway, S. Zubar, S. Gwengwe, J. Ngalo, H. Kasimu, E. Taylor, S. Griffin. Subs: J. Hoey, B. Williams, J. Masterton, L. Waterfield, B. Jefford.
