AFC Totton 4 Magpies 0 - SLPS 10/9/24, Match Report added

Can’t fault the effort the lads put in tonight. Totton had the speed and were clinical on the breakaway. They were well drilled at the back, looked solid and only really struggled when we got the ball wide- it just didn’t work trying to play through the middle which meant fletch didn’t even get a sniff. It was always going to be a tough game but proud of the lads for not letting their heads drop and still pushing right to the final whistle.

Graham' Match Report -

AFC Totton 4 Wimborne Town 0 - Southern League Premier South - 10 Sept 2024

Wimborne came our second best to a very good Totton team who scored twice in each half to go back to the top of the early season table.

Manager Tim Sills made two changes to his starting XI: Charlie Philpot made his debut in goal, and Connor Cocklin joined Harvey Wright in central defence.

On an immaculate grass pitch, Wimborne's defenders not only faced Totton's top 4 strikers: Austin, Blair, Lee and Rendell, but also torrential rain driven into their faces by the gusting wind. And it was all action from the start. Referee Ablitt booked Tomasso in the first minute; in the second Blair, playing wide on the left, forced Philpott to concede a corner at the near post, which was then illegally bundled into the net; and in the third, the keeper denied Lee with his feet before Rendell fired the rebound wide.

The visitors then fashioned chances of their own. After Cam Munn's low shot was an easy save for Gould, Wimborne came close to opening the scoring on ten minutes. Munn won the ball back in midfield, fed Matty Burrows on the right who forced a corner. Matt Neale's delivery found Josh Carmichael whose drive was flicked against the far post by Munn before defenders blocked a follow-up and scrambled the ball away. Blair then curled a shot just past upright and bar from twenty-five yards (perhaps a "sighter"), before the hosts took the lead on twenty-one minutes. Rose found Lee whose instant shot was blocked by Cocklin only for the striker to react quickest and drive the rebound into the net. Five minutes later, and the lead was doubled. Rose played Austin through the inside-right channel, the experienced striker rounded the keeper and slotted home.

Just after the half-hour mark, Austin was again played through, but this time Phipot made a terrific save at his feet, and two minutes later Austin blasted a wild shot out of the ground. The visitors stuck to their passing game, and made good progress down the left; and as the clock ticked over into addition time another charge down that side ended with Gould clutching Sam Jackson's cross.

After a Lee charge down the right at the beginning of the second-half ended with a grubber shot past the far post, Wimborne had a spell of pressure. Burrows pinched the ball in Totton's area and fed Munn whose shot was blocked; Jez Bedford's follow-up was saved by Gould; Bedford found Neale who forced a corner; on a fast counter-attack, Munn crossed for Bedford whose shot was well-saved low-down by the post. Then on fifty-eight minutes came the killer goal: Blair, coming in from his wing to the corner of the box (remember his "sighter"), rifled into the far top corner - you won't see a better strike all season! Six minutes later, Ball's boys completed the scoring. Philpot, whose clearances on a sixpence had been a feature of the game - until now - miscued his kick which went straight to Lee who wasted no time in lobbing the distraught keeper from thirty yards.

Wimborne battled to the end. Manager Sills sent on club captain Scott Arnold for a late substitute appearance - an appearance which makes him Wimborne's all-time top appearance maker.

Wimborne were beaten by a very good side who used all their talent, experience, and guile to deservedly take all three points and go back to the division's summit. We've said it before, and we'll say it again, you have to take your chances when they come. Totton gave us a lesson in how to do just that.

Wimborne: Philpot, Scorey, Cocklin (Arnold 87), Wright, Jackson, Carmichael (Mdlalose 74), Neale, Bedford, Burrows (Baker 59), Munn (Morgan 59), Fletcher

Official attendance: 1244

Match stats:

Magpies/Stags

Goal attempts on target 5/9
Goal attempts off target 1/7
Goal attempts blocked 4/2
Corners 3/3
Fouls conceded 14/14
Offside 3/6
Cards 5Y/4Y

It's 10 years since they were close to liquidating due to a 200k deficit.
It strikes me they haven't learnt. Not sure the fictitious 600 they add to their gates weekly are contributing much.

I was really surprised by the official figure. As per Graham, I'd have thought about half that number.