AFC TOTTON 3 SLIMBRIDGE 1

AFC TOTTON lifted the air of gloom around the Testwood Stadium as they finally celebrated their first home win of the season this afternoon.

At the end of a depressing week that had seem them sink to the foot of the Southern One South & West, goals by Nick Watts (2) and young Calum Hellyar put a smile back on the Stags’ faces with a much-needed 3-1 success over Slimbridge.

It hoisted them above Wantage and Bridgwater into 20th place.

The Stags handed a debut to new midfield signing Charlie Gunson from Andover Town, but were missing several influential figures including Nathaniel Sherborne, Dave Allen and Dylan Knight.

And with caretaker boss Andy Darnton away on a pre-arranged half-term break, it was Wayne Mew who was left to orchestrate things from the dug-out.

The former Romsey Town boss watched on contentedly early on as the Stags defied their lowly league position and knocked the ball around with some confidence.

Their reward came on eight minutes when left-back Ian Oliver enterprisingly burst forward and tested Slimbridge keeper Adrian Kowalski with a shot he could only parry, allowing 16-year-old Calum HELLYAR to knock in his second goal in two games.

With Totton keeping their shape well, Slimbridge offered little by way of a goal threat for much of the opening half-hour.

But losing track of the visitors’ pint-sized No.10 Marley THOMAS proved costly for the Stags on 28 minutes.

The tiny left-sided player popped up unmarked by the opposite post to squeeze in Lee Smith’s byline cross for 1-1.

With tails up, the visitors began to dominate proceedings and hesitant Totton defending following a tenacious run and cross by Thomas was so nearly punished when Jack Sklenar shot narrowly wide on the turn.

Totton responded by forcing a couple of corners, the first of which presented headed opportunities for centre-backs Jack Vallis and Pat Wilson, and the half ended with Dan Munday’s shot from distance being easily gathered by Kowalski.

 Half-time; AFC Totton 1 Slimbridge 1

Slimbridge opened the second-half with two off-target headers from corners, but, in between, Totton had an even better chance when Nick Watts picked out Mike Gosney at the far post and, with the keeper struggling, Gosney sent a downward header wide.

But the next time WATTS got good possession on the right, he went it alone, cutting in and beating Kowalski with a beautifully weighted left-foot shot into the far corner for 2-1.

With confidence flowing again through the blue-shirted ranks, young Hellyar sent an acrobatic effort wide from Vallis’s headed assist and then great anticipation from Munday saw him nick the ball off defender Nick Grimes and bend a first-time shot inches wide.

The ex-Blackfield front man went close again a couple of minutes later, nodding a Watts cross just off target.

With Watts suddenly on fire, he single-handedly ran at the Slimbridge defence before unleashing a shot which rebounded off a defender’s foot and scooted away for a corner.

The visitors were not done yet, however, and Totton lived dangerously on 74 minutes when Smith crossed and, with just keeper Steve Mowthorpe to beat, sub Jamie Martin couldn’t generate any power behind his close-range effort.

Totton fans’ hearts were beating hard in a frantic end-to-end finale which could easily have produced a goal at either end.

But, despite a few hairy moments at the back, The Stags rode their luck and scored a 90th-minute third on the break.

Neil Williams picked out WATTS with a square pass and the No. 7 gleefully tucked away his second of the game.