Media Watch - AFC Totton

Right, we’ve now got ten cup final’s to win to bring the season to a successful conclusion! The only problem with that particular theory is the opposition will also treat games against us as their ‘cup final’.

Given our recent record we have to take all of the positives from Tuesday night, it’s still very much in our own hands and if we can use this as inspiration then we should be Okay. If the recent downturn in form is intrinsically linked with a loss of confidence then the outcome against Supermarine will have been a timely boost for the players.

After the Taunton result we have to ask ourselves did we take our eye off the ball thinking that the hard work had been done? Unfortunately, the word ‘crisis’ is used far too easily these days. For example: Merthyr losing to Bridgwater and Didcot is unpleasant, but is hardly a crisis.

This will be another important game, the pressure will be turned back on and the expectation levels – because of what we’ve achieved so far - will be high. This period is not one that will define our season, but another positive outcome would certainly answer some of the questions that have been raised in the last few weeks.

We have now demonstrated that our tactical setup and playing style can be modified, despite Steve Jenkins showing a dogmatic tendency in the first half of the season when it comes to team selection. He has now started to become more pragmatic with his approach. Sometimes a coach needs to take his players’ strengths and weaknesses into account before adapting a particular system.

Early in the season this manifested itself into a set 4-3-3 formation irrespective of the circumstances because the results kept on coming, but gradually this switched to a 4-1-4-1, then a 4-5-1 and recently a 3-5-2 and 4-4-2 in the same game. Gavin Williams has being used as the side’s deep lying playmaker, tasked with linking the defence and the attack and creating chances from set-pieces and telling through balls for whichever of McLaggon, Traylor or Prosser had been selected up front. So it will be interesting to see how we perform without him for the next three games.

Jenkins has recently proved himself to be flexible in terms of his teams’ configurations – rather than be stubborn using rigid tactics, asserting that managers can never have a favourite formation based on the simple fact that they have to adapt not to what he prefers but to what we he has to work with and who the opposition are. The simple fact is that when players who came in did well, they generally stayed in the line-up. The Boss made sure that players had to work hard and earn the right to get back in the side.

No player likes being on the bench, no one likes being dropped, it should hurt them and, hopefully, inspire them to do better. Everybody needs a little kick out of their comfort zone now and again.

This will be another awkward away game following two tricky road trips. We travelled to Totton a few season ago and lost 3-2 in the FA Cup although the game was over before we scored two latish goals to make the scoreline more respectable. But things have change at the Testwood Stadium (which is an extremely good facility) in recent seasons with financial problems, relegation from the Premier Division and a complete overhaul of the playing squad. But their form has been pretty patchy of late, losing their last four league encounters all against promotion candidates. Based on the game between the sides earlier in the season at Penydarren Park, the styles of both teams suggest this will be a pretty open game.

There is now further evidence that we can flourish again and go on a run into the final stretch of the campaign. There is more than enough attacking potential in the squad to supplement some of the best football we have seen in the last few years.

Let’s just hope we can get over the line this time.

Merthyr Town have 10 fixtures left as they look to achieve their Southern League title ambition and go into the Premier
Wales On Line

Merthyr Town make a seven hours round trip to Hampshire by coach on Saturday aiming to keep their Southern League title tilt on course. The Martyrs are seven points clear at the top of their South and West Division with 10 matches left this season and travel to play AFC Totton.

They will then go to Bridgwater next Tuesday before finishing with five of their last eight matches at Penydarren Park. The first of those is against Tiverton Town on Saturday, March 14 (3pm).

Manager Steve Jenkins and his players, though, won’t look beyond their clash with Totton, who are below halfway in the table and complete a run of fixtures against the top four teams. They lost against Stratford 3-1, Evesham 4-1 and Taunton 2-1 before turning to their clash with leaders Merthyr.

Totton’s latest match ended in defeat against Stratford and manager Steve Riley said: “It was one of those games where you come away thinking how did we get nothing out of it? The boys did the club proud and I feel for them. Everyone – the Stratford manager included – said we deserved something from the game. We made them nervous tonight, we really did. It’s disappointing, but we can’t be too down and gloomy about it. Our character and work rate were superb.”

Gavin Williams is unavailable because he started a three match suspension. He will miss the matches at Totton and Bridgwater plus the home clash with Tiverton.

Kris Leek was able to play in the midweek win at Swindon Supermarine, but will be missing at Totton because of work commitments.

Former Swansea midfield player Guillermo Bauza is likely to step in and start against Totton, while manager Steve Jenkins may also recall Ian Traylor after he was rested at Supermarine.

Merthyr are in a crucial spell as they aim to earn a third promotion in five seasons to secure their place back in the Southern League Premier Division.

Should play with a back five with maybe Patten and Matty Harris stepping into midfield

Yes....I would like to see Harris get a start...he is not frightened to pull the trigger and has a great engine....never easy to win away but am confident we shall overcome Saturday....Boz

Taunton have some tough games coming up, well games I would consider more difficult than the games we have, no disrespect, so it is a great opportunity for us to extend our lead at the top to more than 7 points.

Peacocks set for a week on the road
Somerset County Gazette

SECOND-placed Taunton Town have to contend with three difficult away Evo-Stik League fixtures in succession, beginning with tomorrow’s trip to North Leigh (3pm).

The Oxfordshire side, who are the second highest scorers in the whole league, occupy seventh spot and are still handily placed for a play-off challenge so the Peacocks will need to be on their game to secure a positive result.

Then on Tuesday evening Town make the journey to the Forest of Dean to take on Cinderford Town in a rearranged fixture, kick-off 7.45pm. Mid-table Cinderford are also not out of the running to snatch a play-off place so will be eager to go one better than they did back in December when the sides fought out a 1-1 draw at the Viridor Stadium.

Town’s tricky trio of games is then concluded with a visit to their nearest challengers Evesham United a week on Saturday. Town boss Leigh Robinson is approaching the matches in optimistic mood.

He said: “Three tough away games in a row to come but with points on the board we are in a unique position of not being under much pressure. With the exception of probably Evesham, the other two sides really need to win and when teams come at us we are generally good so there’s every reason to be confident.”

Midfielder Rob Norrish, who has had game time elsewhere in order to regain match fitness following his cartilage operation, is potentially back in the squad for Saturday. But there is worse news for Ben Kirk who has been out injured for two months and now looks likely to miss the rest of the season.

Evesham United manager proud of revival
Evesham Journal

MANAGER Paul Collicutt is delighted with the way Evesham United have come on in leaps and bounds in the past 12 months.

The Robins have transformed themselves from a side treading mid-table water this time last season to one sitting third and pushing for promotion from Evo-Stik Southern League Division One South and West. Their rise has featured a phenomenal run ahead of Saturday’s visit of third-from-bottom Fleet Town to the Spiers and Hartwell Jubilee Stadium (3pm).

Collicutt said: “We have lost just once in 19 games, which is nearly half-a-season. I can’t grumble about the position we are in. It just proves how much the team have moved on in these 12 months. We have tried not to accept second-best and the biggest thing of all is winning. That lifts confidence levels and helps move players on. Will Wellon, although he’s injured at the moment, is a classic case of someone whose performance levels have improved no end since last season, while Jared Wilson and Carl Brown would come into that category as well. Ashley Edenborough had one of his best games for us on Saturday too.”

Striker Edenborough bagged two goals in last weekend’s 4-1 victory at Totton alongside efforts from captain Matt Sysum and Wilson.

Collicutt said: “I was pleasantly surprised by the way we went about our business. One thing that is encouraging at the moment is the amount of chances we are creating. We played some good football but we go into the Fleet game knowing it won’t be easy. We played them in the first game of the season away and conceded a goal inside 30 seconds. They have got their problems, are in a dogfight and will make life difficult for us. We have got our work cut out and have got to get on with looking after ourselves.”

Striker Lance Smith returns but defenders Wellon (hamstring) and Lewis Binns (ankle), midfielder Elliot Kennedy (personal reasons) and winger Marcus Jackson (wedding) are missing.

Steve Riley: Why I feel for my young Stags side
Southampton Daily Echo

WITH just one of their back-to-back top-four challenges remaining, AFC Totton have yet to bank a point. The Stags have had no change out of Taunton (2nd), Evesham (3rd) or Stratford (4th) and face the biggest challenge of all tomorrow when leaders Merthyr roll up at the Testwood Stadium.

After starting the new year with five straight league victories that pushed them to the fringes of the play-offs, Totton have collected just one point from 18.

Tough run But, as Tuesday’s 3-1 defeat at Stratford demonstrated, the gulf between them and the Southern One South & West elite is not as great as their position – 14th – would suggest.

“We’ve had a tough run and I feel for the boys because we’ve competed with these teams without getting anything out of it,” said manager Steve Riley. “But I still think the experience our lads are getting and everything they are learning is really good for them. I was chuffed for young Ellis White on Tuesday. He’d been a bit frustrated not playing, but Rob Flooks was out with a tight calf and Ellis came in and put in a really good, solid defensive performance. It’s the same with Joe Maxwell and Taylor Edwards. They both waited for their opportunity, it came along and they took it. Taylor’s scored two in two games. The players will benefit from this experience and I’m sure that if you put the same set of lads out at Stratford next season, or the one after, they would have the know-how to win a game like Tuesday’s.”

Even Stratford’s Twitter feed acknowledged that Totton deserved more than they got, stating: “Unlucky on the visitors who dominated the second half.”

Riley agreed: “We conceded two early goals, but we woke up after ten minutes and dominated from then on. Taylor scored and we pushed men forward and put Stratford under a lot of pressure. They got their third with the last kick of the game when we were still pushing for a point. It’s disappointing to lose, but I’m convinced everything that’s happened will stand the lads in good stead for the rest of this season and beyond.”

Merthyr have been through a rough patch themselves. After beating Taunton 2-1 on Valentine’s Day, the romance died with a draw against North Leigh and twin defeats against Bridgwater and Didcot. Normal service was restored on Tuesday as the Martyrs powered back from behind to win 3-1 at Swindon Supermarine. Ex-Saint Kayne McLaggon equalised before Ryan Prosser struck twice.

Merthyr – 4-0 October winners over Totton at Penydarren Park - will be without influential midfield playmaker Gavin Williams tomorrow as he starts a three-match ban.

Let us hope our very own Face in a Bush keeps up recent form, I for one would have liked to have seen him have more game time.

In the game's that Ryan Prosser has actually started this season we have won 7 drawn 1 and lost 2. However, he has scored 11 goals in 10 starts only failing to find the net in three games.

In game's in which Gavin Williams hasn't started this season so far we have won 6 drawn 1 and lost 1.

Wandering wrote:In the game's that Ryan Prosser has actually started this season we have won 7 drawn 1 and lost 2. However, he has scored 11 goals in 10 starts only failing to find the net in three games.

Two of those starts (and wins) and four of those goals came in Word Cup games.