A crowd of 270 turned out for the last Totton derby at BAT yesterday - and witnessed what was probably the most one-sided game in the fixture's 80-year history.

BAT may be teetering on the brink of extinction following British American Tobacco's decision to padlock the gates of their Southern Gardens home in September, but there was no sign of sentiment from free-scoring AFC Totton who dished out an unneighbourly 8-1 hammering.

Gareth Byers had a hand in the first two goals, setting up Dave Goss to head home an inch-perfect cross from the right on seven minutes and then launching a deep free kick which by-passed a ruck of bodies on its way into the net.

BAT - stripped of injured star striker James Thornby - had no answer to Totton's pace, power and movement and on 23 minutes man-of-the-match Floyd Hamodu cleverly turned and played on Mike Gosney's corner at the near post for Mark Osman to head home.

That marked the start of a first-half hat-trick by Totton's pacy number ten who struck again on 36 minutes following another exquisite piece of skill by Hamodu from Byers's throw.

Home goalkeeper Louis Doughty failed to claim Hamodu's initial shot and, after what seemed an eternity, Osman finally netted the loose ball.

Seconds later Osman was celebrating again when he sped down the left, evaded his marker and fired low into the far corner.

Apart from a routine save from Duncan Millar's shot, Totton's underworked goalkeeper Iain Brunnschweiler had precious little to do until the 42nd minute when he completely miskicked the ball and couldn't get back in time to prevent BAT substitute Wayne Allen from scoring.

But that was a rare moment of joy for the Tobaccomen who, despite an improved second-half performance, could do nothing to hold back the Totton tide.

On 70 minutes Danny Potter rose to head in Mike Gosney's corner and then 16-year-old substitute Mark Piper weighed in with a near-post finish after more hesitation by Doughty from a long throw.

Sam Wyeth fired BAT's best chance over on 85 minutes and, with the final whistle approaching, the ever-menacing Hamodu set up Gosney to shoot home Totton's eighth.

With plenty of local backing behind them, the BAT Sports & Social Club have not given up all hope of getting British American Tobacco to change their minds.

The Liberal Democrats have distributed 14,000 leaflets to homes in the area, numerous letters of protest have been sent to the company and there was a collection bucket and petition doing the rounds at yesterday's game for a campaign entitled: "STOP - Save Totton's Open Places."

Delighted as he was with yesterday's result, Totton chairman Richie Maton takes no pleasure in BAT's demise and is hoping they succeed in their aim of getting the multi-million tobacco giants to sell the ground as a going concern.

Maton himself is a regular user of the BAT social club and said: "It will be sad if it goes. It's a travesty for everyone involved in local sport - not just football, but cricket, tennis etc.

"I will miss this local derby. We've got a good relationship with BAT and I only hope they can sort something out."

Even if British American Tobacco did have a change of heart, the problem for the football club is that time is fast running out to confirm their Wessex League involvement next season.

"We haven't officially resigned yet, but if we did and then the BAT company came back and said we could continue, would the league be in a position to reinstate us?" said club secretary Bob Walsh.

According to Norman Cook, the SWL's competition secretary, league officials would do everything in their power to help.

"This is an exceptional case and exceptional circumstances would be applied," he said. "We ask clubs to reapply by the end of April, but it's not usually until mid-May that the management committee make their proposals to go to the AGM.

"But if the BAT company were to change their minds just as the new season's about to kick off, that would put the club and the league in an awkward position."