LAST season’s beaten finalists AFC Totton are through to the semi-finals of the Hampshire FA Senior Cup.
The Stags caught Southern Premier rivals Gosport Borough cold with two goals in the first six minutes at a rainswept Testwood Stadium last night and never looked back on their way to a 3-1 victory.
Fielding a team heavily populated with the youngsters, Totton flew out of the blocks and threatened on two minutes when Nathan Hurst shot just wide from Jack Odam’s cross.
Gosport were not so lucky with two subsequent Odam deliveries which were stabbed home by Luke Roberts and Mike Gosney in the third and sixth minutes.
As the hectic start continued, Gosport’s Sammy Igoe hit the bar with a 25-yard drive.
But Totton remained on top and Gosney had one shot saved by ’keeper Nathan Ashmore and sent another just wide before Borough’s Brett Poate fired a quickly-taken free-kick narrowly over.
Young Totton ’keeper Ross Casey saved a Danny Smith header shortly after the break, but any hope of a Gosport fightback was sunk in the 56th-minute when Totton were awarded a penalty.
As dangerman Odam ran into the box, Ashmore slid in to take the ball.
But, on a greasy surface, he took the man instead and was beaten by ex- Borough full-back Ryan Hill from the spot.
Full story and more non-league football in today's Daily Echo.
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