Only victory will do as AFC Totton bid to keep relegation fight alive

With just three Southern Premier games remaining, the third-to-bottom Stags can achieve a maximum of 42 points – just one more than Chippenham and Burnham above them have already got.

But you won’t find any negative vibes emanating from their perpetually positive manager Steve Riley.

Considering the debt-ridden club’s lack of resources and the youth and inexperience of their side, they have done brilliantly to have escaped the jaws of relegation for so long.

Only a few weeks back the Stags were level pegging with Riley’s old club Bashley at the foot of the table. But 21 points from the last available 39 means they have now amassed more than double the total of the already doomed Foresters.

Totton’s exertions caught up with them on Tuesday, soundly beaten 3-0 at home by Redditch, but Riley is rightly proud of his young troops.

“We had a few tired minds and bodies against Redditch and we didn’t play at a high enough tempo and just lacked a bit of quality,” he said.

“The better side won, but our lads gave their all.”

Totton round off the season with Easter games at home to relegated Bedford (April 19) and away to Burnham (April 21).

“We’re going to need to win all three to stand any chance of staying up. If it’s too little too late, it won’t be for want of trying,” said Riley. “We’ve had a good run and the lads have competed really well. You can’t fault their effort and heart.”

Totton will travel to play-off chasing Stourbridge with just one of their AFC Bournemouth loan duo on board.

Livewire winger Harrison Gilkes is staying for the remainder of the season, but centre-back Lewis Lindsay has been recalled by his parent club.

The Stags are also likely to be without star man Luke Roberts who was seeing a specialist this week about a knee problem.

Tomorrow’s Southern League games kick off at 3.07pm to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.