AFCtotton100905

Thursday 01st September 2005

Whitcher denies Lordswood

Saturday 10th September 2005	FA Cup First Qualifying Round	Darrell Harman reports from North Dane Way
Lordswood	1	Forster 48
AFC Totton	2	Whitcher 57,59

Lordswood suffered their first defeat of the season and went out of the FA Cup, having not done themselves any justice, writes Darrell Harman.

Totton came out of the blocks and created their first chance after 15 minutes when Ashley Russell's headed the ball clear but only as far as Steve Whitcher on the edge of the box and his shot flew over the bar.

Two minutes later the visitors should have taken the lead when Iain Brunschweiller's long kick evaded everyone and Whitcher raced into the area but former Chatham Town goalkeeper Gavin Hopper blocked the shot with his legs.

Then Hopper missed a long ball into the penalty area and Mike Gosney latched onto the pass but from an acute angle and with the goal at his mercy his shot struck the far post.

Lordswood player Sam Colyer cleared Whitcher's shot off the line and another chance for the visitors came when Aaron Burrett's bad pass was pounced on by Gosney and having raced into the area his shot went past the post.

Lordswood, however, were relieved to go in at the break on level terms.

The Medway side, however, stunned their visitors by taking the lead after 48 minutes.

Bob Chiverton's corner was met by Andy Forster whose bullet header found the back of the net.

Lordswood were dreaming of history as this could have put the club into the second qualifying round for the first time in their history and three minutes later Andy Doerr passed to Chiverton on the left wing and his low cross found Will Richards but the goalkeeper smothered the ball as the player tried to go round him.

And within a minute the Kent side should have doubled their score when Richards tried to lob the goalkeeper but the ball took an eternity to come down and went it did it dropped wide of the post.

This would prove costly for Lordswood as for all Totton's dominance in the first half, their shooting let them down but they finally equalised after 57 minutes and scored the winner two minutes later.

A corner was half cleared and was crossed back into the area and Whitcher headed past Hopper.

And two minutes later Whitcher on the right received the ball and his 15-yard shot beat Hopper.

Lordswood almost equalised in the 61st minute when Jay Hayfield put in Doerr but his curling effort from 18 yards was pushed around the post for a corner by the goalkeeper.

This would be Lordswood's last chance because they were pushing forward for the equaliser, leaving gaps, which the visitors almost exploited.

Mark Osman saw his shot from 12 yards brilliantly saved by Hopper and then Gosney raced from half-way towards the penalty area but Hopper came rushing off his line and tackled the striker but the loose ball fell to Fluad Hamado and he shot wide from 18-yards.

Lordswood cannot complain about the result but as it turned out that mad three minutes cost them the game.

Lordswood: Hopper, Phillips (Almond 66), Burrett, Colyer, Russell, Forster (Read 84), Chiverton, Sharp, Doerr, Hayfield (Cunningham 66), Richards. Subs: Gissing, Hopkins