AFC TOTTON 4 BISHOP'S CLEEVE 0.

RAMPANT AFC Totton scored four goals and kept a priceless clean sheet into the bargain in their penultimate home game of the Southern One South & West season against Bishop’s Cleeve.

Having let a three-goal lead evaporate in Tuesday’s 3-3 draw against Bideford, the Stags wasted no time getting their noses in front again.

After a neat spell of possession football on the left, the ball made its way to Alfy Whittingham whose low, driven cross was diverted in by defender Aaron Drake for an own goal.

Almost immediately Totton again threatened down the left but, having done well to control Ian Oliver’s cross, which came to him at an awkward height, Nathaniel Sherborne fired over.

The first hint of Bishop's Cleeve danger came on 15 minutes when Totton defender Connor York cleared Jacob Davidge’s attempted overhead kick from James Baldwin’s menacing left-wing delivery.

The visitors suffered a body blow on 20 minutes when keeper Mat Wieczorek had to come off injured and centre-forward Shane Bumphrey came off the bench to replace him.

Instead of bombarding the Cleeve area, Totton briefly found themselves working overtime to defend their own. But Joe Bates’ bending free-kick, easily gathered by Totton’s keeper Pat O’Flaherty, was the visitors’ only flicker of a chance during that spell.

On 29 minutes the Stags made it 2-0 from the penalty spot.

Sherborne was fouled latching onto another Whittingham cross and the long-serving front-man calmly sent stand-in keeper Bumphrey the wrong way from 12 yards.

Sherborne could have had another as Whittingham again delivered well from the left, but this time Totton’s No 9 side-footed wide.

That chance followed a crack from distance by Davidge which O’Flaherty turned away for a corner, and then the Totton No 1 was grateful to see Bates’ effort curl wide of the far post.

Half-time: AFC TOTTON 2 BISHOPS CLEEVE 0.

Totton found themselves back in the familiar territory of a three-goal lead in the third minute of the second-half.

Yet again Whittingham did brilliantly on the left, shrugging off his marker before picking out Sherborne who thumped the ball into the roof of the net at the near post.

Defender Dave Allen should have had a fourth on 54 minutes when picked out by Adam Wilde’s free-kick, but sent a gift header wide.

On 63 minutes Whittingham, having just been booked, had an outstanding performance cut short when he was replaced by Alex Haynes.

The young sub - just back from England Schools duty - quickly got into the action, testing Bumphrey from distance and, after Calum Hellyar had replaced Sherborne, Charlie Gunson sent a dipping strike just over from 25 yards.

With the Stags hungry for more goals, Curtis Young had a high cross fijngertipped over by the under-fire Bumphrey and then Gunson’s left-wing delivery was hooked clear with the makeshift 'keeper beaten.

Gunson fizzed another effort over from range, but the Stags were not to be denied goal number four.

With five minutes of normal time remaining the livewire Young wriggled his way through the massed ranks of green shirts before calmly slotting home the goal-of-the-game.

O’Flaherty, a spectator for most of the second-half, was called into action in stoppage time, keeping his concentration well and turning the ball over after some determined play by Bates.