AFC TOTTON boss Louis Langdown admitted his side’s Plan B “is not quite working” after yesterday's 1-0 defeat at Cinderford in the Evo-Stik South West.

While sitting seventh in the table still represents massive progress for the Stags, Langdown says his young guns must learn to adapt better to the different challenges thrown their way.

Totton’s best openings fell to new loan arrival Tony Lee and Curtis Young, but both pulled shots disappointingly wide.

And, having let the home side off the hook, they were stung by a 25th-minute goal from Danny Clare that ultimately proved the difference between the sides.

“The lad hit a good strike, which was the real effort they’d had. But, saying that, we didn’t play very well,” admitted Langdown.

“We weren’t our usual energetic selves and we didn’t pass the ball as well as we can do in the final third.

“It was a frustrating, awkward game and it’s a bit like a throwback to ’70s at Cinderford.

“They’d deliberately left the pitch long to stop us passing and we’ve got to adapt to that a bit better. Our Plan B is not quite working.

“If we’d taken the lead when we had the chance, they'd have to have come at us, but they just sat in with two banks of four and closed us down.

“Tony had an effort that he pulled wide and then Curtis has done the same. We should've at least tested the goalkeeper.

“We saw quite a lot of the ball after that but created nothing of note.

“When the opposition sit in like they did, we need to get forward with a bit of quality.”

Losing on-loan Aldershot defender Jack Barker to a hamstring problem did not help Totton’s cause, particularly as they were already without injured duo Connor York and Jack Masterton.

“Jack Barker went off in the first half and I suspect we might not see him now for a couple of weeks,” rued Langdown.

MANAGER Steve Claridge had spoken of Salisbury’s need for a striker prior to yesterday’s trip to Slimbridge.

But, while the search continues, midfielder Lewis Benson weighed in with a hat-trick in a 5-2 victory in Gloucestershire.

After Benson had opened the scoring on 32 minutes, Slimbridge pair Sean Lawson and Max Harper-Emerson turned the game on its head midway through the second half.

But Danny Young and Kane O’Keefe swung the pendulum back Salisbury’s way before ex-Andover Town man Benson scored twice more to boost his season’s tally to seven.

Victory lifts Claridge’s Whites to third in Evo-Stik South West table, five points adrift of leaders Taunton Town.