CHAIRMAN Andy Straker is convinced there is nothing wrong with AFC Totton that hard work, desire and pride in the jersey won’t put right.

Saturday’s last-gasp 2-1 home defeat by ten-man Taunton Town was the Stags fourth loss in their last five league fixtures – a dramatic reversal of fortunes after five wins from their opening six games had sent them top of the Southern One South & West.

They now reside in ninth place, ten points adrift of pacemakers Stratford Town, but have the ideal chance to make up lost ground this week when they face two clubs in the bottom six.

Following a trip to manager Steve Riley’s old charges Bashley tomorrow, they return home on Saturday to face Bridgwater Town.

Although Riley felt his side were desperately unlucky to succumb to a stoppage-time winner from the Peacocks on Saturday, there is no denying Totton have lost some of their early-season sparkle.

Craig Feeney, who couldn’t stop scoring in August, has been without a goal ever since and the Stags have developed a worrying habit of switching off defensively.

They paid the price twice on Saturday – first failing to track the run of Steve Murray as he darted onto Rodney Marsh’s through ball to fire Taunton into a 33rd minute lead, and then allowing Jamie Price to steal the points with a towering stoppage-time header from a right-wing free-kick.

Riley has spoken of the lack of talkers and leaders in his side, but he fully appreciates the need for financial prudence given Totton’s money troubles of the past two years, making potential new signings unlikely.

Chairman Straker said: “Steve’s budget was set out at the start of the season and that budget won’t change.

“There’s always scope (within that budget), but this is the same squad we had at the beginning of the season and it’s too easy to say we haven’t won a game or two so we need to bring new players in.

“We need to get back to what we were doing at the beginning of the season and people must work harder – the management and the team – to make that happen. It’s all about desire and being proud of representing AFC Totton in the way the executive committee expect.

“We put a lot of effort in to make sure the club’s still here and now we need to see that effort on the field.”

Riley said he felt for his players after losing “quite a niggly game that had a bit of everything.”

In his view Taunton should have been reduced to ten men long before Jamie Short got his 57th-minute marching orders for chopping down Nathaniel Sherborne out of sheer frustration that his mazy run had been halted on the edge of the Totton box.

Just prior to Murray firing the Peacocks ahead, the feisty Marsh had caught Liam Gilbert with a reckless challenge from behind but escaped with just a yellow card.

Marsh was taken off at the interval, presumably before he got sent off, and Riley said: “I thought the No10 should have gone for that challenge, coming in from behind. It was quite a niggly game spoiled by the referee. It was never a free kick at the end that led to their winner. It was given against Rob Flooks, but no one’s even appealed for it. But, that said, we should have dealt with the header.”

It was a particularly heart-breaking moment for Flooks who had magnificently pulled the Stags back on terms in 74th minute.

Returning from a one-match suspension, he put his aerial presence to good use, rising majestically to meet Gilbert’s free-kick from the right with a glancing header into the far corner.

Sadly, though, it wasn’t enough and Riley admitted: “I felt for the lads at the end, I really did.

“We controlled the second half and their keeper’s pulled off a great save to deny Kyle (O’Brien) before Zac’s (Mouland) follow-up has been cleared off the line.

“It was a great header by Rob to level, but playing against ten men can be difficult and Taunton defended ruthlessly.

“We probably lacked a bit of quality and guile, but it wasn’t for want of trying.

“Hopefully we can turn today’s disappointment into something positive going into the next two matches.”

AFC Totton: Steve Mowthorpe, Liam Hibberd, Jamie Blackburn, Ellis White, Rob Flooks, Liam Gilbert, Jamie Bulpitt (Nathan Hurst, 85), Kyle O’Brien, Craig Feeney, Nathaniel Sherborne (Taylor Edwards, 72), Zac Mouland. Subs (not used) Chris Onoufriou, Sam House, Steve Hollick.

Referee: Craig Green.

Attendance: 283.