AFC TOTTON staged a breathtaking second-half fightback to stun promotion-seeking Didcot Town 5-3 at the Testwood Stadium tonight.

The third-placed Railwaymen had not lost in 17 Southern One South & West outings and must have fancied their chances of extending that run when they led 3-1 at the break.

But some half-time home truths transformed Totton who banged in four without reply.

“To be honest, I think we gave Didcot too much respect in the first half,” said manager Steve Riley. “There were a few harsh words and we were a different animal in the second half.

“In the first half we gave them too much space and didn’t defend well enough. For their third we played a bad back pass straight into the striker’s path.

“We didn’t play on Saturday so we had fresh legs and I told the lads to go out and show what we were made of. The difference was unbelievable.

“It was 3-3 inside ten minutes and, after going 4-3 up, we slowed the game down and frustrated them and Didcot ended up arguing among themselves. Our lads showed a bit of maturity tonight.”

After Josh Baines and Jack Longford had fired Diddy 2-0 up, Craig Feeney pulled one back for Totton after Stuart Mott had headed Mike Gosney’s corner back across goal.

The Stags’ defensive generosity gifted Longford his second in the 43rd minute, but the Railway didn’t know what had hit them after the break.

No sooner had Mott headed in one Gosney cross than Zac Mouland got on the end of another to level 3-3.

With the 247 crowd roaring their approval, Mouland breezed in from out wide to hit a sweet strike into bottom corner and put Totton ahead for the first time on 67 minutes.

Didcot were rattled and Feeney duly polished off victory three minutes from time with his second of the game.

“Credit to the lads for the way we responded from 3-1 down,” smiled Riley. “When we play like that we’re a force to be reckoned with.”

Totton, 11th, entertain second-to-bottom Bashley on Saturday.