Goals apiece from Nick Watts and Mike Gosney gave AFC Totton their first point of the Southern League South & West season in a 2-2 draw with Wantage Town at the Testwood Stadium.

The Stags slacked off after the ex-Sholing attacker Watts had given them the early lead, allowing the Oxfordshire outfit to level through Ben Whitehead’s long ranger and then take the lead through Carl Evans’ back post header.

Gosney then levelled on 35 minutes as the score was settled before the break.

With manager Steve Hollick’s return flight from a three day break in Hamburg delayed and assistant manager Lee Burch away on a coaching course at England’s training ground St George’s, it was left to first team coach Dave Rowland and goalkeeper coach Jamie Cotton to take charge.

“On the basis of chances it was probably a deserved draw,” said Rowland, the former Hythe & Dibden coach, who came over with Lee Burch during the summer, about the performance.

“We played the better football at times and created some good chances, but could have created more.

“A disappointing spell in the first half let us down in the end. We didn’t cope well after conceding and didn’t get our shape quick enough .

“They then came at us and scored another. Credit to Wantage they came here and competed and hit the balls into dangerous areas, which we didn’t cope with very well.”

It was with a sense of déjà vu that the Stags took the lead, let it slip and then levelled once more all in the first-half.

An almost carbon copy of their 3-2 defeat to Taunton Town – when Watts and Gosney also scored – on the opening day was seemingly on the conveyer belt when Watts smashed them into an early lead.

On six minutes Craig Feeney used his blistering pace to stretch the defence after Liam Hibberd had played a through ball down the left flank.

The ex-Blackfield & Langley attacker carried it to the byline before cutting back to the edge of the box where Watts, the first in a queue of Totton players waiting to pounce on the loose ball, made no mistake, rifling powerfully into the right of the net.

Again, much like against Taunton, two sloppy goals were then conceded.

Following a decent move, Whitehead picked up the ball 30 yards out. He shook off the attentions of Neil Williams before picking his spot from distance to beat Stags stopper Steve Mowthorpe to his left.

On 27 minutes a soft free-kick just past the halfway line saw Jake Johns punt the ball optimistically to the back post where an unmarked Evans had the simple task of nodding home from close range.

The Stags finished the half in ascendancy and were back level ten minutes before the interval as Watts used his frightening pace to get the Wantage defence backpedalling.

The winger squared to Gosney on the edge of the box, where the ex-Gosport Borough man slotted into the bottom right past the on rushing Freds custodian Gareth Tucker to level the match just as he did in Somerset on Saturday.

Not much changed after the break, except the goals dried up. Totton struggled to keep possession, much to the frustration of the Testwood faithful and there was an air of trepidation every time the Freds attacked.

Wantage had the ball in the net twice, but on both occasions their efforts were flagged for offside.

The Stags created a couple of chances, with Feeney latching onto a long ball and hitting into Tucker from close range, which frustrated Nathaniel Sherborne who was waiting, unmarked, in the six yard box.

That came after Sherborne was gifted a tricky open goal opportunity when Tucker miss-kicked, leading to the long serving forward hitting just wide of the far post from the right edge of the box.

Substitute Stephen Davis sent a free-kick whistling over Mowthorpe’s bar and another opportunity saw the Oxfordshire side send a powerful curling effort just past the right upright.

Attendance: 250

AFC Totton: Mowthorpe, Manning, Hibberd, Williams (Burgess 78), Rolls, Dempsey, Watts, Allen, Feeney, Sherborne (Lilley 65), Gosney. Subs not used: Attrill, Edwards, Greene.