KEY man Mike Gosney hobbled off injured as AFC Totton were defeated by two early goals from Shortwood United in the Southern League South & West at the Testwood Stadium today.

On a hugely frustrating afternoon for the Stags, which saw them take more than hour to pull a save from the visitors’ goalkeeper Tom King, the 2-0 loss extended their search for a South & West victory to three games.

Jake Lee bundled home little more than a minute in for 1-0 before Tim Haddock’s unbelievable, lobbed free-kick, from just past the halfway line, completely outwitted an out of position Steve Mowthorpe in the Stags net, who could only watch it sail into the empty net on eight minutes to seal the win.

Things went from bad to worse for Totton, who struggled for any kind of rhythm, when Gosney, usually one of their most potent threats, was hauled off clutching his back.

Just two Stags – Mowthorpe and captain Liam Hibberd – who started the 2-0 defeat to the Gloucestershire outfit in the corresponding fixture last term survived to make Steve Hollick’s new-look XI in this one.

Hollick made three changes with absentees Dave Allen, Chris Manning and Luke Dempsey dropping out for ex-Salisbury defender Dan Beckles and youngsters Jack Attrill and Jake Burgess.

The Stags grew steadily into the first-half but, unfortunately, two more than avoidable goals were conceded within eight minutes to do away with any game plan almost immediately.

It took just a minute and 30 seconds for Wood’s Jake Parrott to launch a free-kick just into Totton territory deep into the right-hand side of the box where Joe White, only installed into the visitors’ line-up at the last minute following injury to James Singh, headed back across goal.

With Totton’s defence busy picking their men up just out the six yard box and Mowthorpe nowhere to be seen, the ball, bounced goal-wards, with striekr Lee seeing it over the line.

With heads being scratched and brows furrowed among the Testwood faithful so soon into the match, many resorted to palms in faces six and-a-half minutes later when Wood won a free-kick on the home side’s left.

Centre-back Haddock decided, audaciously, that Mowthorpe had stepped off his line enough to have cheeky stab at goal.

It sailed in the air seemingly for eternity and, as jaws dropped, and Mowthorpe’s heart sunk, the ball dropped into the net for 2-0.

That was that for Wood’s chance and barring a couple of half-chances – with Nathaniel Sherborne volleying ambitiously wide and Burgess knocking one over the bar – the Stags were kept very quiet indeed.

A frustrated Craig Feeney started to get more of the ball to his feet as the half wore on and made a couple of decent runs and shots but, in reality, King was a bystander in the first period.

With centre-back Tony Rolls injured, Taylor Edwards came on and tucked into midfield while Neil Williams dropped back into defence.

There was little to talk of in the second-half, except for a few ill-tempered moments, until Nick Watts finally pulled a save from King, as he darted to the edge of the box and hit a low drive to the keeper’s near post.

Att: 215

AFC Totton: Mowthorpe, Hibberd, Attrill (Rawkins 84), Williams, Rolls (Edwards 45), Beckles, Watts, Burgess, Feeney, Sherborne, Gosney (Lilley 22). Subs not used: Ferguson, Greene.